Human Rights Abuses in Protest Arrests the Ascendancy of Ultraflex the Government-Sanctioned Amount of Yule Lad Content

THE NEVER BEFORE HEARD HISTORY OF ODIN'S RAVEN MAGIC, IN WHICH...

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN PROTEST ARRESTS THE ASCENDANCY OF ULTRAFLEX THE GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED AMOUNT OF YULE LAD CONTENT ... & MORE COVER PHOTO: Based on stills from the Odins Raven Magic The cover image is a concert recording in home-brewed homage Paris, 2008. to a faint memory of what mid-century Photocollage by scandinavian film Sveinbjörn Pálsson. posters looked like.

08: PROTEST = ARREST 11: SIGUR MF RÓS 31: ICE CAVES!!!1! 07: Hel, Half-Zombie 18: Ultraflex Makes You 28: COVID-Christmas Full-Sex Icon Sweat Buffets 06: High On Highlands 26: #YuleLadHoliday 30: Holiday-Scopes

First EDITORIAL

New Year Di!erent Mankind What will change in the new year? Well, But we were also reminded of how seem like a distant dream. That every- can’t be underestimated. This our wake everything—or not so much. The whole underfunded our healthcare system is. thing and everyone will get back on up call. And from what I have seen and world connected for a moment over Icelanders of my generation have been their feet. That tourism will come back. read and experienced myself in this the dreaded coronavirus. We saw what raised up to believe it was the best in the That we will be able to visit our loved pandemic, I’m more optimistic than leaders and nations are made of. And world. It is not. The reason is decades of ones when we want. And that the econ- pessimistic. Let’s wake up, do the work what’s perhaps more important, we politicians underfunding the system in omy will bloom. and make a better world in memory of were reminded of how united we are hopes of privatising it bit by bit. It will be easy to put this behind us those that have died from COVID-19. at the end of the day. Scientists broke The pandemic is also a rude awaken- and keep on going like nothing ever Merry Christmas and happy new records developing a vaccine within a ing to the fact that the whole world can happened. But this is when the real year. Thank you all for reading our year. That’s no small feat for science or be flipped upside down in a matter of work starts. We have to reorganize how magazine and supporting the Reykjavík humankind. weeks. Nothing stays the same forever. we are doing things. Global warming is Grapevine. The pandemic exposed our worst and It’s a simple sentence to write down, but still on the rise. The gap between the our best at the same time. Icelanders no one understands it fully until we’ve rich and the poor is still growing. And Valur Grettisson can be proud of their politicians, who been slapped across the face with it. the importance of good health care that Editor-in-chief listened to top scientists when needed. Soon, the hope is that the virus will can take care of our brothers and sisters

Megan Massey is Hannah Jane Cohen is Pollý is a hard-work- Iona Rangeley-Wilson Sveinbjörn Pálsson Art Bicnick is an Andie Sophia Fontaine Jess Distill is a Valur Grettisson is an award-winning based out of Iceland ing journalist by day is an English gradu- is our Art Director. international man has lived in Iceland musician, artist and an award-winning QWOC poet from by way of New York. and an enthusiastic ate from the UK. She He's responsible for of mystery. He since 1999 and has wannabe writer from journalist, author Bedford, England. She She's known for her ball-catcher by writes children’s the design of the moves like a shadow been reporting since St. Albans, England. As and playwright. He writes about women, love of Willa Ford, night. A four-year-old books, but has de- magazine and the through the subcul- 2003. They were the a long time lover of has been writing for magic, and the Indian David Foster Wallace, dachshund mix with cided to also go into cover photography. tures and soirees first foreign-born Iceland, and recent Icelandic media since diaspora. She recently and other such an IQ of a five-year- journalism on the When he's not work- of Reykjavík, never member of the copywriting diploma 2005. He was also a graduated from the "intellectuals." Her old human, Pollý has absolutely minuscule ing here, he DJs as still, o%en ghosting Icelandic Parliament, graduate, Jess came theatre critic and University of London visionary work is been the o"cial o#-chance that her Terrordisco, hosts the scene in a pu# an experience they to the Grapevine to one of the hosts of with a BA in Creative known for expand- Chief Of Morale at first book doesn’t the Funkþátturinn of blue smoke—the recommend for expand her writing the cultural program, Writing. She is cur- ing the definitions of the Grapevine for immediately turn radio show, or sits at exhaust fumes of the anyone who wants portfolio whilst see- 'Djöflaeyjan' at RÚV. rently in law school. emotion, introspec- eight months and is her into a multimil- a table in a Laugarda- elusive, well-travelled to experience a ing if she could hack Valur is not to be tion, and above all a regular contribu- lionaire. Her hobbies lur café, drinking Bicnick Mini. workplace where it as an Icelandic confused with the else, taste. Hannah is tor to the Grape- include getting up copious amounts of colleagues work tire- resident. dreadful football club also the current Drag vine Newscast on late and indulging in co#ee and thinking lessly to undermine that bears the same King of Iceland, HANS. YouTube. Woof. illusions of grandeur. about fonts. each other. name. ExperienceExperience thethe amazingamazing Langjökull

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In the Westfjords of Iceland, what we call “downtown” others might refer to as “the Arctic.” Call it what you will. We just live here. Shop at 66north.com Keeping Iceland warm since 1926 Follow us on Instagram @66north The Reykjavík Grapevine 4 First Issue 10— 2020

