Iceland: Videy and the Peace Tower

Iceland: Videy and the Peace Tower

Enjoy a short trip with the Elding ferry service to the lovely island of Videy, situated in Kollfjördur just off the coast of Reykjavík.

Apart from its ancient ruins and rich historical background, other attractions include impressive works of art by Yoko One (the Imagine Peace Tower) and Richard Serra (the Milestones project).

Fans of architecture will also be interested to learn that the church on Videy is one of the oldest in the country and that Videy House is the first building in the country to be constructed with stone.

With an extensive network of paths and a population of lovely resident horses, the island can be explored both on foot and on horseback. No matter which path you take, you'll be rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding mainland, and on a clear day you'll be able to see the impressive outline of the Snaefellsnes peninsula.

In summertime, there are daily ferry departures both from Skarfabakki pier and Aegisgardur harbour, by the Harpa concert hall. The winter service runs on Saturdays and Sundays from Skarfabakki to Videy. Note that trips to Videy are free with the Reykjavík City Card.

Imagine Peace Tower

The Imaginge Peace Tower is a work of art that represents a beacon of world peace by the legendary artist, musician and peace advocate, Yoko Ono.

A typical neighborhood. Photo by Olga

The work is designed in the form of a wishing well from which a powerful tower of light beams. The words IMAGINE PEACE are inscribed on the well in 24 different languages. The light tower is composed of a number of individual lights that join together to form a single beam. Six of the lights travel through corridors across a platform that surrounds the well and are reflected upwards to the sky with mirrors. An additional nine lights shine straight up to the sky, strengthening the tower of light.

The strength, intensity and brilliance of the light tower continually change as particles in the air fluctuate with the changing weather and atmospheric conditions unique to Iceland.

The inauguration of the IMAGINE PEACE TOWER took place during a private ceremony on 9 October 2007 on Videy Island, Reykjavík, Iceland. The artwork was dedicated to the memory of John Lennon on what would have been his 67th birthday.

Since then, it lights up the evening sky annually from 9th October to 8th December. It is also lit during the winter solstice for one week, on New Year's Eve and on Spring Equinox for one week.

The electricity for the light comes entirely from Reykjavík Energy, which produces the electricity from geothermal power. The construction and installation of the IMAGINE PEACE TOWER was done by Yoko Ono, in collaboration with the City of Reykjavík, the Reykjavík Art Museum and Reykjavík Energy.