Programme of the week
James Merry. Greenman, 2017. © Tim Walker
Metamorphlings | James Merry
Final Exhibition Weekend 📣
The final days of Metamorphlings at the National Gallery of Iceland are approaching. Sunday, 18 October, is your last chance to experience the extraordinary works of James Merry.
Over the past decade, James Merry has created masks that serve as instruments of transformation, catalysts for performance, and gateways to altered identities. At the heart of the exhibition lies the moment of metamorphosis – when form and self merge into one. Metamorphlings is the first retrospective exhibition of Merry’s work.
The masks demonstrate exceptional craftsmanship, combining traditional techniques with innovative approaches, including embroidery, metalwork, 3D printing, silversmithing, and interactive digital works. Together, they form a dynamic collection of creations that offer profound insight into Merry’s enduring fascination with the natural world, as well as his interest in archaeology and ancient rituals.
Metamorphlings: James Merry | National Gallery of Iceland
Catalogue: Björk I James Merry
The final days of Metamorphlings are approaching.
Jóhannes Kjarval 1885-1972, Vífilsfell, 1930, LÍ-402
Event 14 October 2026 – National Gallery of Iceland
Quality Time at the National Gallery of Iceland
Expert-Guided Tour
Join us for an expert-guided tour of the exhibition Kjarval in the East at the National Gallery of Iceland on Wednesday, 14 October at 2:00 PM.
Jóhannes S. Kjarval spent his childhood in Borgarfjörður eystri and frequently returned to the area as an adult, drawing inspiration for his work from the majestic landscapes of East Iceland. The exhibition brings together portraits, landscapes, and imaginative visions in which Kjarval looks beyond hills and valleys to reveal a world of his own.
Quality Time is a programme of events designed for older adults. The programme combines specially tailored guided tours with conversations led by museum experts, exploring art, current exhibitions, and the museum's activities.
Regular museum admission applies. Please not that the event will be held in Icelandic.
Facebook event: (11) Gæðastundir │Kjarval á Austurlandi | Facebook
More: Quality Moments | National Gallery of Iceland
About the exhbition: Kjarval in the East | National Gallery of Iceland
Quality Time at the National Gallery of Iceland
Event 17 October 2026 – House of Collections, Hverfisgata
Krummi Kids’ Club
Art Workshop: A Treasure Found in the Mountains ✨
Join us for a fun and creative art workshop with Krummi Kids’ Club at the House of Collections on Saturday, 17 October, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.
Wishing stones are said to possess magical powers. In the section dedicated to elves and hidden people in the exhibition Stand and Be Turned to Stone! – Folktales in Icelandic Art, we will explore a large, sparkling wishing stone and discover the stories surrounding it.
Afterwards, we will create our very own wishing stones and decide for ourselves what magical powers they hold.
Free for the whole family!
Facebook event: (11) Krakkaklúbburinn Krummi 🎨 Listasmiðja: Fann ég á fjalli | Facebook
More: Krummi Kids' Club | National Gallery of Iceland
Krummi Kids’ Club Art Workshop: A Treasure Found in the Mountains
Event 16 October 2026 – National Gallery of Iceland
Exhibition opening, October 16th:
Where Light Remains: Ukrainian Icons Across the Centuries
Where Light Remains presents icons from the collection of the National Art Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv. This is the first time these works of art have been exhibited outside their home country, and the exhibition is the result of close collaboration between the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the National Gallery of Iceland and the National Museum of Iceland.
Ukrainian icons offer a window into an exceptionally rich cultural heritage. This exhibition provides an opportunity to explore that heritage through works from the collection of the National Art Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv. Focusing on Christian art across the centuries, the works span a period from the late 12th to the early 19th century.
The works reveal how Ukrainian art was initially shaped by Byzantine culture, followed by influences from Gothic art and the Renaissance. During the Baroque period, new currents began to shape the country’s national culture: secular subjects became more prominent, colours grew bolder and decoration more elaborate. The development of icon painting also reflects the history of the Ukrainian people.
