Reykjavík Art Museum Ásmundarsafn

About this audio guide

This guide to the Reykjavík Art Museum Ásmundarsafn follows sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson, born on an Icelandic farm in 1893, as he trained under Carl Milles in Stockholm and Charles Despiau in Paris before deciding sculpture belonged to ordinary people, not just galleries. It traces the seventeen years, from 1942 to 1959, he spent designing and building this studio himself, borrowing a dome from Middle Eastern mosques, pyramid points from Egypt, and curved walls from Mediterranean houses. You'll hear about the bronze washerwomen, blacksmiths, and water carriers he made instead of gallery pieces, and the acoustic trick built into the dome above you. Stand beneath it and speak to test it for yourself.