Sitting on the water in Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, is a modern alt sculpture that captures the history of the island. Created in 1990 by Jón Gunnar Árnason, the Sun Voyager is in the shape of a Viking longboat and, in the artists own words, embodies a sense of exploration, promise and freedom.

The installation is made from aluminium, stainless steel, granite slabs and anchored by concrete. The boat is oriented to face away from the city, so it looks like it is going to continue a voyage of exploration. It is also slightly angled upwards as if it is just cresting a wave.

The boat is made from several runic shapes, which together form the vegvísir – a magical stave that was said to guide users. While it suddenly appeared in 1860, it has been attributed to the Vikings (although no connection has been found) and is sometimes called the Viking compass.

As the Sun Voyager sits on the northern coast near downtown Reykjavik, the views from said coast offer some amazing sights of the mountains and fjords to the north, which can be seen on a clear day.

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