Learning About Perspective at the Culture House Museum in Reykjavik

The first exhibit at The Culture House Museum encouraged us to look out a triangular window viewing buildings, a slice of the harbor and mountains in the distance. Through this exhibit, we were charged with considering perspective. From where we were standing, we could view some buildings from above, the mountains rising over the buildings and the bay peeking out from behind the buildings. Thus, we learned about the area based on the perspective we had from the odd shaped window on the top floor of the museum.

Thinking about perspective is a wonderful way to start exploring a wide variety of cultural items. Our adventure introduced us to art from various eras in Icelandic history. Metalwork, brooches, wood carvings, art from churches, paintings, photographs and more items triggered our curiosity and had us stopping to truly observe most exhibits. Some of the exhibits not only displayed an artist's talent but also gave us a view of Iceland. One of our favorites included paintings of turf houses by Kristinn Peturson.

Beautifully capturing turf houses.

We spent quite some time on the top floor, I really loved the airy feeling of the space.

Airy space for displaying artwork.

The museum has quite a few activities for children. We discovered a comfy little play alcove and another room where children can explore different specimens including shells. Being in a museum where you cannot touch anything can be difficult, so it is nice when tactile experiences are incorporated.

A comfy alcove where kids can explore art.

During our visit, the museum was hosting a special exhibit on the Great Auk. The Great Auk is a bird that went extinct largely due to humans. Once again, we are given perspective and definitely took time to reflect on our influence as human beings on other animals and nature around us.

The Great Auk once lived in Iceland and now is extinct.

As you can see, The Culture House maintains a varied collection. The museum is definitely one where everyone will find an intriguing piece of art. Built in 1906, the museum originally housed the National Library and displays interesting architecture itself. Before visiting The Culture House we did not know what to expect, but we all truly gained by venturing through its exhibits.

A variety of art techniques including metalwork and woodwork on display.

Things to know:

• There is a nice little cafe in the museum as well as a gift store.
• There are lockers for stowing away items.
• There are restrooms.
• The museum is not far from other attractions including Harpa the concert hall.

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.