For over 30 years, the Icelandic Folk and Outsider Art Museum has been committed to collecting artwork from artists defined as outside the cultural mainstream boundaries. Read on to learn all about the unique history and spirit of the museum’s galleries!
Founded in 1995 by artist Níels Hafstein and his wife Magnhildur Sigurðardóttir, the museum is located in North Iceland at Svalbarðsströnd. The museum’s architecture is made up of two adjoining vintage buildings that have a rich local history, with one as the former elementary school and community center, and the other dating back to 1900 as the district’s first co-op. In 2007, the museum was reopened and now consists of ten galleries of various sizes that hold some of the country’s most diverse and creative artwork.
The museum originally collected artwork from major contemporary folk artists and autodidacts in Iceland, whose works formed the core of the collection. Gradually, the museum acquired a collection of art from professional artists. Today, the museum’s collection consists of over 6,000 artworks by over 300 artists, dating from the mid-19th century to present times. In 2015, a special exhibition was founded to showcase the works of Þórður Guðmundur Valdimarsson, whose alias was Kikó Korríró.
Check out the videos below on the museum! Click here to learn more about the museum and its exhibitions, and join in the conversation around Icelandic artwork on Twitter!
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