The exhibition is a collaboration between the National Gallery of Iceland, the National Museum of Iceland and the National Art Museum of Ukraine, with the aim of strengthening cultural ties and mutual understanding between the two nations.
Facebook Event: (1) OPNUN │ OPENING: Þar sem ljósið lifir: Úkraínskar helgimyndir í aldanna rás | Facebook
More: Ukrainian Icons Across the Centuries | National Gallery of Iceland
Where Light Remains: Ukrainian Icons Across the Centuries exhibition opening
Margrét Blöndal
Autumn Course 2026 – The Einar Jónsson Museum
Course: Drawing at the Einar Jónsson Museum
Due to popular demand, we have decided to offer an additional drawing course with Margrét Blöndal in October.
Over the course of three evenings, participants will have the opportunity to explore the visual world of artist Einar Jónsson. From the space itself – his largest sculpture – to individual works that provide inspiration for drawing, the museum and its atmosphere will play a central role. Participants will spend time in the museum’s galleries, which once also served as the artist’s studio and home. The emphasis will be on flow and creative approaches to drawing.
The course will explore the fundamental elements of drawing: form, line and movement.
The course is suitable both for beginners and for those wishing to develop their drawing skills further.
All materials are provided.
Dates and times: October 15th, 22nd and 29th, 5:15–7:00 pm
Location: The Einar Jónsson Museum, Hallgrímstorg 3
Instructor: Margrét Blöndal, artist
Registration to all courses here
Drawing at the Einar Jónsson Museum
Melkorka Ólafsdóttir
Course for adults 2026 – The Einar Jónsson Museum
Creative Writing Workshop at the Einar Jónsson Museum
The artist’s ideas and selected works will serve as inspiration for creative writing. Participants will be introduced to simple and practical tools for developing texts based on visual observation and personal reflection.
Note: the course will be held in Icelandic
Dates and times: November 4th and 11th, 5:15–7:00 pm
Location: The Einar Jónsson Museum, Hallgrímstorg 3
Instructor: Melkorka Ólafsdóttir, Radio producer at the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service and poet
Registration to all courses here
Creative Writing Workshop at the Einar Jónsson Museum
Steinunn Harðardóttir & Nathalie Jacqueminet
Artworks at home - how to take care of them
Conservators from the National Gallery of Iceland will share practical advice on how to care for artworks and objects at home. Topics include handling, display, hanging, packing, transportation, and storage, as well as the key factors that contribute to their long-term preservation.
Note: the course will be held in Icelandic
Dates and times: November 18th and 25th, 5:15–7:00 pm
Location: The National Gallery, Fríkirkjuvegur 7
Instructors: Nathalie Jaqueminet and Steinunn Harðardóttir, conservators
Registration to all courses here
Artworks at home - how to take care of them
Crossroads – A Dialogue Between Art and Literature.
Museum Shop 2026 – National Gallery of Iceland
Crossroads
Treasures from the National Gallery of Iceland Museum Shop
The National Gallery of Iceland Museum Shop is home to a variety of treasures, including Crossroads – A Dialogue Between Art and Literature.
This unique publication brings together fifteen writers and poets, including Nobel Prize laureate Anne Carson, each of whom selected an artwork from the National Gallery of Iceland's collection and created a literary work inspired by it.
Just as the artworks inspired these distinguished authors, their writing now invites us, as viewers, to enter the artworks and connect with both the art and the imaginative worlds of the writers in new and multifaceted ways.
The contributing writers are Anne Carson, Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, Bergþóra Snæbjörnsdóttir, Brynjólfur Þorsteinsson, Hallgrímur Helgason, Jón Kalman Stefánsson, Karólína Rós, Kristín Ómarsdóttir, Maó Alheimsdóttir, Margrét Bjarnadóttir, María Elísabet Bragadóttir, Ragna Sigurðardóttir, Ragnar Helgi Ólafsson, Ragnheiður Harpa Leifsdóttir, and Sjón.
Buy it here: The National Gallery Editions: Crossroads | Listasafn Íslands
Featuring a contribution by Nobel Prize laureate Anne Carson