Alien designs and strange sculptures define a nation

Noteworthy for: Nearly thirty of the actual sculptures are located outside in the artist’s gardens surrounding the museum.

Few artists get the opportunity to design the museum in which their life's work will one day be displayed; the Icelandic sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982), however did just that. Drawing on architectural ideas from the Mediterranean, the domed buildings of the Middle East and the pyramids of Egypt, the artist himself designed and constructed the original structure now housing Asmundarsafn museum.

At the time, the incredible building served as the artist’s home and studio where he crafted his slippery, sublime sculptures. He also created a crescent-shaped structure as an additional exhibition space to be found behind the building. While there is a variation of medium, the central feature of the large collection of Sveinsson’s work here is the grand, powerful and provocative sculptures inspired by the common people, Icelandic sagas and the alien-looking nature that define this country.