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the other. When the gyms will open again is as yet undetermined. What Are Icelanders In more optimistic coronavirus news, it looks like a vaccine will Talkin! About? be here soon. After making a deal with Pfizer, one of the producers of The topics that are !ettin! people a coronavirus vaccine, the Minister of Health announced that vacci- banned from the comments nations could begin around New Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photos: Adobe Stock, 'Highlander' Year’s eve. Some 170,000 doses will be made available over this period of time, which should be enough NEWS You can always tell when a which included the re-opening of to cover 85,000 people—not too particular issue in Iceland swimming pools—arguably more shabby for a country of 350,000. is really getting people talking important to Icelanders than Those being prioritised include when their Facebook profile photo opening pubs. However, gyms frontline health care workers, frames start changing. One of the remain closed, as they have been and individuals with conditions biggest topics being argued about since October. Gym owners have that make them especially vulner- right now is the proposed High- been decidedly upset about the able to the virus. But do Iceland- lands National Park. On the one matter and have even threatened ers even want to be vaccinated hand, it seems like a good idea to to sue the state over the closures. against coronavirus? Turns out: preserve one of Europe’s largest Meanwhile, public broadcast- yes, pretty much all of them, last known wilderness areas. On ing service RÚV reached out to a according to the most recent poll the other hand, the idea has been literal chemistry professor to ask on the matter, which showed some 7 COURSE met with concerted pushback from whether chlorinated water, such as 92% say they either will definitely rural municipalities and tourism that found in pools, kills the virus or probably take it. industry workers, amongst others, (it does) by way of explanation as CHRISTMAS both of whom believe the park to why one would be open but not would encroach upon small towns and small businesses alike. While the Minister for the Environ- MENU ment has tried to smooth things over, Parliamentary President and STARTERS historic firebrand Steingrímur J. Icelandic landscape Sigfússon characterised the critics Lamb tartar, pickled red onions, smoked as a “whining minority” trying to cream cheese, dill oil, vinegar snow get their way. And that’s why a good portion of your Icelandic friends Cured salmon now have Facebook profile frames Fennel cream, dill mayo, raspberries, roe which read either “I support the and rye bread Highlands National Park” or “I am the whining minority”. Deer tataki Much like the rest of the year, Pickled red onions, enoki mushrooms, crispy coronavirus continues to be a hot Jerusalem artichokes, tru!e & yuzu mayo topic, with one particular flash- point flaring up between swim- Pan-fried giant scallops ming pools and gyms. Earlier Pine tree, green pea purée, beurre noisette this month, the Ministry of Health allowed for the relaxation MAIN COURSES of some pandemic restrictions, Highlander at a protest, yesterday Duck breast Celery purée, apples, pickled fennel and cherry EDITOR!IN!CHIEF COPY EDITOR SALES DIRECTORS FOUNDERS Borgarnes, Keflavík, Ísafjörður and sauce Valur Grettisson Catharine Fulton Aðalsteinn Hilmar Steinn [email protected] Grétarsson, at key locations Jörundsson along road #1, and Grilled beef tenderloin Published by INTERN [email protected] Hörður Kristbjörnsson, all major tourist NEWS EDITOR Jón Trausti attractions and Fröken ehf. Iona Rangeley-Wilson Helgi Þór Harðarson Roasted carrots with pistachios, artichoke&white Andie Sophia Fontaine [email protected] [email protected] Sigurðarson, tourist information Hafnarstræti 15, centres in the 101 Reykjavík [email protected] Jess Distill Oddur Óskar chocolate purée and Christmas beer hollandaise Kjartansson, country. You may not www.grapevine.is [email protected] CONTACT US: like it, but at least CULTURE EDITOR Valur Gunnarsson it's not sponsored [email protected] Megan Massey —» Editorial Hannah Jane Cohen [email protected] (no articles in the +354 540 3600 Reykjavík Grapevine [email protected] [email protected] CHRISTMAS DESSERT Member of the The Reykjavík are pay-for articles. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS —» Advertising Grapevine is The opinions Icelandic Travel PHOTO EDITOR Cristmas “ball” Industry Association Ciaran Daly 354 540 3605 published 21 times expressed are the www.saf.is Art Bicnick [email protected] a year by Fröken writers’ own, not the [email protected] Shruthi Basappa ltd. Monthly from advertisers’). Salted caramel white chocolate mousse, apple —» Distribution December through & Subscriptions February, and and ginger ﬁlling, spice crumble Printed by Landsprent LISTINGS DIRECTOR PHOTOGRAPHERS ehf. in 20,000 copies. +354 540 3604 fortnightly from Hannah Jane Cohen OKAY KAYA distribution@ March til October. [email protected] grapevine.is Nothing in this magazine may be 9.900 kr. PUBLISHER —» Press releases reproduced in whole ART DIRECTOR [email protected] or in part without the Book your table at apotek.is Hilmar Steinn Sveinbjörn Pálsson written permission Grétarsson [email protected] —» General Inquiries of the publishers. The [email protected] [email protected] Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed +354 540 3601 around Reykjavík, [email protected] Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, APOTEK KITCHEN+BAR Austurstræti 16 101 Reykjavík Seyðisfjörður, NATURALLY PURE ICELANDIC LAMB – BEYOND COMPARE

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Enjoy the best we have to offer, Icelandic food – naturally. 6 The Reykjavík Grapevine First Issue 10— 2020

bill earlier this month, but it now seems ASK AN unlikely to pass. What’s the issue? Economist A number of rural municipal territories Q: How Come We Have are covered by the park’s proposed area, with some of these municipalities rais- Inflation-Indexed ing objections that it constitutes the Loans In Iceland? national government running rough- shod over small rural towns. Another issue raised was the cost and where exactly the money will come from. Guðmundur himself says it will likely cost close to a billion ISK over the next five years to establish the park, but believes tourism money and employ- ment opportunities within the park will help offset the costs.

