Wonderful Monuments of Iceland

For a country of 350,000, Iceland seems to have a knack for beautiful and compelling monuments. Because the country is so sparsely populated, any man-made structure stands out more than any other places we have visited. While the country has its fair share of classical statues of Icelandic poets and political figures, what really excited me was all the more unorthodox monuments we came across. Here are just a selection of wonderful spots that we were fortunate enough to visit on our recent trip:

Sun Voyager, Reykjavík

Besides the soaring bell tower of Hallgrimskirkja, one structure has come to symbolize Reykjavík: the Sun Voyager (Sólfar). Designed by Icelandic Jón Gunnar Árnason, the sculpture was a winning entry for a public art competition for local artists as a commemoration for the bi-centennial of the founding of Reykjavík. Despite popular narrative, the sculpture does not depict a Viking longboat. Instead, it is a vessel for dreams and the future and a tribute to the sun. According to the artist, some Icelanders, including himself, believe ethnic Islanders originated from the steppe of Mongolia. This is a little unorthodox.

Sun Voyager by Jón Gunnar Árnason. — *Sun Voyager* by Jón Gunnar Árnason.

Located on Sæbraut along the city’s waterfront, the work is set in front of the gorgeous landscape of a distant mountain range. Because I have seen hundreds of photos online, I didn’t realize it was near a busy expressway. Unsurprisingly, no photographer would ever include traffic in their photograph. Because of its celebrity status as the city's symbol, Sun Voyager was often mobbed by busloads of tourists during the day before the pandemic. Luckily, because of the pandemic, we enjoyed this place pretty much all to ourselves.

The popularity of the statue is undisputed. During our trip, we came across two other stainless steel sculptures that grace the waterfront of other Icelandic towns: Sailing (Sigling) in Akureyri and the Mermaid (Hafmeyjan) in Akranes. Although beautiful in their own right, they can’t hold the candles to Sun Voyager. For those looking to bring home something special, I could think of a better souvenir than an authentic replica by Sólfar JGÁ, a company founded by the daughters of Árnason.

Physically, the sculpture is brilliant in so many ways. Even though it is massive in scale, the work is also surprisingly transparent. The stainless steel finish also reflects the light, so it takes on the ambiance and reflection from its surroundings. That was one downside of visiting Iceland in July; we never got to experience a real Icelandic sunset. I felt that sentiment strongest while standing in front of Sun Voyager. I could only imagine how magnificent it would be to stand at that spot with the aurora borealis above us.

Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat, Reykjavík

As magnificent as Sun Voyager is, my favorite statue in Reykjavík is a rather anonymous one at the edge of the old town. Titled Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat, this life-size sculpture is visually striking yet surprisingly humanizing. With a suitcase in hand, the figure in the statue could be just another city employee heading toward the nearby city hall. But instead of a human face, the figure is zombie-like, a walking basalt.

What is particularly fascinating about this work is its deliberate ambiguity. I can’t quite tell whether it is a tribute to hard-working, nameless civil servants or a satire of the massive welfare state that Iceland has. This fascinating statue is the work of Icelandic artist Magnús Tómasson in 1994. As far as I know, the artist did not make a definite statement about the true meaning of his work. But given Iceland’s reputation as one of the least corrupt nations on the planet, I would like to think this is their version of the “tomb of an unknown soldier” since Iceland is the only NATO country with no standing army.

Jón Ósmann Memorial, Skagafjordur

During our quick visit to Hólar, we were taken by the remote and rugged surrounding landscape. After checking into our Airbnb, we made a 20-minute car ride down to the nearest restaurants in Sauðárkrókur. Just before crossing Skagafjörður, there is a little parking area with a dark figure standing tall. Since I was driving, I didn’t think much of it until I noticed this same individual was still standing there two hours later on our way back to Hólar. So I decided to stop and realized it was a statue of a man looking toward the horizon. According to the plaque, this memorial is dedicated to Jón Ósmann (1862-1914), a well-known “ferryman” of Iceland.

What is a ferryman, you ask? Before the construction of bridges, the only way to cross the rivers was by ferry terminals. At the mouth of Skagafjörður, Jón Ósmann manned one of the busiest ferry crossings in Iceland. He had a fierce reputation across the county for his superior strength. While other ferrymen would utilize crude mechanical gear, Ósmann was known for pulling the ferry with his own bare hands without assistance. For forty years, he faithfully carried out his duty at the ferry crossing until the day he died. This monument memorializes his services to the local community and reminds us of the nobility in manual works.

'How's It Going?' Phone Booth, Seyðisfjörður

The fjord town of Seyðisfjörður got my vote as the most scenic town in all of Iceland. If I were to have an epic trip, it would be to take the overnight ferry from Seyðisfjörður to the Faroe Islands. With a population of less than seven hundred, this pint-size town does not have too many points of interest, in all honesty. Thanks to Atlas Obscura, I came across this interesting memorial of a rusted phone booth. Without thinking much about it, I pinned it to my Google Maps and somewhat forgot about it until we arrived at Seyðisfjörður.

This sculpture by Icelandic artist Guðjón Ketilsson was installed in 2006 to commemorate the centennial of an underwater cable that connected Scotland with Iceland, thus linking the country with the rest of the world. At this very spot, the submarine cable was brought up from the ocean. On the floor is an illuminated floor with the engraved phrase: “How’s Going?” (Hvernig Gengu?). The phrase was supposed to be the first telegraph message ever received in Iceland, asking how the work running the landline onward to Reykjavík was going. The phone booth bears the relief of a falcon, Iceland's national coat of arms at the time.

