Aðalheiður S. Eysteinsdóttir

Will Owen

NTO is an international festival of creative people hosted by Alþýðuhúsið in Siglufjörður, the recipient of the 2023 Eyrarrósin award. A diverse group of artists will join the festivities, with an open mind and a sincere longing to be influenced by each other and the locals.

INTO is curated by Aðalheiður S. Eysteinsdóttir (IS) and Will Owen (US) who have jointly curated events in Denmark and Iceland, in collaboration with Aros museum in Denmark and local teams. INTO was first held in Assedrup in 2023 and the 2025 edition is expected to take place in New York.

Siglufjörður will be throbbing with creative energy throughout the festival which features visual art exhibitions, performances, outdoor art, concerts and poetry. Events take place at Alþýðuhúsið and at other locations in the town, both indoors and outside. Admission is free.

Reykjavik Arts Festival

INTO Festival

Aðalheiður S. Eysteinsdóttir purchased Alþýðuhúsið in Siglufjörður in December of 2011 with the. Kompan Gallery was first founded in Akureyri in 1998 but moved to  Alþýðuhúsið in the last ten years. Exhibited artists are invited to stay in the house for a short time to prepare, and in some cases create their exhibitions. The stay tends to become a rich period of conversation between visiting and local artists and facilitates an introduction to local culture for guests. Cultural events are planned three times a month on average:  exhibitions in Kompan, ‘Sunday Talks with Creative People’, and main hall events. Some months will have events every weekend, depending on how many artists of interest appear on the horizon. The benefit of artist-run spaces like Alþýðuhúsið is the possibility to adjust and add on as inspiration hits. Artists invited by Aðalheiður welcome the invitation and are excited by the potential offered. 
Over the past ten years, Alþýðuhúsið in Siglufjörður has proven to be an interesting and exciting platform for the arts and has become a fixture in people’s minds as a cultural establishment - evidenced by the sheer number of guests attending events, sometimes beyond capacity. Around 200 events have been held in these ten years and approximately 2000 artists have exhibited, participated in workshops, or presented performances in Alþýðuhúsið. 