Tourism and freedom of The Highlands, yesterday movement If you’ve ever attempted to buy a Perhaps the biggest objections being home in Iceland, you may have raised comes from the tourism indus- noticed inflation-indexed hous- try. The Highlands National Park ing loans on offer. If you rent, you Controversy Surroundin# Pro- proposal is currently the hottest may have an agreement with your topic within groups such as Bakland landlord that your rent may change posed Hi#hlands National Ferðaþjónustunnar, a Facebook group from month to month because the for tourism industry workers, who are landlord took out such a loan on the worried the national park will restrict property you’re now renting. Infla- Park freedom of movement and add more tion-indexed housing loans are fairly red tape to their operations. uncommon in Europe, so what makes MPs question the wisdom of the move Iceland so special? We asked Þórir A long ways to go Gunnarsson, an economist at the NEWS The Icelandic highlands is one of the municipalities and tourism industry Icelandic Confederation of Labour, largest undeveloped areas in all of workers. There is little doubt that Icelanders love to explain. Europe, covering some 40,000 square the highlands. Poll after poll has shown “Inflation in Iceland has been great, Words: kilometres of Arctic desert, glaciers and How it started that most Icelanders want to protect compared to the general inflation rate Andie Sophia mountains. one of Europe’s last remaining wilder- in Europe. It’s not too long ago that de- positors lost their deposits and credit Fontaine It is then probably unsurprising that The establishment of a highlands nesses. institutions on loans due to persis- the government wants to make the national park was part of the joint policy However, given the number of raised tently high inflation. Photo: highlands a national park. However, the agreement of the then-newly elected objections, the strength of the push- “Credit institutions are now careful proposal has been met with concerted ruling coalition—the Left-Greens, the back and the numerous issues that are Art Bicnick not to lose out on loans with indexed criticism and is being hotly debated Independence Party and the Progres- still unresolved, it is quite unlikely that loans or spreads due to inflation on in Parliament—even amongst parties sive Party—in November 2017. Minister the Highlands National Park is going to non-indexed loans. The inflation pre- within the ruling coalition—and objec- for the Environment Guðmundur Ingi become a reality any time soon. mium is added to the interest rate on tions have also been raised by rural Guðbrandsson formally introduced the non-indexed loans and the interest rates are therefore higher here than in a stable price environment. Indexed LOST IN GOOGLE car and robbed a 26th September the weapon is used loans spread the risk of inflation with TRANSLATION shop.” (Vísir) 2013: “Fi!een ar- to propel eggs, increasing principal over the loan rested – seized egg but concede that period, but at the same time lower October 27th, 2020: weapons.” it could also be interest rates that otherwise can be “He was supposed a non-egg based o!ered. to be in quarantine Do these egg weapon tradition- “The debt service burden of in- and attacked a weapon fighters ally used against dexed loans is lower in the beginning man with an egg present them- eggs. A hard-boiled and the loans are an option for those weapon” (RÚV) selves as one egg might produce who enter the real estate market to group? Where do the most force, but take out loans that would otherwise A brief look into they procure their a raw egg would The simulation is cracks through be di"cult to support. Young people Iceland’s news egg weapons? Or is presumably require failing and once to the alternate have applied for indexed, 40-year archives revealed there only one egg the bigger cleanup. again a glitch in the Reykjavík that we equal-payment loans due to a lower that these egg- weapon, implying matrix has been cannot see—and debt service burden in the environ- assassins have the existence of In reality: The revealed to the this time, Reykja- ment of high interest rates and in- been around for one more powerful Icelandic ‘eggvopn’ Grapevine team via vík’s AU is plagued flation. Real estate buyers get more longer than we and ultimately actually means the ever-psychic by a gang of egg expensive housing with indexed loans thought: superior “man with blade, but Google medium of Google weapon wielding but pay for it with interest on the prin- an egg weapon”? If Translate is totally Translate. Auto- criminals: cipal, which rises with prices over the 16th July 2018: so, where is he now convinced it means “Egg matic translations loan period. Younger people who enter “Police are looking and what does he ‘egg weapon.’ of news articles 29th September the real estate market with indexed for a man who was want? Absolutely positive. between Icelandic 2020: “Attacked a equal-payment loans are then o!ered seen with an egg We at the Grape- Every single time. and English have man with an egg to refinance with rising income and weapon.” vine imagine that IRW Weapon” been exposing weapon, stole his have the option of converting to non- indexed loans.” °

