Hrísey, Iceland

Hrísey is not the kind of place you go for a crowded art scene. You go for space, weather, birds, water, and a working rhythm that gets simpler the moment you step off the ferry. For artists who need time, quiet, and a strong sense of place, this small island in Eyjafjörður can be exactly the right setting.

The residency conversation in Hrísey starts with the Old School Art House, the main artist residency on the island. It is a good fit if you want to make work, read, write, experiment, and spend a stretch of time in a place that feels removed from the usual pace of things.

What Hrísey feels like as a residency place

Hrísey sits off the north coast of Iceland, near Akureyri, with mountain views across the fjord and a small village atmosphere that makes daily life feel compact and manageable. The island is often described by visiting artists as peaceful, scenic, and slightly out of time. That is not hype. It is part of the appeal.

You will notice the scale right away. There is no big institutional arts district, no packed schedule of openings, and no constant pressure to network. Instead, you get a setting that supports deep focus. That makes Hrísey especially useful if your work needs concentration or if you have been wanting to step away from city habits long enough to hear your own ideas again.

Birdlife is a big part of the island’s identity. Walking, looking, and simply noticing the landscape become part of the residency experience whether you plan for that or not. If your practice responds to environment, sound, place, memory, or slow observation, Hrísey gives you a strong frame to work within.

The Old School Art House: the residency to know

The main residency on the island is the Old School Art House, also referred to in listings as the Old School residency in Hrísey. It is owned by the art group Nordanbal and described as a sustainable, non-profit residency. The goal is simple and useful: bring artists together, give them space to work, and make room for exchange.

The residency welcomes artists in many disciplines, including visual art, writing, and performance. That cross-disciplinary approach matters. You are not being dropped into a place built only for painters or only for studio production. The structure is broad enough to support different kinds of work, which is part of why it has drawn filmmakers, sound artists, writers, and visual artists over the years.

Facilities are straightforward rather than elaborate. Artist reports and residency listings describe:

• four bedrooms
• a shared living room and kitchen
• shared studio or work areas
• wifi / internet access
• a shower and laundry
• a library

That setup tells you a lot about the place. It is practical, communal, and focused on making it easy to live and work without distraction. It is not a technical production center. If you need specialized equipment, heavy fabrication tools, or highly specific studio infrastructure, you should confirm those needs before you commit.

The work environment is best for artists who can self-direct. If you like structure, you will probably create your own rhythm quickly. If you need constant external programming, you may find the quiet intense at first. For many artists, that is the point.

What the residency is good for

Hrísey works especially well for artists whose process benefits from solitude, repetition, and careful observation. The residency’s shape suits work that does not depend on a lot of outside machinery or a dense local art market.

Strong matches

• writing and research-based work
• drawing, painting, and mixed media
• sound work and listening-based projects
• performance research and small-scale experimentation
• site-responsive or landscape-based projects
• collaborative work between a small number of artists

Less ideal if you need

• large fabrication facilities
• specialized technical equipment
• constant access to galleries and curators
• a city-like social scene
• frequent shop access for specialty materials

The island setting also encourages low-consumption working. That can be freeing. You may find yourself bringing more materials in advance, simplifying your process, or using the surroundings as part of the work rather than expecting the residency to provide everything.

Daily life: what to expect on the island

Hrísey is small enough that everyday logistics stay simple once you settle in. The island village has a limited number of services, and that is useful to know before you arrive. Travel accounts mention a shop, a restaurant, and a swimming pool, along with walking routes, a local museum, and a handicraft store.

For artists, this means your day probably becomes a mix of studio time, meals in a shared kitchen, and walks outside. There is enough to keep you comfortable, but not so much that you lose your working focus to outside errands. That balance is one of the residency’s strengths.

Hrísey’s scale also makes informal exchange easier. If several artists are staying at once, you are likely to share meals, talk about work naturally, and bump into each other often without the social overload that can come with bigger group residencies. Reports from visiting artists mention mixed groups that included filmmakers, sound artists, and visual artists, which suggests the house can support both quiet work and useful conversation.

Getting there and getting around

Hrísey is reached by ferry from Ásskógssandur on the mainland. The crossing is short, around 15 minutes, which helps the island feel accessible even though it is clearly separate from the mainland pace. Most artists travel via Akureyri, the nearest city and the most practical hub for supplies, transit, and broader arts access.

Once you are on the island, walking is the main mode of movement. Bicycles can also make sense, depending on what you are carrying and how much you want to move around. The island is compact enough that you can keep life simple, but you should still build in time for ferry connections and weather changes.

If you are traveling with art materials, bring what you need rather than assuming you will find specialty supplies locally. Akureyri is the better place to stock up before heading over. That is especially true if your work depends on specific paper, pigments, electronics, or production gear.

Cost, comfort, and practical planning

Like most of Iceland, Hrísey is not a low-cost destination. Food and transport can be expensive by international standards, even if your residency covers housing. The good news is that the island itself encourages a slower, less consumptive routine, which can keep your spending down if you plan well.

Artists usually make this work by cooking in the shared kitchen, bringing materials from the mainland, and treating the residency period as a focused production window rather than a time to source everything on the fly. That approach fits the place well.

Comfort is also worth thinking about. The residency setup sounds practical and livable, not luxurious. If you are someone who needs a lot of privacy, check the room and studio arrangement carefully. If you are happy with a shared house and a simple daily rhythm, the setup can feel very workable.

When Hrísey is the right choice

Hrísey is strongest for artists who want to step into a quieter mode of thinking. It is a good match if you are looking for:

• time away from urban noise
• a landscape that shapes your work
• a small group environment
• a residency that values exchange without over-programming
• a setting that supports slow, careful attention

It is less useful if what you need is a busy exhibition calendar, a large professional network, or a studio packed with equipment. In that sense, Hrísey is not trying to be everything. It has a clear personality, and that is part of what makes it valuable.

If your practice benefits from silence, walking, weather, and uninterrupted time, the island can give you a lot. If you want a place where your work and the landscape have room to meet, the Old School Art House in Hrísey is well worth looking at.

Nearby arts context and what to pair with the residency

For a broader arts ecosystem, Akureyri is the place to know. It is where you are most likely to find galleries, cultural institutions, art supplies, and a wider North Iceland artist network. Hrísey itself is the retreat; Akureyri is the support node.

That combination can work very well. You get the isolation and focus of the island, but you are not completely cut off from the regional arts scene. If you are planning a longer research stay, it can make sense to think of Hrísey and Akureyri together: one for concentration, the other for connection.

For artists looking for a residency shaped by place rather than by prestige, Hrísey has a lot to offer. It is modest, quiet, and deeply usable.