News

Reykjavik Art Festival celebrates 40th anniversary in 2010

20 April 2010

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Reykjavik Art Festival. Running from 12 May until 5 June, the festival's programme includes over 60 events that represent all art forms. Icelandic artists display new and unexpected dimensions of their art, often in collaboration with artists from abroad. As has always been the festival's hallmark, international stars and up-and-coming artists, in addition to leading Icelandic artists, will perform at the festival. This year, the festival is also characterised by events that bring together more than one art form and erase the conventional borders that separate them. Opening the door for encounters between artists and audiences – just as discussed in the framework of the 2010 EFA General Assembly and Conference on "Open The Door" – the Reykjavik Art Festiva includes an interesting item in this year’s programme: Audiences can experience a surprising encounter between artists and musicians at twelve concerts held in artists' studios and a cosy and touching atmosphere in readings performed in authors and poets' homes around the city. The first Reykjavík Arts Festival was held in summer 1970. Ever since then the festival has been a leading force on the Icelandic cultural scene and has been instrumental in bringing world-class artists to the Icelandic nation. The festival has also actively and successfully helped to promote Iceland and the Icelandic nation internationally. The full programme can be downloaded here.