Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital city, quickly ascended the ranks to become my favorite city. And no, this isn’t only due to its proximity to the Blue Lagoon, which I waxed poetic about here. It also isn’t only because Björk was born here or because it has its own Phallological Museum or because it’s full of amazing people like Andi and Yuki who moved to the area from Switzerland (“because Switzerland was too hot”) and who will leave you paper cranes and chocolate in their adorable guesthouse and make sure you’re up on all the best Icelandic music as they drive you to your rental car.
These things all help, of course, but one of my favorite things about Reykjavik is that walking down its streets is like stepping into a box of Crayola crayons. One of those big, 152-color boxes with a sharpener on the back. Reykjavik is vibrant and edgy, and spending a day wandering the streets photographing the murals and statues is one of my favorite ways to pass a day there.
Some of the murals around Reykjavik are a result of a collaboration between the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival and a contemporary art initiative called Urban Nation. This collaboration, known as Wall Poetry, connects musicians with street artists who paint murals based on music and lyrics provided by the musician:
Others, like this one on the side of a men’s clothing store, provide helpful advice on how to appear more dapper:
Some of the street art reminds you that you’re in the land of trolls, elves, and Vikings:
Next to Landakotskirkja is one of my favorite statues, by Steinunn Thorarinsdottir:
Reykjavik gives a shout out to the Everyman in Magnús Tómasson’s Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat in recognition of all of us who trudge thanklessly to work each day:
The statue of Leif Eriksson outside Hallgrimskirkja is one of the best-known statues in Reykjavik. It was sculpted by Alexander Stirling Calder (father to the Alexander Calder you’re probably thinking of) and given to Iceland by the US in 1930.
My favorite murals in Reykjavik are these 3 large-scale murals by Guido van Helten, who created them from photographs of an Icelandic production of Sartre’s No Exit:
These represent only a fraction of the art in this vibrant, magical city.
Reykjavik street art is everywhere! Don’t forget to check under your feet!
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I do LOVE this city! — and not only because the phallological (sp?) is so intriguing. The photos are so beautiful! I never thought I’d like to visit a country with cities whose names look like a bunch of typos, but I would LOVE to visit this one! Thanks!
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Lol! You get used to the city names the more you see them. It’s an amazing country!
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