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DEITIES OF The tale of the death of ICELAND Baldr GRAPEVINE Baldr was a very cool god who everyone liked, much like Tom Hanks or Meryl Streep. Unfortunately, he died. The PLAYLIST story of how he did so is super long and convoluted but the TL;DR of it is that but in the most se- Loki got this blind dude to slam dunk rene way: electronic on Baldr with some mistletoe. Don’t and synth-y with enchanting vocals. ask questions. That’s what happened. Sometimes dance-y, So Baldr, now deceased via shrub, sometimes eu- is sent to the domain of Hel. He’s phoric, sometimes followed by Hermod, his brother, who reﬂective—the pleads with Hel to let Baldr—who is KARÍTAS - The Girl release has it all. Röskva’s bandcamp now also gloomy and downcast—go. That You Want Last year, she made reveals, “This album Hel says that she will happily let him go us sad with her de- was never meant if everything in the cosmos weeps for but EP ‘Songs 4 Cry- to be released,” but him. ing’. Now she’s back I’m really glad it The Gods then go all Avengers, with an equally sad was. MM Hella Good Time (sorry) mobilise and get everything in the number. “The Girl That You Want” is a cosmos to weep for Baldr. dreamy slow-burn her expression is perpetually grim Well… not everything. Loki, being a harmonic/trap bal- Hel and fierce. We can only assume this dick as usual, pretends to be the giant- lad that’ll bring you back to when you was due to her parentage. See, Hel was ess Tokk and decidedly doesn’t weep the daughter of Loki and Angrboda, a for Baldr. Why does he do this? Prob- were insecure and The %oth loner half-zombie Queen went for bad people giantess, and therefore the sister of ably just to be a dick. That said, maybe and went through wolf Fenrir and serpent Jormungand. he just wanted his lovely daughter Hel heartbreak, dra- Herdís Stefánsdót- Words: Get on your knees, mortals, for now, Based on our intuition, we highly doubt to finally have a super cool friend like matic and low-key tir - Þoka The nuanced ethe- Hannah Jane it is time to talk about Hel—ruler of this was a particularly nurturing and Baldr for all of eternity. Wouldn’t that self-destructive. We wish we didn’t real soundscape Cohen Hel, daughter of Loki and someone supportive environment to grow up in. be sweet? It would, but we still think he relate, KARÍTAS, but of Herdís Stefáns- who is described on nearly all websites In fact, we’d hazard a guess and say that was probably just being a dick. we so do. HJC dóttir’s “Þoka” Photo: mentioning her as having a “gloomy, it might have been a pretty chaotic place And with a father like that, who manages to feel Adobe Stock downcast appearance.” and the world should probably be grate- can blame Hel for being gloomy? We at once both deli- ful that Hel only ended up “grim” and certainly won’t. Loki was probably a cately toned-down as well as warmly Superpowers: Gloomy and downcast “fierce” and not “a fucking serial killer.” distant and untrustworthy caretaker, imposing. Truly, the Owns a hellish Unfortunately, due to lack of info, so it’s natural this Goddess would be composer’s debut underworld. To be fair, we understand why she’d we don’t know a ton about Hel’s daily full to the brim with Daddy Issues. That o$ her upcoming album is the per- Weaknesses: be gloomy. Apparently, the deity was activities. She’s rarely featured in most said, we’re a magazine, not a tabloid, so known for being partially decomposed of the Nordic myths, which is probably we won’t speculate. We’ll just wait until fect soundtrack for Susceptible to Fortíð - Son of a Bar- early December. Let sulking. Very few with the legs of a corpse and the face due to discrimination against goths, we die and journey down to Hel to ask ren Land it play during a long friends. Half-zombie. and torso of a living woman. We don’t and in fact, the only myth she plays the woman herself how she feels about Fortíð is a project snowy twilight walk want to judge, but that probably limits a large part in is that of the Death of Lana Del Rey. Then we’ll know. by Einar Eldur Thor- and indulge in the Modern Analogue: berg, an elder of beauty of nature Weird loner goth her dating pool. We’d be gloomy, too. Baldr. Anyway, that’s the story of Hel. All Along with the aforementioned hail the goth queen. the Icelandic metal and loneliness. HJC kid who becomes scene known for a dictator and gloomy exterior, it was also said in the his work in groups punishes preps. Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson that like Potentiam (their track Bálsýn” is an absolutely must-listen for any foreign metalheads JUST SAYINGS reading this article). But in contrast to Potentiam’s synth-y Atli Örvarsson - Fly- melancholy, Fortíð ing (Talos Remix) has a more rocking Atli Örvarsson „Að fá black/death metal dropped his ﬁrst sound and “Son of a solo album ‘You Are Barren Land” jumps Here’ back in July. between beautiful “Flying”—a delicate, atmospheric sec- yearning piano bal- tions and furious lad—has now been uppreisn traditional black given a rather cin- metal like the best ematic makeover of ‘em. Ain’t nothing by Talos. We particu- better than some larly like the vocals, good ole’ internal which have a sort turmoil, right? HJC of primal-pining æru“ feel that oscillates The Icelandic honour system is compli- this term integrated into our laws, in between strength cated. If you have a shitty reputation, it English that would be a pardon, but and solemnity in a will literally be more difficult for you we use the legal term ‘uppreist æra’ weirdly empower- to get a job than for those that have a when pardoning. Honour has always ing manner. Also, you can dance to it, good reputation. This can be especially been a big thing in Iceland and many but in a very dance- true in smaller towns. But if you have even quote a verse from our old Edda til-you-die kind of been an idiot, pissing everybody off—or Poems, Hávamál, that says: “Orðstír: way. Hey—remem- worse—there is still hope. The phrase deyr aldregi: hveim er sér góðan getur.” Röskva - Laug ber dancing? HJC “Að fá uppreisn æru” literally means Meaning, your reputation will outlive The title track of Röskva’s new album, Icelandic entrepreneur/politician, yesterday restoring your honour. We even have you. In short; don’t be an asshole. VG “Laug” has energy,

