The Living Art Museum, known in Icelandic as Nýlistasafnið or simply Nýló, occupies a singular place in the artistic landscape of Reykjavík. Founded in 1978 by a collective of artists, Nýló emerged as a response to a notable absence: contemporary and experimental works were overlooked both by the art establishment and public collections. It was Iceland’s first artist-run, non-profit platform, and its mission, to champion innovation in contemporary art, continues to guide it more than four decades later.
Roots in resistance and renewal
The impetus for Nýló’s founding was both practical and revolutionary. At a time when official funding and institutional focus in Iceland leaned towards traditional art forms, those involved with conceptual and Fluxus-inspired practices were largely sidelined. Twenty-six artists came together on January 5, 1978, to form an organisation that would not just safeguard their creations but also ignite conversation and provoke fresh ways of seeing. From the outset, they envisioned a living collection, one that reflected ongoing changes in art rather than preserving a static past.
Artist membership played a vital role. Early members were required to donate works upon joining, ensuring a collection that grew organically with varied artistic approaches. Over the years, this collection expanded to include approximately 2,300 pieces from the 1950s onward, spanning paintings, photographs, installations, prints and artist books. Significant names in Icelandic art history, such as Kristján Guðmundsson, Hildur Hákonardóttir and Ragnar Kjartansson, are represented, alongside international figures like Dieter Roth, Matthew Barney and Joseph Beuys.
A space in flux
Nýlistasafnið has had an itinerant existence, occupying a sequence of venues across Reykjavík. Beginning in a modest rented space at Mjölnisholt, it moved through various buildings including a former bakery in Breiðholt and a ground-floor site on Vatnsstígur, which was extended in the early 1980s. Since 2017, Nýló has shared the Marshallhouse (Marshallhúsið), a renovated herring factory in Reykjavík’s harbour district, with other artist-run spaces such as Kling & Bang and Studio Ólafur Elíasson.
The museum’s current profile blends exhibition-making, collecting and critical dialogue. Six to eight shows rotate through the gallery space each year. Parallel to traditional exhibitions, Nýló has become a landmark for experimental performance and interdisciplinary art practices since the 1980s. The organisation also hosts workshops, school visits and film screenings, all under the guidance of an annually elected, largely volunteer board that keeps the programming flexible and responsive to the evolving field.
One of Nýló’s less visible but vital projects is its ever-growing archive, which documents not only artwork and exhibitions but also the history of artist-led initiatives in Iceland. These archives now serve as a vital resource for researchers and artists interested in the alternative and innovative traditions of contemporary art in the country. Collaborative efforts with institutions such as the Reykjavík City Archive and the Icelandic Art Academy aim to connect past and present, creating a living, accessible timeline of creative development.
Through decades of constant challenge and change, The Living Art Museum has transformed from a safeguard for overlooked artists into a cornerstone of Iceland’s contemporary art scene. As a result, Nýló demonstrates how artist-driven organisations can shape not only what art gets shown and saved but also the terms of artistic engagement itself.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
