This summer, Hafnarborg invites children aged 6–12 to take part in creative art workshops, where imagination takes the lead. Participants will have the opportunity to explore their surroundings in an artistic way, take inspiration from the museum’s exhibitions and engage in a variety of creative projects.

Emphasis is placed on play and artistic creation, where the fundamentals of visual art are introduced through exploration, observation and experimentation. Children will work with various media – drawing, painting and sculpting – with the aim of strengthening visual perception, nurturing creative thinking and supporting personal expression.

Two four-day workshops and one five-day workshop will be offered, for two age groups: 6–9 and 10–12 years old.

The workshop beginning on June 23rd will include a special music and singing component, in connection with the Hafnarborg Song Festival, concluding with the children’s participation in a family concert on Friday June 27th at 5 p.m.

The following summer workshops are available:

June 10th–June 13th (4 days)
6–9 years old: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
10–12 years old: 1–4 p.m.

June 16th–June 20th (4 days)
6–9 years old: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
10–12 years old: 1–4 p.m.

June 23rd–June 27th (5 days)
6–9 years old: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
10–12 years old: 1–4 p.m.

The fee is 18,000 ISK for the 5-day workshop and 14,400 ISK for the 4-day workshops. We kindly ask that parents or guardians inform us of any special needs or requirements.

Note that there is limited availability for the summer workshops.

Registration is open via the registration network Vala. For further information, please call (354) 585 5790 or send an email to [email protected].

The Easter season is almost upon us and the staff of Hafnarborg therefore wishes the friends and supporters of the museum a very happy Easter. Opening hours during the holidays are as follows:

Maundy Thursday April 17th
Open 12 p.m.–5 p.m.

Good Friday April 18th
Closed

Holy Saturday April 19th
Open 12 p.m.–5 p.m.

Easter Sunday April 20th
Closed

Easter Monday April 21st
Open 12 p.m.–5 p.m.

There are currently two exhibitions on view at the museum. The first, Linger, presents works by eight artists from England and Iceland. In the museum’s lower gallery, Universality by Jóna Hlíf Halldórsdóttir explores the creative power of language through the interplay of text and imagery.

Free entry – everyone welcome.

In collaboration with the City of Uppsala and Uppsala Art Museum, Hafnarborg presents an exhibition of select works from its collection, opening on Saturday, April 12th at 2 p.m., at Uppsala Castle. Titled From Saga to Present (Swedish: Från saga till samtid), the exhibition celebrates the longstanding partnership between the twin towns of Hafnarfjörður and Uppsala. Later this year, as part of this exhibition exchange, a corresponding show will open at Hafnarborg, showcasing artworks from Uppsala’s municipal art collection. The project is supported by the Museum Fund.

The exhibition in Sweden features works by Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson, Tinna Gunnarsdóttir, Guðjón Ketilsson, Jónína Guðnadóttir, Rúna, Marinó Thorlacius, Astrid Kruse Jensen, Gurli Elbækgaard, Eiríkur Smith, Guðmundur Thoroddsen, Margrét Sveinsdóttir, Guðný Magnúsdóttir, Hallgerður Hallgrímsdóttir, Edda Jónsdóttir and Kogga.

The exhibition committee comprises Aldís Arnardóttir, Hólmar Hólm, Mikaela Granath and Tove Otterclou.

The exhibition will remain on view through June 8 and we warmly encourage all those who live in the area, or passing through the city, to visit Uppsala Art Museum and experience the show.

See more here on the website of Uppsala Art Museum.

We wish to inform you that the next Midday Concert at Hafnarborg, originally scheduled for Tuesday April 1st, has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

However, we warmly invite you to the last Midday Concert of the season at Hafnarborg, on Tuesday May 6th, when Edda Austmann Harðardóttir will be the guest of Antonía Hevesi.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to welcoming you at a later date.

At the Annual Meeting of National Museums and the Museum Council of Iceland, held on February 14th, the allocation of the Museum Fund for 2025 was announced. This year, Hafnarborg received grants for four projects.

As part of this allocation, the fund will support the development of a children’s activity space on the upper floor of the museum and preparatory work for the implementation of a new Sarpur collection database, as well as an exhibition exchange between Hafnarborg and Uppsala Art Museum, as part of an ongoing partnership between twin towns Hafnarfjörður and Uppsala. Additionally, the fund will continue to support the museum’s event series In My Language, which offers art workshops and guided tours in foreign languages led by professional artists. This initiative was launched in 2023 with funding from the Museum Fund.

The grants were presented by Logi Einarsson, Minister of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education, during a formal ceremony at the National Museum of Iceland.

