5 Best Murals In Reykjavik That You Should Visit

The colorful North Atlantic capital of Reykjavik, Iceland has a lot to take in when it comes to street art in the form of murals. While some projects are commissioned by the city for specific artists, others come from anonymous contributors.

Cultivate Your Own Garden, 2012, by Sara Riel and Davið Örn Halldórsson

Located just one block from the ocean next to a kindergarten is the Seljavegurthis wall mural. This art installation is part of the natural kingdom theme titled ‘Here: Kingdom of Plants’. It was created by Icelandic artist Sara Riel and is part of a series of murals completed in 2012. This one in particular, ‘Cultivate Your Own Garden’, was done in collaboration with the Icelandic artist Davið Örn Halldórsson.

Scenes from the 1961 production of ‘No Exit’ at the National Theater of Iceland, 2014, by Guido van Helten

Australian artist Guido van Helten painted these scenes from the 1961 production of ‘No Exit’ at the National Theater of Iceland. The paintings are from photographs taken by Andres Kolbeinsson and were selected from the Reykjavik Museum of Photography Archive. The play was originally written by Jean Paul Sartre and the scenes represent the three characters – Estelle, Garcin and Inez – locked in a room together for eternity. They can be spotted along the buildings on the far west of the Vesturbær neighborhood.

Fönix, 2012, by Sara Riel

This piece called Fönix can be found at Nýlendugata close to the harbor area of Reykjavik. Fönix was presented in context with Endemi Magazine, with an exhibition and publication in Endemi’s third issue, held at The Sculptural Association in collaboration with the Reykjavik Art Festival.

Wall Poetry

The project Wall Poetry is a collaboration between Iceland Airwaves, the yearly music festival that takes place in Reykjavík each autumn, and Berlin’s Urban Nation. The aim of this project, which started in 2015, was to get musicians and street artists to collaborate beyond the recording studio or the gallery space.

Li-Hill with John Grant, inspired by the song ‘Pale Green Ghosts’ by John Grant

This piece can be found behind the art gallery, Hverisgalleri, located at Hverfisgata 4 in downtown Reykjavik. Li-Hill is a Canadian visual artist based in Brooklyn, New York while John Grant is an American singer-songwriter based in Iceland. His second studio album called ‘Pale Green Ghosts’ was released in 2013 upon Grant’s move to Iceland.

Tankpetrol with Gus Gus, inspired by the song ‘Over’ by Gus Gus

This piece can be found in the Grandi neighborhood of Reykjavik at Grandagarður 14. Gus Gus is an electronic band formed in Reykjavik in 1995 with a varied lineup of members including, at times, Emiliana Torrini. The band’s sound encompasses house music, techno and trip hop. Tankpetrol is a Polish street artist based in Manchester, UK.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.