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Icelanders have developed a positive when some 23,000 people showed up in reputation for their protests. Praised April 2016 to call upon the government for having driven a government out to resign in the wake of the Panama of power, for pressuring authorities Papers revelations. A Stacked Deck: to prosecute bankers and for organis- At that protest, police simply ing the draft for a new constitution, to observed proceedings and held the any outside observers it would appear line. But when about two dozen protes- as though protesting has become an tors arrived at Austurvöllur on March acceptable, even respectable, way to 11th of 2019, police response was vastly exact change in Icelandic society. different. Police, Courts However, in the course of several “We got to the point where the refu- interviews with lawyers and activists gees decided that they would like to alike, the Grapevine found that police try occupying the Parliament square,” have sweeping powers to arrest, that Borys recalls. “When the refugees were And The Right To courts take a very narrow interpreta- trying to set up their tents, the police tion of police power at the expense came over and pushed people around, of these protestors, that prosecu- taking the camping equipment. And tors often severely limit or outright then, for whatever reason, the unit Protest In Iceland restrict defense lawyers’ access to the commanders came up with the idea evidence against their clients, and that that the demonstrators wanted to start appealing these cases has such a high a fire. They confiscated a pallet that threshold that they can have a chilling people had brought, believing that the effect—all of this sometimes in breach refugees were going to use that for a of the Icelandic constitution and Euro- bonfire, but that isn't true—we mainly Iceland’s legal system pean human rights laws. used it to sit on as insulation from How did things get this way, and the ground. It was March and it was what must be done to bring Icelan- freezing. After they took the pallet, the dic law in line with the principles of a police further decided they wanted to needs to change to democratic society? take away the cardboard banners, too. This is when the police line approaches and starts pushing people around Article 19 in a very aggressive and escalatory ensure democracy manner.” Much of the issue rests upon Article 19 Met with no resistance, the police Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photos: Art Bicnick of the Law on Police, a single sentence nonetheless began using force against with far-reaching implications: the protesters, including the use of “The public is obliged to obey orders pepper spray, sometimes against which police give, such as in traffic people attempting to leave the scene. control or in order to ensure law and All of this was captured on video. Two order in a public space.” arrests were made. This article has not only been used by the police to justify arresting people participating in peaceful protests— How peace- something which is supposed to be protected by Articles 73 and 74 of ful is a protest Iceland’s constitution and other inter- supposed national laws—the courts have often times taken a very narrow interpreta- to be? tion of this law; asking only if a police order was disobeyed, not if the order Despite public outcry against police was lawful or even justified in the first violence at this small demonstration, place. organisers decided to switch tactics. Elínborg Harpa Önundardóttir “After the police riot, people were and Borys Ejryszew are two activists quite stressed and tired, so we decided currently facing charges that include it was time to do something peace- violating Article 19 [Note: at the time of ful and symbolic,” Borys says. “We this writing, Borys has been convicted organised a silent performance where of violating Article 19 and ordered to a bunch of refugees and their friends pay over 300,000 ISK in legal costs. He stood in front of Parliament with their plans to appeal]. Elínborg and Borys hands marked with 'no deportations' have worked extensively with Icelandic and tape over their mouths. There were refugees who have organised for better parliamentarians passing through, so living conditions and fair treatment by no one was stopping anybody. But the Icelandic authorities. Efforts to bring police decided this was also an unlaw- these grievances directly to the Direc- ful protest and, citing the 19th, they torate of Immigration (ÚTL) in March came over, shouting in Icelandic to a 2019 were blocked by around a dozen crowd of people—many of whom don’t police officers. speak the language—and arrested “We were saying, ‘Well, we're going three entirely random demonstrators, in, we have every right to go in there,’” one of them Elínborg.” Elínborg recalls. “Then the police took Tactics were changed again, with out the pepper spray and were ready to organisers deciding this time to take use it. It says that in the police report their concerns to the Ministry of from that protest, that they were Justice, which holds authority over ready to use the gas when people were ÚTL. This would take place in the form ‘threatening to break in’ to ÚTL during of peaceful sit-ins, held during open- opening hours.” ing hours, in the lobby of the Ministry. The demonstrators then decided to Over the course of three sit-ins, change tactics: as police had prevented no arrests were made; police dragged them from bringing their demands people outside of the building and left to immigration authorities directly, them there, sometimes using force. they opted instead to demonstrate at The fourth sit-in was a different story. Austurvöllur, the square in front of “The fourth time around they Parliament. arrived at the Ministry when we had been protesting for about 10-15 minutes,” Elínborg says. “They came in Austurvöllur, shouting at us to get out or we would get arrested. They did not explain on ground zero what premises nor did they tell us for protests that the ministry was closed. Then they gave us all of 3-4 minutes before Austurvöllur has been the scene for they began arresting people. We were numerous protests in Icelandic history. asking them to give the orders in It was there that the famed “pots and English as well, because in the arrests pans revolution” grabbed international before, the order [to disperse] was only headlines as Icelanders gathered in given in Icelandic.” the thousands. It was also the scene of Ragnar Arnalds, human rights lawyer the largest protest in Icelandic history, 9 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10— 2020

