EVENTS MUSEUMS & EXHIBITIONS FInd more information and events on www.whatson.is/ec 66
SIGURJÓN ÓLAFSSON MUSEUM CONNECTIONS The thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum in October 2018, is marked by an exhibition in which fourteen artists , all of whom had some connection with Sigurjón and his art, engage in dialogue with Sigurjón’s works, in his former studio. The work of all is characterised by a passion for craft. All set out to create spatial works, whether stone sculptures or three-dimensional works in metal, wood, paper or textiles.
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ICELAND AMY’S DONATION The word benefactor is rarely heard in discussion of the collections of art museums. Yet in the history of their work benefactors have frequently played a part, and their contributions are an integral factor in the story of how the National Gallery of Iceland collection has been acquired. Amalie Engilberts was one of the National Gallery’s many benefactors. The daughter of artist Jón Engilberts and his wife Tove, she was born in Denmark in 1934 and died in Iceland in December 2007. Amalie, known as Amy, was a popular fortune-teller in Iceland, and for many years she explored the occult. She has been described as a well-read cosmopolitan. Treasures of a Nation In the collection of the National Gallery of Iceland, there are over 11,000 works of various kinds, from various countries and from various periods. In the exhibition a fair selection of works from the collection displays the evolution of art in Iceland from the early 19th century to our times. The exhibition features a variety of media and styles distinguishing this short but eventful history. During the first decades, from 1884 to 1911,
Treasures of a Nation
Connections
the collection was exclusively based on the generous donations of foreign artists, mostly Danish and other Scandinavians, but in the early 20th century, Icelandic art became more prominent. Today, only one of every 10 works in the collection of the National Gallery is foreign, despite the fact that foreign artists are still slightly more numerous than Icelandic artists. The generosity of various individuals, artists and other parties can be thanked for
the pace with which the collection grew during the last century. Many of the pioneers of modern Icelandic art bequeathed their works to the nation. In the late 20th century the museum’s purchasing fund increased and with it the collection expanded. There is a long and remarkable trajectory from the fragile drawings of Helgi Sigurðsson (1815-1888) to the frail poet Jónas Hallgrímsson (18071845) to the exquisite sculptures of Margrét H. Blöndal (1970-).