A New Bjork Exhibit Is a Great Excuse to Plan an Art-Filled Trip to Iceland

If there is one thing more confounding than Iceland's shape-shifting volcanic landscapes, it's the work of its greatest cultural export: Björk. This spring, however, the National Gallery of Iceland will become a portal into the musician's avant-garde world with “Echolalia,” an immersive exhibition for the 2026 Reykjavík Arts Festival from May 30 to June 14. Spanning the museum, it will show installations like Metamorphlings, celebrating collaborator James Merry's intricate embroidered headpieces; the performance piece Sorrowful Soil, with Iceland's wild landscapes as its backdrop; and a new work related to her upcoming untitled album. For many, Björk is the gateway to Reykjavík's unconventional creative scene, but don't let it be the end; make these your next stops. This cultural center in Elliðaárdalur has served as the home of Chromo Sapiens, a multisensory installation, since 2022. Crafted by Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir (a.k.a. Shoplifter), the experience—three caves made of synthetic hair extensions and filled with sounds by Icelandic band HAM—was a hit at the 2019 Venice Biennale and remains planted on Reykjavík's cultural map. Höfuðstöðin also