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The Unknown Bureaucrat

The Unknown Bureaucrat

Highlight • Monument

The Unknown Bureaucrat

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4.8

(77)

Cycling

4.5

(10)

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Location: Reykjavík, Iceland

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Werner 🚶‍♂️🚵‍♂️🚴‍♂️

July 6, 2021

Hiking

A bureaucrat from a completely different point of view - the sculpture by Magnús Tómasson from 1973 was originally carefully hidden in a backyard, because this location was intended to …

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Willem VS

May 31, 2024

Hiking

The statue Óþekkti Embættismaðurinn, or the Unknown Official, is an iconic work of art in Reykjavik. It was created in 1994 by local sculptor Magnús Tómasson. The statue shows a man in a suit with a briefcase, whose upper body is covered with a large piece of Icelandic volcanic basalt. It is a satirical tribute to the country's numerous bureaucrats who serve their country and keep it running. The statue, originally placed in a backyard, has now been moved to a prominent location in front of the Iðnó and the City Hall.

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Beyond the Horizon

October 5, 2023

Hiking

A man with a huge boulder that stands in place of his head. A creation by the artist Magnús Tómasson from 1973: the Óþekkti Embættismaðurinn, the "unknown bureaucrat".

The original location of this sculpture - hidden in a backyard - testifies to a subtle humor that addresses the often invisible and yet so present existence of bureaucracy. This game of hide-and-seek was ended when the unknown bureaucrat was given its current prominent place, where he silently observes the passers-by, his face hidden behind the massive rock.

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