Saturday November 9th at 2 p.m., we warmly welcome you to the opening of two solo exhibitions at Hafnarborg. Artists Pétur Thomsen and Arngunnur Ýr will then be presenting their work in the museum. Both exhibitions offer an exciting perspective on nature and the relationship between humans and their environment, with each artist approaching the subject in their own unique way.

Settlement
Pétur Thomsen has been working on this photo series for the past few years, but it has only been exhibited in part until now. The photographer directs the lens at pieces of land that have been disturbed or transformed in one way or another, for example through land use, mining, forestry, agriculture or the construction of roads and infrastructure. The photographs are taken at night and so the photographer uses a big flash to light up the land and define the stage. This imbues the photographs with an ominous tone, a post-apocalyptic feel, as the dark night sky suggests the looming threat.

Pétur Thomsen (b. 1973) completed his MFA degree from the École nationale supérieur de la photographie (ENSP) in Arles, France, in 2004. Prior to that, he studied French, art history and archaeology at The Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier and art photography at École supérieure des métiers artistiques, also in Montpellier. Pétur has been nominated for and received numerous awards and prizes, such as the 10th LVMH Young Artists’ Award, handed out in 2004. He was also selected by the Musée de L’Élysée in Lausanne for the project regeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow.

Kahalii
The exhibition delves into Arngunnur’s personal and artistic journey following her relocation to Hawaii, presenting new and recent paintings that respond to the complex interplay of nature, history, and human settlement. Set in an area where natural beauty is giving way to development, the works are deeply intertwined with the land’s layered history. The exhibition serves as both a personal reflection and a broader commentary on the ongoing transformation of landscape, inviting viewers to consider their own relationship with place and history.

Arngunnur Ýr (b. 1962) graduated with a BFA in painting from the San Fransisco Art Institute in 1986. She later attended studies at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 1989 to 1990, going on to complete her MFA in painting at Mills College, Oakland, California, in 1992. She has received various awards and recognition for her art, for example a grant from The Svavar Guðnason and Ásta Eiríksdóttir Art Award and from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. Her works have been exhibited in Iceland, Europe and the United States and can be found in the collection of public museums, various institutions and private collectors, both in Iceland and abroad.

Free entry – see you at Hafnarborg.

September marks the beginning of a new concert season at Hafnarborg, featuring a host of outstanding musicians, as well as promising young performers. On September 3rd, we welcome you to the first Midday Concert of the autumn and the Afternoon Concert series enters its fifth season with a concert by the Rebekka Blöndal Quartet on September 20th. Later this autumn, we also invite you to attend a performance of contemporary music in the concert series Phonemes, dedicated to original compositions of the 20th and 21st century.

Concerts Autumn/Winter 2024

September 3rd at 12 p.m.
Midday Concert
Fanný Lísa Hevesi

September 20th at 6 p.m.
Afternoon Concert
Rebekka Blöndal Quartet

October 1st at 12 p.m.
Midday Concert
Vera Hjördís Matsdóttir

October 18th at 6 p.m.
Afternoon Concert
Margrét Eir and Band

October 20th at 8 p.m.
(postponed until spring)
Phonemes: Blöndun/Fusione
Björg Brjánsdóttir and Ingibjörg Elsa Turchi

November 5th at 12 p.m.
Midday Concert
Kristín Sveinsdóttir

November 22nd at 6 p.m.
Afternoon Concert
Andrés Þór Nordic Trio

December 3rd at 12 p.m.
Midday Concert
Íris Björk Gunnarsdóttir

In the past few years,  individuals and groups aged 18-25 have been invited to submit ideas for creative projects in Hafnarfjörður, being given the opportunity to work on and carry out their ideas and introduce them to residents and visitors during the summer season. This year, three out of the seven participating groups or individuals will present their projects at Hafnarborg, in the form of an exhibition or happening. The Creative Summer Jobs are intended as a platform for young artists from Hafnarfjörður to develop and to promote their art.

July 25th – August 5th:
Rán Sigurjónsdóttir

August 8th at 5:30 pm:
Logi Guðmundsson

August 12th at 5:30 pm:
Íris Ásmundar, Benedikt Gylfason and Hanna Huld Hafþórsdóttir

Please note that the Hafnarborg office will be partly closed from July 8th until August 7th for summer vacations.

In the meantime, we kindly ask you to email us at [email protected].

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Wishing you all a great summer,
The staff of Hafnarborg

As in previous years, curators are invited to submit proposals for next year’s Autumn Exhibition at Hafnarborg. The Autumn Exhibition Series began in 2011 and since then fourteen exhibitions have been selected for production as part of the series, from numerous submissions by curators of diverse backgrounds and experience. This year’s Autumn Exhibition, Unknown Benevolence, which is curated by Þórhildur Tinna Sigurðardóttir and set to open on August 29th, was selected by the same method, from the proposals submitted last year.

By calling for proposals, the objective is to collaborate with different curators, who submit compelling proposals for an exhibition, as well as creating a platform for emerging curators to present their ideas. For this reason, curators who are new to the field are encouraged to send in their proposals. In years past, the programme has proven its worth, as it has produced diverse and thought-provoking exhibitions, which have been well received all around.

The call is for group exhibitions connecting artists (up to eight persons) or artworks through their subject matter, artistic method and/or other ideas, but exhibitions analysing or focusing on a specific aspect of one artist’s work will also be considered. Proposals for exhibitions of contemporary artists’ works or exhibitions entailing historical analysis are welcome as well. The Director and Art Council of Hafnarborg will review the proposals and select the winning proposal.

Please note that the deadline to submit proposals has been extended until midnight on Sunday September 8th.