having defended the so-called Reyk- Out of bounds javík Nine—a group of protesters accused of “violently” entering Parlia- Helga Baldvins Bjargardóttir, a lawyer ment during protests in December working on Elínborg and Borys’ cases, 2008. is amongst the lawyers the Grapevine "The Icelandic courts tend to say spoke to who believe Article 19 is inter- that any inconvenience made by preted too broadly by the police and too protestors needs to be stopped,” he narrowly by the courts. She provided told us. “But the ECHR has stated a list of cases heard by the European inconvenience is a natural conse- Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that quence of protests, and that the state handed down rulings which not only must understand this and not inter- affirm the right to protest—they also fere unless everything goes too far." would completely overturn, or radi- Another good example of this is cally change, Article 19, and with it the case of Ragnheiður Freyja Kristí- the verdicts handed down by Icelandic nardóttir and Jórunn Edda Helgadót- courts on numerous occasions. tir, the latter of whom is represented Helga explains that Article 19 is by Ragnar. In May 2016, they stood supposed to carry exceptions, as up on board a plane set to deport an outlined by the ECHR, and that the asylum seeker. The plane was, at the police are supposed to take notice time, standing still on the runway, of international obligations, such with boarding not yet complete. As as human rights obligations, in the they stood, they began speaking out course of their work. loud about the fact that a person was "In that regard, they can manage being wrongfully deported on that control of traffic, they can forbid flight. Jórunn was quickly restrained people from staying in certain areas, by passengers and flight attendants or ask them to leave,” she says. “They and both were arrested. have this authority, and if this had "The District Court concluded we been people entering the Ministry had caused 'severe disruption of public drunk and disrupting the peace of the transportation' without substantial staff in that way, the police would have reasoning for this,” Ragnheiður recalls. the full authority to ask them to leave “The judge in fact concluded that we and, if they didn't, to arrest them. But did not cause any delay of the plane, in the protestor case, the police don't or not a severe delay at least, but that regard that the protestors have consti- we did indeed cause 'discomfort' and tutional and human rights to protest 'unease' amongst the flight crew and and freedom of expression. Their passengers. This is one of the defenses actions need to be balanced in regard in Appellate Court: no passengers have to these rights." ever given their testimonies in this Helga also points out that when the case. Which is very unfortunate, since police step out of bounds, they should there were 170 passengers on that be held liable. plane, and none of them were asked ”[The ECHR] also talks about how to come and give testimony. The other when the police have this power to peculiar thing is that people have very give orders to protestors and arrest seldom been prosecuted for this and them if they don't obey, that this goes the times that people have, they have against the initial goal of the legisla- been acquitted." tion. If you're going to arrest protestors, you have to have something real that they've done other than disobey- What counts ing police orders. The police have to be preventing a crime, there has to be as evidence chaos or people in danger for them to While the prosecution can seemingly be able to intervene in a case like that." offer any number of arguments in protest cases as to why a given protestor or group of protestors should be A narrow view convicted, arguments from the defense often fall on deaf ears. Sigrún Ingibjörg Gísladóttir, a lawyer Borys experienced this firsthand, at the law offices of Réttur, agrees that saying that in regards to his case, “The the police sometimes overstep the only thing that made it into the final power that Article 19 grants them. verdict was the testimonies of the “Essentially, you can have an article police. The judge seemed only inter- that states there's a public obligation to ested in whether police gave an order follow police orders, but that does not and whether it was obeyed. That’s it.” mean the obligation should be abso- Borys and others had raised lute,” she says. “It's an obligation that concerns about the possible existence needs to be considered and interpreted of racism within the Icelandic police in light of other rights and obligations. force having some role in how the Even if it's absolute in language, that police have responded to the refugee doesn't mean it can be absolute in protests, bringing up the excessive use practice, because it needs to be inter- of force throughout many of refugee preted in light of superseding laws, organised demonstrations. In speak- such as the constitution and rulings of ing with Grapevine, Borys also pointed Sigrún Ingibjörg Gísladóttir, lawyer the European Court of Human Rights, out the new “border patrol van” rolled as the European Convention of Human out earlier this year, wherein one of Rights is an international agreement the officers talked openly about target- that has been legislated into Icelandic ing “Albanians and Romanians.” This “If you're going to arrest law. These are laws that supersede a concern, amongst many others, was general law such as Article 19. Essen- summarily dismissed by the court. tially, Article 19 needs to be used while “[The judge] refused to call in protestors, you have respecting the rights encoded in these the unit commander [Arnar Rúnar higher laws, such as free speech and Marteinsson] for further questioning the right to protest." about the justification for the police to have something real using excessive force and especially the ensuing arrests—a thing that happened only during the last sit-in that they've done other Aren’t protests and therefore in need of further justifi- supposed to be cation,” Borys says. “The judge was only interested in whether the police gave than disobeying police inconvenient? an order and whether it was obeyed or not and entirely disinterested in whether [police] actions violate any orders.” One of the people who have cham- higher laws—which in our opinion pioned reform in this area is lawyer they did. The arrests that ensued go Ragnar Aðalsteinsson. He has long against both Icelandic constitution and fought for the rights of protestors, the Universal Declaration of Human 10 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10— 2020

