Höfuðstöðin - The Home of Chromo Sapiens

Höfuðstöðin is a culture & art destination where visitors step inside Chromo Sapiens, its acclaimed large-scale installation by Shoplifter / Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, and stay for workshops, a design shop, and a café & bar that overlooks the Elliðaárdalur valley, offering traditional Icelandic food and drink.

Built from Shoplifter’s signature medium, synthetic hair, Chromo Sapiens’ immersive caves surround visitors in a riot of colour and a visceral soundscape by Icelandic cult band HAM. After its premiere at the 2019 Venice Biennale, the installation drew record audiences at the Reykjavík Art Museum before finding its permanent home at Höfuðstöðin.

Founded by visual artist Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir and cultural entrepreneur Lilja Baldursdóttir, Höfuðstöðin expands the classic museum model into a cultural hub, hosting weekly family workshops, evening art sessions for groups, and the popular Create Your Own Souvenir program for travellers, in which guests make a personal artefact inspired by the installation. The venue is also available for private events.

“We wanted a place that feels like wonder, welcome, and Icelandic ingenuity,” says Lilja Baldursdóttir. “People come for the art, and return for the sense of belonging.”

Launched with the support of over $100,000 raised on Kickstarter along with independent funding, Höfuðstöðin is now an essential part of Reykjavík’s cultural landscape.