Hannes was appointed the director of the Akureyri Art Museum in 1999, where he served for almost 15 years, and is the founder and director of the Icelandic Cultural Enterprise ART.IS.[1] Hannes received an MA degree in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley (1988-1990) and a BA degree from University College London (1985-1988) after having previously graduated from the Department of Painting at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts (1980-1984) and the Reykjavik College of Music as a flautist (1975-1984).[citation needed]
Hannes worked in New York for five years as an art correspondent where he began career as an independent curator, the first one of his kind in Iceland.[2]
Hannes has edited and published dozens of books and catalogues and curated over 350 exhibitions and large-scale projects.[citation needed]