Applications are only accepted via email at [email protected] (see below).

Application process

The application process is divided into two parts and we ask applicants to read all details about the two-part process and required materials carefully.

Part 1

For the first part of the application process, we request the following information:

• Description of the project with an emphasis on the idea underlying the exhibition (1000 words maximum).
• CV of the curator(s).
• Short CV of the participating artist(s) (up to eight persons), as well as others that might become part of the exhibition project.

Please provide as detailed a description as possible, while respecting the maximum word count. We will also accept illustrative material that is descriptive for the project, though this is not required. Applicants are encouraged to acquaint themselves with Hafnarborg’s layout and spaces before submitting their proposals. The Art Council of Hafnarborg, alongside the Director, will review all proposals and select those that will move on to the second part of the application process.

Part 2

The curators, whose proposals are selected for further review, will be invited to present their ideas and provide additional materials, such as exhibition catalogues, illustrative material or videos, as well as working on a realistic budget plan for the project. The budget plan for the exhibition, including its preparation, is expected to be in line with the museum’s financial plan, or else requiring special grants to fund the project.

When reviewing the proposals, the following will be taken into special consideration:

• Selection of artists.
• Whether the exhibition introduces an innovative view of the subject matter, for example in relation to its context and/or media.
• Whether the exhibition includes new or older works, or even a mixture of both.
• Whether the exhibition has a special relevance to Hafnarborg, for example to its collection, its surroundings, the town of Hafnarfjörður etc.
• Whether the exhibition makes use of Hafnarborg’s exhibition space in a creative way.
• The curators’ experience and CV.
• Suggestions for events in connection with the exhibition (curatorial talks, artist talks, seminars etc.).
• Ideas for a possible publication.
• That the budget of the project is within reasonable limits (a more precise cost assessment will take place in the latter part of the process).

Sketches of Hafnarborg’s floor plan can be found here. These are intended to be used as a guide, as it is not required that the curators design the exhibition to fit the space in strict terms.

Please send all proposals via email to [email protected], with the subject “Autumn Exhibition 2025”. In response, we will send a message confirming that we have received the proposal, but we urge you to contact us at (354) 585 5790, if you do not receive said confirmation. Finally, all applicants will be kept informed about the status of their proposals, in due course. All results will be sent via email.

Further information is provided by the office of Hafnarborg at (354) 585 5790.

Every year, The Hafnarborg Songfest offers a master class for advanced singers. This year, the class takes place from June 24th until the 27th, filling the museum with music and song for its duration. The class is held in the Hafnarborg’s main gallery, starting in the morning and ending in the afternoon, so guests of the museum will be able to enjoy the singing practice during their visit of the current exhibitions. At the end of this course, the participants will perform at a special concert on Thursday June 27th at 8 p.m. as a part of The Songfest. This time, the instructor is beloved soprano Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir (Diddú) with the support of pianist Helga Bryndís Magnúsdóttir, who will also accompany the singers at the concert.

For more information about The Hafnarborg Songfest, please visit the offical website at www.songhatid.com.

Please note that currently we are in the process of renovating the outer walls of the museum. Part of the walls will be smoothed down and recoated, before being repainted. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this project.

The museum will remain open as usual during the renovation.

Friday May 31st at 5 p.m., we invite you to the opening reception of the exhibition Cassiopeia by Guðný Guðmundsdóttir, in Hafnarborg‘s lower gallery. The exhibition features new and recent works by the artist, made on paper and in clay, as well as video works. Through the mirror of art, the works invoke ideas of bruised ego, vanity and self-adulation, seeking inspiration from Greek mythology.

The viewer enters a world of references, encountering titles in various languages (German, French and English), inscriptions and named figures or beings from classical myths. Pulling us backwards and forwards in time, the works make us contemplate the relationships hidden within, forming a constellation that perhaps brings up more questions than answers.

Guðný Guðmundsdóttir (b. 1970) graduated from the Icelandic College of Art and Crafts in 1993 and Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg in 2001. She has worked in visual art since, primarily focusing on traditional media, such as drawing, painting, collage, sculpture and photography. Guðný lives and works in Berlin.

This summer, Hafnarborg will offer workshops for children, 6–12 years old, as in previous years. The groups will go on field trips in Hafnarfjörður and basic techniques of art will be introduced by exploring the environment, the museum’s exhibitions, creative work and play. The children will work on projects in different media – drawing, painting and moulding – with the aim of developing visual focus and inspiring creative thought and personal expression.

Two 5-day workshops and one 4-day worshop will be available for ages 6–9 and 10–12. The workshop starting June 24th will then bring in elements of music to the creative process, in connection with The Hafnarborg Songfest. At the end of this workshop, the children will participate in a family concert, as part of the festival’s programme, taking place on Friday June 28th at 5 p.m.

The instructor of the visual arts workshops will be Þóra Breiðfjörð and the instructor of the music workshop will be Björg Ragnheiður Pálsdóttir.

The following summer workshops are available:

June 10th–June 14th
6–9 years old: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
10–12 years old: 1–4 p.m.

June 18th–June 21st
6–9 years old: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
10–12 years old: 1–4 p.m.

June 24th–June 28th
6–9 years old: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
10–12 years old: 1–4 p.m.

The fee is 15,860 ISK for the 5-day workshops and 12,690 ISK for the 4-day workshop. 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].

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

Maundy Thursday March 28th
Open 12 p.m.–5 p.m.

Good Friday March 29th
Closed

Holy Saturday March 30th
Open 12 p.m.–5 p.m.

Easter Sunday March 31st
Closed

Easter Monday April 1st
Open 12 p.m.–5 p.m.

Free entry – everyone welcome.