VIGDÍS FINNBOGADÓTTIR – The world's first elected female president

On 15 April, Iceland’s former president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir turned 90. This year also marks 40 years since she became the world’s first elected female president.

Exhibition 13 June—18 October 2020

On 29 June 1980, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir won the Icelandic presidential election. This made her the world’s first-ever elected female president. She was re-elected with no rival candidates in 1984 and 1992, and received more than 90% of the votes cast in the 1988 elections.

In 1996, she retired from the presidency and devoted herself to a wide range of issues that are close to her heart, including history, culture, language, environment, equality and intercultural cooperation.

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was also one of the prime movers behind the opening of North Atlantic House. She was Chair of the North Atlantic House board from 2002 to 2004 and of the supervisory board from 2004 to 2011, after which she became Patron of the cultural centre.

The Exhibition
Using posters, photographs and film clips, the exhibition features Vigdís Finnbogadóttir’s multifaceted work as President and her continued efforts on behalf of better dialogue and cooperation across borders and nations.

The exhibition is curated by Þórunn S. Þorgrímsdóttir and Ingibjörg Jara Sigurðardóttir, presented in collaboration with the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute for Foreign Languages and the University of Iceland, and funded by the Embassy of Iceland in Copenhagen and the Icelandic Althing.

There will be free admission to the exhibition throughout its duration.

The picture at the top is from 1 August 1980, when Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was installed as President (photo: Gunnar G. Vigfússon).