What made this memorial truly memorable was the incredible landscape around it. Even though it was only a 40-second hike from the main road, this sculpture could be easily missed, except for those who seek it out like myself. Its appearance seems reminiscent of one of those legendary elf houses by the hillside. Finally, one amazing fact I found out only after my visit was that there is a working number you could call for the phone booth courtesy of Icelandic telecom giant Síminn: +354 566 1906. You could call and ring this number and hear the ring!

Skeiðará Bridge Monument, Svínafell

On the road from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon toward Vík, we came across a tangle of steel girders abandoned on the left side of the road. The name of this memorial is Skeiðará Bridge Monument. The twisted steel was the remains of the steel bridge that used to span across the glacial river Skeiðará. In 1996, the volcano Vatnajökull erupted beneath the glacier and unleashed a torrent of flood downstream. Even though the engineers have accounted for the flood, they could not predict the physical impact of the floating iceberg that was the size of a house or a ship. While no one was killed in the incident, Skeiðará earned a reputation as one of Iceland's most unpredictable glacial runs.

Doesn’t it also look like an artwork that could be in Storm King Art Center?

Since this 880-meter bridge carried the traffic of the Ring Road, a large part of southeastern Iceland was essentially cut off from Reykjavík for months. All materials were either airlifted or transported around the island around the north of the island. About a five-minute drive south of the memorial is the actual site of Skeiðará Bridge. You could see that many of the original bridges and roadways were still in place there. Without stopping at Skeiðará Bridge Monument, we would have never known the significance of this seemingly redundant roadway. Skeiðará Bridge Monument is perhaps the best man-made monument dedicated to the power of Icelandic glaciers. It illustrates the awesome power of nature and the Icelanders’ nimbleness in adapting to their ever-changing land.

Blátindur House, Vestmannaeyjar

No visit to the Westman Islands is completed without learning about the infamous eruption of Eldfell. On the evening of January 23rd, 1973, the assumed dormant volcano erupted without any prior warning. In a matter of hours, thousands of islanders evacuated the island, leaving just a skeleton crew of men saving whatever they could from advancing lava flow and raining ash. Across the island, numerous remnants and memorials pay tribute to the eruption. The most prominent among them is the Eldfell Volcano Museum (Eldheimar), which is centered around the long-buried home of a young family. Just outside the museum were two partially excavated houses that were just as thought-provoking. But my personal favorite is this little memorial called Blátindur.

The reconstructed facade of Blátindur House.

Tucked behind a residential street called Vestmannabraut is a little white pavilion perched at the foot of the lava wall. In front are a passageway, signpost, and a flag pole; it looked a little out of place. At this spot stood one of the most famous houses on Westman Island. The lava and pumice partially swallowed up that house. About a decade ago, the remnant of the house collapsed due to natural weathering and falling lava rock. Its final demise brought great sadness to the community; it was as if the memory of the eruption was fading away with time.

At the 2013 End of Eruption Festival (Goslokahátíð), the 40th anniversary of the event, the community unveiled a reconstructed porch of the famous house. Through the expansive window is a large TV monitor that runs images of the history of the house, its former residents, and the events that took place here. Although the facade may be new, we got to walk in the back and see that the remnants of the original house still remain.

Guðlaugur Memorial, Vestmannaeyjar

One of the most interesting memorials is located on the Westman Islands. By the southeastern slope of the dormant volcano Helgafell, there is an abandoned bathtub at the side of the road toward the local airport. If it were not for the signage above, you would think to call the local council to have it removed. So, what was this bathtub all about?

On 11 March 1984. a fishing crew of five departed the harbor of Heimaey, the only inhabited island of the Westman Islands archipelago. Because of the excessive cargo and turbulent sea conditions, the boat capsized at 10 pm before they could radio mayday to the shore. Sensing no rescue was coming their way after 45 minutes; three surviving fishermen decided to swim toward the lighthouse in the distance. After 5 to 6 hours, only Guðlaugur Friðþórsson managed to reach the shore of Heimaey. However, his ordeal continued as he had to walk barefoot across the crushed stone under the darkness of the early morning hours for another three kilometers before reaching the door of a local framer.

How did the bathtub come into the picture? When Guðlaugur was rushed to the hospital, the doctor was amazed by his tale of survival. No one could have survived the frigid water of the northern Atlantic for more than an hour. What was even more amazing was that he did not exhibit any sign of hypothermia or vasodilatation, as expected. Instead, his main ailment appeared to be dehydration. He later recounted that his survival was possible because of an abandoned tub he came across in a field. It was left there by a local herder to serve as a water trough for sheep. He broke the frozen ice with his hand and drank from the tub. Although I am not sure whether this is indeed the original bathtub that Guðlaugur drank from, it does serve as a wonderful reminder of human strength for survival.

The scientists at the University of Iceland later further evaluated Guðlaugur’s physiology. They found he had an unusually thick layer of body fat just under his skin; the condition subsequently gave him the nickname “seal man”. For anyone interested in learning about this remarkable story of survival and perseverance, a 2012 film called The Deep (Djúpið) is based on the story of Guðlaugur. Although the film casts a positive light on Guðlaugur, the film was not exactly well-received among Westman Islanders. To this day, the islanders still mourn the four men who lost their lives that fateful day. Guðlaugur suffered from intense survival guilt and resented the celebrity attention he received. For him, it was not an event to be celebrated but a tragedy to remember. Not long after the incident, he returned to fishing and remained on the island.

Since 1985, the town has organized an annual relay swim event called Guðlaugssundið, the Swim of Guðlaugur. It not only commemorates the tragedy of 1984 but all the fishermen who lost their lives at sea. Reflecting on this memorial, I am immensely grateful that even a mundane artifact like a bathtub could tell such an extraordinary story.

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