A New View on an Old Treasure: Birtingur and Hörður Ágústsson

A recent visit to the Kópavogur Art Museum Gerðarsafn, has completely changed how I look at one of Bókins magazine staples. We have long held a collection of the Birtingur magazine in the store - they are beautiful objects we often admire, but after this weekend, I realised I hadn't been giving them the credit they deserve.

Birtingur was far more than just a periodical; it was the heartbeat of the modernist movement in Iceland. Launched in 1955 by a group of visionary writers and artists, including Einar Bragi, Jón Óskar, and Thor Vilhjálmsson, its mission was to blow the dust off Icelandic culture. They wanted to bring the world's most progressive ideas in literature, philosophy, and art right here to Reykjavík.

But what truly set it apart was its visuals, and that is where Hörður Ágústsson came in. Born in Reykjavík (1922–2005), Hörður was a pioneering artist, teacher, and architect who became a central figure in Icelandic concrete art. His rigorous, geometric aesthetic redefined the nation's visual language, moving it firmly into the modern era.

Walking through the museum, I felt like I was finally seeing the man behind the covers. To Hörður, even a magazine layout was a chance to bring "artistic thinking" into the hands of ordinary people. It wasn't just graphic design; it was his way of shaking up Icelandic culture and blurring the lines between a masterpiece and a printed page. He treated every cover and every column of text as a canvas.

Hörður’s influence actually reaches much further than this one magazine; he was a prolific designer who shaped the "look" of Icelandic literature for decades. As I browse the Bókin shelves now, I recognise his hand in so many of our book covers - always ahead of its time.

A particularly fascinating discovery in this collection is the collaboration with Dieter Roth. In 1957, Hörður entrusted Roth with the design of issues 1–2 of Birtingur. It was a bold, almost political move that caused quite a stir as Roth’s minimalist approach to typography and his refusal to justify text were seen as radical. 

Whether it’s the radical minimalism of the Dieter Roth issues or Hörður’s own architectural layouts, these magazines were meant to be experienced. We invite you to come by the shop and hold this history in your hands - you might just also see these covers  from now on in a whole new light.