Integrate Art Throughout the City

When I lived in Reykjavik, I was struck by the integration of art into public spaces. There, you found large graffiti pieces that were skillfully done and said something about the city, years before we similar pieces in Hamilton.

Another thing I would like us to follow suit on are the sculptures. The sculptures there are not just stodgy, colonial works of art, but capture the feeling of the city with the lines of their minimalist architecture reflected in the sculptures. There is a clear dialogue between the art and the architecture. And they were everywhere, not just in overly curated public parks.

I was often delighted when I took a wrong turn to happen upon a sculpture I had never seen before that had something new to say about the city and its people. Some sculptures were challenging and others charming. All were accessible and less abstract than we often see municipalities investing in in this country.

Their sculptures are so ubiquitous, unexpected and exceptional, that I can’t imagine Reykjavik without them. I wish we could bring some of that here!