Sólfarið (The Sun Voyager) by Jón Gunnar Árnason is a sculpture along Sæbraut, close to the city center of Reykjavík. It was built in the late 1980s after the artist won a sculpture contest in 1986 to celebrate Reykjavík’s 200th anniversary. Unfortunately, the artist didn’t live to see it being placed in 1990. He died a year earlier due to leukaemia.
Nearly 30 years on, The Sun Voyager is one of Iceland’s best known outdoor art works. Contary to popular thought, the sculpture does not represent a viking boat. It depicts a dream boat and is an ode to the sun.