Landsbankinn owns an extensive art collection that includes many key pieces from the history of visual arts in Iceland and some of its best pieces as well. The Bank owns one of the largest collections of art by Jóhannes S. Kjarval, a good collection of pioneers in Icelandic visual arts as well as a significant number of pieces by the country’s main abstract painters. Just under 200 pieces are currently housed at Reykjastræti. Other artwork is variously displayed in the Bank’s branches around the country or is in storage. Pieces from the Bank’s collection are regularly on loan to exhibitions.
The gallery website includes an interview with art historian Aðalsteinn Ingólfsson, who consulted on the selection and placement of pieces, and reviews the history and composition of the Bank’s collection. The gallery website was developed by Sara Karen Thórisdóttir, a Web Editor at Landsbankinn, as part of her masters course in Applied Studies in Culture and Communication at the University of Iceland.
Lilja Björk Einarsdóttir, CEO of Landsbankinn:
“There has been enormous interest in the art tours we’ve offered of both Austurstræti 11 and Reykjastræti 6. Landsbankinn’s art collection is an important asset and we are ambitious about its conservation and about ensuring access to as wide an audience as possible. We were excited about the possibilities when Sara Karen, a Web Editor in our IT division, proposed to develop a gallery website as part of her masters degree. We hope that art enthusiasts, both local and more far-flung, will be able to enjoy it.”