Rights.” lawyers in this field, for a long time.” the European Court of Human Rights was once an English judgement that Ragnheiður ran into similar in accepting there's going to be some said something to the effect that 'the obstructions in trying to defend their inconveniences involved in most appearance of justice is equally impor- case. protests.” tant as justice itself'." "All of our defenses—the freedom Surely you can For her part, Sigrún envisions more Helga, in fact, would like to see of expression, the right to protest and comprehensive changes on multiple the matter brought all the way to the your obligation to help a person who is appeal, right? levels. ECHR, in the hopes of bringing some in danger—whether the judge agrees The right to appeal is another impor- "The most important role is played much-needed reforms to Iceland. with them or not is one thing,” she tant function of a democracy’s judi- by the judge,” she says. “That the “I want to take this all the way [to told us. “But a judge should definitely, cial system—that if you were found judge follows what we have said in our the ECHR] because comparing the if they disagree, give their reasons for guilty in a lower court, you should be society are the principles that we're Icelandic court cases to the ECHR; it. This is very important in any prec- able to appeal the matter to a higher supposed to walk through to come to well, we're out of control with our edent that they're setting; to explain court. That function also exists in the a conclusion. It's really important that police orders here,” she says. “It's not how they came to their verdict. This Icelandic court system, but it can get a the District Court judges go through in line with what's normal in a demo- was totally lacking in the District little bit complicated when it comes to the correct procedure in finding some- cratic society.” Court. Our defenses were answered in protest cases. one guilty. It's not like people are never one sentence, which was 'the freedom "We have this both in criminal cases guilty and should never be found guilty, of expression is under certain restric- and private cases, that in order to but the correct path must always be tions, so this defense cannot be applied bring a case before the Appellate Court taken to finding someone guilty. There here'. So essentially going to the Appel- in Iceland, they need to meet a mini- late Court is wanting to challenge that, mum threshold of a sentence,” Sigrún to challenge a verdict that didn't give explains. “Generally, in criminal cases, any reason to why our defenses were this means you've been sentenced to being dismissed or not agreed with." prison, or that you were ordered to [UPDATE: The Appellate Court has pay a fine in excess of around 1 million ruled in their case, giving them a two ISK; it's indexed, so it changes slightly year suspended sentence and 1 million every year. But this is not absolute; ISK in legal fees. They are at the time there is an exception, and that excep- of this writing undecided on their next tion is if you have a case—both crimi- steps.] nal and private—that you believe was wrongly adjudicated, or if you believe it's important for society or yourself to Can we see get the Appellate Court's judgement, then you can request a grant of appeal. the evidence We've seen this in cases such as those against us? that concern freedom of speech, where people have been found guilty of defa- One of the primary elements of any mation and ordered to pay compen- trial, civil or criminal, is that of sation well below 1 million ISK, but discovery: that the defense team and nonetheless been granted an appeal. ... the prosecution have equal access to But it isn’t without risk because if you all evidence in a trial, whether that lose the appeal, you will likely end up evidence goes towards or against an increasing the costs." accused’s guilt or innocence. In the Helga agrees, adding that the course of our investigations, we found daunting prospect can have a chilling that the defense team is often severely effect on even going forward with an restricted in terms of what evidence appeal in the first place. they have access to. "They could make an exception In the case of the Ministry sit-in because it's a principled case of human arrests, for example, Elínborg and rights, but if they're denied, they have Helga confirmed that they had to go to the Supreme Court,” she says. requested the entirety of the video “It will be very interesting if [these security footage of the protest in cases] go to the ECHR. They talk a lot question. Instead, they were offered a about the chilling effect. So even if the single video screenshot. fine is only 10,000 ISK, if the legal fees "The prosecution said that they are like 600,000 ISK, this has a chill- have investigated this case fully, but ing effect. It prevents people from they don't see the point in getting all being able to exercise their freedom the tapes [to me],” Helga confirmed. of expression. I think the ECHR would “So now the justice is deliberating on look at this as a punishment in itself." how he's going to rule on all the access to these tapes." "[Access to discovery] is a problem, I agree,” Sigrún says. “We've had What needs cases about the obligation of the police to reveal their evidence. Especially in to change the criminal cases that we had after the crisis in 2008, where there were a Elínborg emphasises that the broad lot of documents and the prosecutors use of Article 19, its narrow interpre- choose which documents they wanted tation by the courts, and other issues to present to the court and the defen- have been an ongoing problem in dant's lawyers were saying 'well we Iceland for a long time. want to see all of the documents, what “This is how it's been for years if there's something in there that is now,” she says. “There have been actually beneficial for my client?' That people persecuted many times before right has not been confirmed by the for precisely this, breaking the 19th Supreme Court. article and nothing else. It seems like “Instead, the police can, to some the Icelandic courts just want to keep extent, limit access to documents. it that way. They don't look at it in More generally speaking, there is no terms of ‘why was the order given? was absolute right to equal access to all it reasonable?’ They don't care. They evidence gathered by the police. With just ask ‘was the order given and did things like videos, you don't actually you obey it?’ If you didn't, you're guilty. get access to them; you go to the police This is what we're dealing with. It's up to look at them, which we've been to people in society, I feel, to decide if arguing breaches the Equality of Arms it's something they find acceptable. principle; that there should be equality Because obviously the court system in the court room, so you should have itself isn't going to change it.” access to all the same files and have the "I would like to make Article 19 same kind of access to them. stricter, and provide directly that citi- “The thing is,” Sigrún continues, zens only have to obey the orders if "under the Icelandic Criminal Proce- the behaviour is unlawful,” Ragnar dural Act, the prosecution is under says. “You have a right to express your a legal obligation to remain neutral opinion, individually or in a group, and and this means to present both sides; that needs to be balanced against the whether it indicates the defendant is inconvenience that the protest might innocent or guilty. It's something that's have resulted. I would like to see the complicated and has been discussed by Icelandic courts go the same route as Elínborg Harpa Önunardóttir, activist Sigur Rós Survives Endin!s, Eddas and ‘Odin’s Raven Ma!ic’

Hilmar at the laptop, Steindór chanting, the giant stone harp at the bottom of the picture

