Academy of the Senses / Akademía skynjunarinnar (AS)
Address: Héraðsdalur 1, 561 Varmahlíð, Skagafjörður, Iceland
The Academy of the Senses was founded in 2007 by visual artists Ragnhildur Stefánsdóttir, Þórdís Alda Sigurðardóttir and Anna Eyjólfsdóttir together with philosopher Sigríður Þorgeirsdóttir. The Academy’s objectives include organizing exhibitions, promoting contemporary art, collaborating with Icelandic and international artists and art institutions, and publishing projects related to art events.
Today, the Academy is run by its founders together with art historian Pari Stave and visual artist Rúrí. Margrét Helga Weisshappel is a graphic designer and Academy’s promotion manager. The Academy of the Senses operates as a non-profit organization.
The Academy is based in hAughús in Héraðsdalur, Skagafjörður. Héraðsdalur is home to a horse-breeding farm owned by Gunnar Dungal and Þórdís Alda Sigurðardóttir. They are founders of the Dungal Art Fund and have hosted both international and Icelandic artists in residence there since 2012. Gunnar and Þórdís transformed an old manure storage building into an elegant exhibition space, now operated in collaboration with the Academy of the Senses.
The Academy’s first visual art exhibition in this venue, Vor Verk, took place at hAughús in the summer of 2025. AS plans to organize annual summer exhibitions in the hAughús gallery. The next exhibition organized by the Academy at hAughús will be Sleppa, scheduled for summer 2026.
Since its founding, the Academy of the Senses has organized numerous exhibitions and art events both in Iceland and abroad. One of its principal projects is the exhibition series Umhverfing, which aims to bring contemporary art outside traditional gallery spaces and connect it directly with rural areas and their communities. The project seeks to foster understanding, deepen awareness, and increase respect for art and artistic events. These exhibitions are often held far from conventional cultural centers such as Reykjavík and Akureyri, creating a platform where artists engage with unconventional spaces and local contexts. By utilizing abandoned buildings, ruins, and other non-traditional venues, the project encourages new approaches to both artistic creation and audience experience. Local artists, visiting artists, and residents encounter their environment, culture, and landscape in unexpected ways, turning the exhibition into a journey in a broader sense, both artistic and social. The Umhverfing series is intended to continue as a living platform even though the Academy now has a permanent base. In addition to the Umhverfing projects, the Academy has organized exhibitions and events in museums and cultural institutions, as reflected in the project list below.
The Academy has always placed strong emphasis on international collaboration, including:
participation of Icelandic artists in exhibitions abroad
invitations to international artists to participate in exhibitions and projects in Iceland
long-term cooperation with foreign art institutions and artist organizations
This reciprocal collaboration has been a major driving force in the development of AS projects and has strengthened the professional context of its activities. Partners have included the Lithuanian Artists’ Association and Arka Gallery in Vilnius, as well as art museums in Bydgoszcz and Toruń in Poland. Such connections have been central to the Academy’s development and remain foundational to its work.
One of the Academy’s three main pillars is the publication of books and exhibition catalogues. In recent years, nearly ten publications have been produced in connection with AS projects. Among the first major projects was the installation exhibition Mega vott, presented throughout the premises of Hafnarborg — the Hafnarfjörður Centre of Culture and Fine Art — in 2006, featuring among others the American artist Jessica Stockholder. The accompanying book Mega vott was published in 2007 and marked the formal beginning of the Academy’s activities. The Academy’s publishing work is closely linked to its exhibitions and serves both as documentation and as an independent continuation of artistic practice.
The founders had long been active in organizing art events and collaborative projects prior to establishing the Academy, including exhibitions, performances, international collaborations, and publications. Ragnhildur Stefánsdóttir, Anna Eyjólfsdóttir, Þórdís Alda Sigurðardóttir, and Rúrí are all members of:
- The Living Art Museum (Nýlistasafnið)
- The Association of Icelandic Sculptors
- The Association of Icelandic Visual Artists
Curriculum Vitae - Projects and Exhibitions
2026 Sleppa, hAughús Gallery, Héraðsdalur, Skagafjörður
2025 Vor Verk, hAughús Gallery, Héraðsdalur, Skagafjörður
2024 No. 5 Umhverfing, Municipality of Hornafjörður, 52 artists
2022–2023 Dandelions – Connecting Dots, EU-funded collaboration (Portugal, Norway)
2022 No. 4 Umhverfing, Westfjords, Strandir and Dalir, 126 artists
2021–2023 Common Ground, EU-funded collaboration (Iceland, Poland, Lithuania)
2020 On Common Ground, Korpúlfsstaðir Loft, Reykjavík Arts Festival
2020 Com’on, SÍM Gallery,Reykjavík Arts Festival
2019 No. 3 Umhverfing, Snæfellsnes, 71 artists
2018 No. 2 Umhverfing, Egilsstaðir, 37 artists
2017 No. 1 Umhverfing, Sauðárkrókur, 14 artists
2017 Hverfing / Shapeshifting, exhibition in the old herring factory at Hjalteyri
2017 CoCA, Toruń, Poland, performance festival on the Vistula River
2017 Arka Gallery, Vilnius, 10th International Biennale of Textile “ETHNO”
2015–2016 Harrington Mill Studios, Nottingham, UK
2014 Performance festival The Cleaning Project, Galeria Miejska BWA, Bydgoszcz
2013 Chronotopology, Panevezys Civic Art Gallery, Lithuania
2013 Chronotopology, Galeria Miejska BWA, Bydgoszcz, Poland
2012 Chronotopology, Arka Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania
2009 Laugavegurinn / The Washerwoman’s Road, group exhibition at Start Art Gallery and in Reykjavík public space
2008–2016 Artist exchange with Art on Armitage, Chicago, USA
2008 Litexpo Art Fair, Vilnius, participation via Start Art Gallery
2008 HOME / Heima, group exhibition at Start Art Gallery
2007 Founding of the Academy of the Senses
Publications
2026 Sleppa, planned publication date: 25 June 2026
2025 Vor Verk, planned publication date: 25 June 2026
2020 On Common Ground
2020 Com’on
2019 No. 3 Umhverfing
2018 No. 2 Umhverfing
2018 Góður hattur / Precious Hat
2018 Náð til jarðar / Touching Earth
2017 Hverfing / Shapeshifting
2017 No. 1 Umhverfing
2012 Leiðir / Paths
2009 Laugavegurinn
2007 Mega vott