Alizzia Pucher & Paula Töscher, Reykjavik/Iceland, Summer 2022

In summer 2022 we had the great opportunity to do an Erasmus+ internship at the Reykjavik Art Museum in Iceland. Four weeks filled with new experiences, challenging working hours, meeting unbelievable friendly people and breathtaking tours through the whole country made this trip unforgettable.
Our journey started on the 09^th of July at the airport in Munich, where we took our flight to Reykjavik. After departing at our Airbnb, we took our first walk through our neighborhood and started to explore the lovely city itself. Reykjavik is located in the south-west of Iceland and in summer months, due to the midnight sun, you can see its beauty 24 hours a day.
The Reykjavik Art Museum is split into three different locations. Hanfnarhús, an old harbor building, which was transformed from a warehouse into an Art Museum in 2000, was our main working place. The rare and pure atmosphere that is created by the flat roof, the massive columns and the incredible friendly people made every working day special.
Kjarvalsstadir, the second museum, which is named after the famous Icelandic painter “Kjarval” is a great contrast to the one mentioned before. Surrounded by beautiful nature, young families, inspiring architecture and two unique exhibitions we had the chance to talk to visitors, guard the galleries and help at the museum shop.
Ásmundarsafn, the third location we had the opportunity to work at, is a small sculpture museum, which originally was Ásmundur Sveinsson’s home.
Visiting a new country, making unforgettable memories with your best friend by your side, experiencing such breathtaking nature and meeting so many warmhearted people is one of the most exciting things you can do. Sometimes this month felt like jumping into a completely different life.

We felt as free and independent as we never had before and enjoyed every single moment. Even if we were also confronted with some difficulties, at the end we worked everything out – TOGETHER.
From tectonic plates, and glaciers on to natural hot springs, black beaches and roaring waterfalls, the Icelandic landscape encompasses everything. Through the help of our colleagues, we planned trips to experience the country. We had the opportunity to do the famous Golden Circle Tour, a South Coast tour and visit the Blue Lagoon. These tours included the most famous waterfall “Gullfoss”, the stunning Black Beach and lots of picturesque landscape.
Some people may think that Iceland is boring, small and located in nowhere. However, based on our personal experience, we can confirm that all these prejudices do not correspond the truth. This country is one of the most beautiful, exciting and lively we have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Iceland will inspire a sense of adventure and exploration, that is positively addictive!