The staff of Hafnarborg extends heartfelt gratitude for the support, which enables the museum to better serve the community and remain a strong platform for art and culture in Hafnarfjörður.

The Hafnarborg team wishes you all, the friends and partners of the museum, happy holidays and a joyful new year, as another remarkable year comes to an end.

We look forward to welcoming you at Hafnarborg in the new year.

Hafnarborg is open as usual, until Christmas, everyday except Tuesdays, 12–5 p.m. The opening hours during the holidays are as follows:

December 23rd, Thorlac‘s Mass – open 12–5 p.m.

December 24th, Christmas Eve – closed

December 25th, Christmas Day – closed

December 26th, Second Day of Christmas – closed

December 27th–30th – open 12–5 p.m.

December 31st, New Year‘s Eve – closed

January 1st, New Year‘s Day – closed

The office of Hafnarborg will be closed during the holidays. Regular opening hours will resume from January 2nd. Entry is free and everyone welcome.

The Art Council of Hafnarborg has selected Total Babes as the 2025 installation in the museum’s Autumn Exhibition Series, out of proposals submitted by curators earlier this year through an annual open call. The curators of the selected proposal are Jasa Baka and Petra Hjartardóttir, who will present an exhibition that invites viewers to explore themes of softness, power, and feminine energy in contemporary art.

At its heart, Total Babes examines the multifaceted nature of cuteness, the divine feminine, and the animistic belief that (mother) nature is a living, dynamic entity. These concepts are viewed through the lens of how they manifest in people, places and things, particularly at a time when feminine archetypes are reemerging and reshaping our understanding of identity and balance.

Featuring works across a range of mediums, the exhibition will highlight diverse interpretations of archetypes, mythological figures, and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Through these varied perspectives, Total Babes offers an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of vulnerability and strength by opening a portal to bring the ethereal down to earth.

Jasa Baka is a multidisciplinary artist, Canadian Vestur-Íslendingur who has lived and worked in Iceland since 2017. She graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts from the Iceland University of the Arts in 2022. In Tiohtiá:ke (or Montréal), Canada, she obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Concordia University in 2008, with a specialization in Design for Theatre. She has shown work and performed in various places in Iceland, across Canada, New York and Athens, Greece.

Petra Hjartardóttir is a sculpture and installation artist working with a range of mediums including ceramics, textiles and silver. She has exhibited her work in museums and galleries in Iceland and abroad. She has participated in artist residencies in Italy, Norway and France. She graduated with an MFA in sculpture from Yale School of Art and a BFA in studio art from Hunter College, New York.

This will be the fifteenth exhibition in Hafnarborg’s Autumn Exhibition Series, where the objective is to collaborate with different curators, who get the chance to submit their own proposals, allowing new voices be heard. The Director and Art Council of Hafnarborg then review the submissions and select the winning proposal each year. The participating artists will be announced at a later date.

This year’s Globe of Goodwill, Flowers and Love Need Nourishment, by Hildur Hákonardóttir is now available at the museum shop. Each year, the Globe is sold as a limited edition, but in the last few years the Globe has sold out rather quickly, more often than not. All proceeds go to benefit children and young people with disabilities. About this year’s edition, Hildur says:

“The Northen Rock-cress is one of our most common spring flowers. Yet we rarely notice this tiny, white flower which spreads over barren, stony gravel hills, enlivens the land and attracts insects which then help pollinate other flowers that might venture there. In its humbleness, it reminds us that large presents are not needed to make people happy. Smiles and comforting words can bring more joy.

The Northern Rock-cress takes warmth from the sun, water from the skies and minerals from the rocks. Still, it is adorned by highly dissected leaves like the dandelion, the king of the wildflowers, perhaps to remind us that it also has its pride. But love needs nourishment, just like flowers, if it is supposed to thrive. Then, it is often the small things that matter most. The warm touch of a hand, encouraging words of kindness and inspiring helpfulness.”

During her long career, Hildur Hákonardóttir (b. 1938) has addressed contemporary issues, in particular environmental issues and gender politics, using varied media. She studied tapestry at the Icelandic College of Art and Crafts in 1964-68 and Edinburgh College of Art in 1969, and was headmistress of the Icelandic College of Art and Crafts in 1975-78. Hildur has held numerous exhibitions and published diverse books. The retrospective Red Thread at the Reykjavík Art Museum was awarded the Icelandic Art Prize in 2023 and Hildur received The Order of the Falcon in 2024.

The Globe of Goodwill will be sold at the museum shop from December 5th until December 20th, or for as long as it remains in stock.