The closing of The ASI Art Museum Another blow to Icelandic visual ar t culture Hlynur Helgason
In the spring of 2016, the operation management of the ASÍ Art Museum unexpectedly decided to close the museum, in contravention of the wishes of The Icelandic Confederation of Labour (ASÍ). For years the museum has operated an exhibition space that has been vital for the exhibitions of Iceland visual artists. By closing the museum, the options to artists for exhibitions become severely limited and this decision by the operation management is therefore a heavy blow for Icelandic visual art culture. Additionally, a five-decade long connection to and support of visual art culture in Iceland with the umbrella organization of labour unions comes to an end. The art museum of the Icelandic Confederation of Labour was established in 1961 when Ragnar Jónasson gave the confederation a generous art gift. Originally the intention was to build a big building on a five-hectare plot of land to display the museum’s artefacts and create a sculpture garden. At first the collection for the building was based on sales from the publication of the first book on Icelandic art history written by Björn Th.
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Björnsson. Presumably these plans were too ambitious. Delay in publication of the art history took a toll, while a financial crisis and runaway inflation consumed most of what had been collected and the building never happened. During its first years, the museum was based in a building under the auspice of The Icelandic Confederation of Labour and the Union Bank. The museum displayed its works there as well as organizing exhibitions of works in workplaces all over the country. These exhibitions introduced Icelandic visual art for Icelandic workers and were an important source of income for the museum. 1980 was a watershed moment in the history of the museum when it moved into its own place. The accommodation was especially designed for the museum and covered the whole top floor of the Confederation’s new building at Grensásvegur. With this new lodging, the operation of the ASÍ Art Museum found the direction it’s been on ever since. Exhibitions of the museum’s collection were reduced and the exhibition space was mostly rented
out to artists who sought to exhibit at the museum. The museum often accepted works of art in lieu of rent, which was advantageous for the artists and strengthened the museum’s collection at the same time. After the museum moved into its own accommodation, it continued to mount exhibitions at workers’ places of work. Thus the museum’s collection of artefacts continued to be accessible to the general public outside the museum itself. On its 80th birthday in 1996, the ASÍ decided to purchase the Ásmundarsalur Museum and move its museum there. By doing so, the museum moved from a custom made exhibition space into a house in the city centre which was historically connected to the visual art culture of the city. The new house was built as an apartment and studio, and not as an exhibition space or a museum operation centre. In addition, it wasn’t in a good condition and needed extensive renovations from the beginning. The museum’s operation continued in the new house as before with the space on the ground floor initially being used for regular exhibitions