Chromo Sapiens is a multi-sensory, large-scale installation by Icelandic artist Shoplifter / Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir that debuted at the Icelandic Pavilion for the Venice Biennale in 2019, to worldwide critical acclaim. The installation consists of three caves made from Shoplifter’s signature material, synthetic hair extensions. The installation surrounds the viewer's horizon with soundscapes from the Icelandic band HAM in each cave. Entering the installation as homo sapiens, you are invited to explore your inner landscape through the stimulation of the senses, where you are the destination of the journey, and when exiting you have transformed into Chromo Sapiens.
Chromo Sapiens is located at Höfuðstöðin in Reykjavík, Iceland. Höfuðstöðin also features a gift shop, café & bar with outdoor seating, and event space. Höfuðstöðin opened in 2022 in restored army barracks that were used as bomb shelters during the Second World War. Later they were moved to their current location and used as potato nurseries for decades.