Kjarvalsstaðir

Kjarvalsstaðir is one of the three sites of the Reykjavik Art Museum, located at Flókagata 24 on the edge of Klambratún park. The museum is devoted to the painter Jóhannes S. Kjarval, one of Iceland's best-known twentieth-century artists, whose lava landscapes, mossy rock formations and imagined hidden-folk scenes shaped how Icelanders see their own country. Alongside Kjarval's work, the galleries present rotating exhibitions of modern and contemporary Icelandic art, so each visit can feel different. The building is a low, light-filled modernist structure with large, calm gallery rooms, and the park outside is a popular place for a stroll or a picnic in summer. A café inside serves light meals and coffee, and the shop sells art books, prints and design objects. A visit usually takes one to one and a half hours, depending on the exhibitions. The ticket price of about ISK 2,550 is shared with Hafnarhús and Ásmundarsafn, so visitors planning to see several Reykjavik Art Museum sites can use a single ticket. Kjarvalsstaðir is a 15-minute walk east of the centre of Reykjavik, Iceland, and city buses stop nearby, which keeps the museum away from the heaviest tourist traffic around Laugavegur. As a result, the galleries are typically quiet, with weekday afternoons the calmest time. Photography rules vary by exhibition and visitors should look for signs at the entrance of each room. The museum is a good choice for those who want to see Icelandic art in a relaxed setting rather than a crowded one, and it works well on wet days when outdoor sightseeing is less appealing.