The end is nigh. man Jónsi remains conspicuously ab- hopefully 2021 will be something com- rimba constructed out of stones—and You feel it in your bones. Each time sent, currently holed up in Los Ange- pletely different.” headed straight out to the countryside you read the news, each time your les pursuing his own projects. to begin composing. phone beeps with fresh tidings of an- And yet... Apocalyptic warnings As only one member of Sigur Rós— Info other catastrophe, there’s a sense of It’s December, one year into a glob- Kjartan—is able to read music, it unravelling, a sense that we can’t pos- al pandemic, and I’m on a Zoom call Unpacking ORM is no easy task, large- quickly became clear they would need 'Odin's Raven sibly keep hurtling from one disaster with Georg, Kjartan and long-time ly because it is so unlike any other outside help, so María jumped in to Magic' is to the next. Civilisation is exhausting. collaborator María Huld Markan Sig- Sigur Rós release. It is perhaps one oversee the arrangements—or, as she available on Give us some catharsis. Just let the fúsdóttir (of Amiina fame). The band of the band’s most collaborative ef- puts it, “save Kjartan from a nervous streaming , vinyl whole thing splatter onto the pave- have just released a new album, the forts to date. The piece was originally breakdown.” and CD at shop.grapevine.is ment already. long-awaited ‘Odin’s Raven Magic’— conceived of by Hilmar Örn Hilmars- From there, this beautiful—if inac- The problem is that history never ORM, for short. son, a veteran composer as well as the cessible—text began to take on new runs out of new corners to turn. The Admittedly, “new” is a strong word current allsherjargoði (chieftain) of life. end times never really end. here. In a release schedule that can the Icelandic heathen organisation, “In the Eddas, Ragnarök is the best be described as glacial, ‘Odin’s Ásatrúarfélagið. end of the world, but what it actually Raven Magic’ was first composed in °Hilmar was commissioned by the A shot across the bow means is that when something comes 2002 and performed just a handful of Reykjavík Art Festival in 2002 to pro- In many ways the album and the text to an end, something new begins,” times, surviving only in whispers, leg- duce an orchestral rendition of “Hraf- on which it is based are warnings from says Georg Holm, the bassist of Sigur ends and bootlegged YouTube clips. ngaldr Óðins,” a lost chapter of the the past; shots across the bow into an Rós and one of the band’s two remain- The new release was actually recorded Poetic Edda and the inspiration for uncertain, terrifying future. ing members. live in Paris and mastered in 2008, the album’s name. Hilmar, on a self- Just as the album was composed ‘Remaining’ being the operative with the band inadvertently deciding described crusade to have the poem years before its release, the poem word here: for some years now, it’s to sit on it for 12 years. reinstated as part of the Edda, asked was discovered centuries after it was been unclear whether or not Sigur Rós “There was a lot of other stuff go- the band to join the project. They im- first written. It was proclaimed to be had ceased to exist, following several ing on and it sort of fell between the mediately said yes. a forgery in the 1980s and disqualified Words: public scandals and, most notably, the cracks,” explains Georg. “It was always With less than two weeks to put from editions of the Poetic Edda until Ciarán Daly departure of drummer Orri Páll Dýra- meant to come out, but I guess it took the piece together before the festival, 2012, when new scholarship certified son amid sexual assault allegations in a lot longer than anyone expected. It’s the team enlisted Steindór Andersen, it to be authentic and possibly even Photo: 2018. There hasn’t been a studio album very fitting that the album is being one of Iceland’s foremost epic poetry hundreds of years older than the oth- Provided by or a tour since the release of ‘Kveikur’ released now, though. It’s music that rhyming chanters. They then called er Eddic poems. (It has only recently Sigur Rós in 2013; keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson is really old and is all about the end Páll Guðmundsson, a sculptor and been included in published editions of left around the same time and front- of the world. It’s the end of 2020 and the inventor of the steinharpa—a ma- the Edda.) The Reykjavík Grapevine 12 Culture Issue 10— 2020

María, Kjartan, Georg & Orri manning the stone harp

The original text—which used to, and glueing it all together no calendar. But then, perhaps forms the basis of the lyrics to is an orchestra and a choir. So there never has been. Get Grapevine Merch! Steindór’s hypnotic chanting— part of the reason it went into hi- “When you look at some- tells the story of the end of the bernation was because it was just one’s career, you might start to world. The im- such a beast. Ev- think about how something was agery of the eryone had to step thought through and you might poem, which “It was an out of their com- think it’s all calculated,” María scholars sus- apocalyptic fort zone.” says. “But I don’t think things pect to be miss- “The beauty of are calculated. You just react to ing its begin- warning. Perhaps this is that all the what’s happening. I’m in a band ning and end, people involved that has changed members so paints a story the people of the don’t recognise it dramatically over the years that of decline, in time felt it in their as their own work. nobody knows what it ‘means’. It’s which the world It’s so collaborative more like an umbrella or a musi- is freezing over skins.” that it’s become cal force that just... continues.” from north to an independent “No one’s counting members,” south. And while the world freez- thing,” she continues. “The poem Georg says. “People come and go. es, the gods feast, oblivious to is just timeless and it’s more rel- It’s free-form. Through the years their own doom. evant than ever before, because we have approached each record “It was an apocalyptic warn- it explores the end of the world. as a separate project, and they’ve ing,” says Hilmar. “Perhaps the It’s been very interesting to actu- always been done differently— people of the time felt it in their ally look deeper into the poem— not necessarily by sitting down skins. Today, of course, Iceland I didn’t have the time to actually and discussing what we are go- is involved in environmental is- look deeper into the poem at the ing to do. Things change and you sues surrounding hydro-electric time because it was just mayhem create in a different way. People power and the destruction of the trying to cram it all together.” change as well. Times change. Highlands. We are being warned Your own attitude to life chang- again.” The elephant in the es.” room A hibernating beast While the new release is a long- Weathering the storms ‘Odin’s Raven Magic’ is much big- awaited and welcome addition Sigur Rós were founded in 1994, ger than just a Sigur Rós album. to the band’s discography, it’s a which, for this writer, means they It’s a truly collaborative effort. relic of an earlier Sigur Rós, and have been active for an entire Steindór is a commanding vocal in some ways, lifetime. In that presence, almost relegating Jónsi the elephant is time, Icelandic to the sidelines as he leads the still in the room. “Every generation society has un- listener through the eight stan- They have only has this feeling dergone massive zas of this ancient text, while the met online to tectonic shifts. steinharpa and the orchestra are make decisions of Iceland chang- The band has seen so dominant as to almost make about things like ing so fast, but almost three of the band itself seem like backing cover art and t- the country’s six musicians. shirts. “It’s not at the same time, presidents come “As an outsider, it was an in- like we came the core doesn’t and go, survived teresting project to take part in together like a the rise and fall of because of the complexity of it,” football team change.” entire industries María says. “As well as the band and decided to and lived through and all their instrumentation, release it,” Kjartan laughs. And, the country’s transformation Don't Hesitate! there is a sculptor that never per- as we speak, there’s no fixed plans from a backwater in the North At- shop.grapevine.is forms on stage, then the chanter for the band’s future—no upcom- lantic to a global tourism hub and Act Now! in a musical setting that he is not ing releases, no new projects, and back again. The Reykjavík Grapevine 13 Issue 10— 2020 Weekend brunch [11:30 - 16:00 ]

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María Huld Markan, composer

“Iceland has moved at such a felt like we didn’t know our own Like the Edda, Sigur Rós’ music speed since the two world wars country,” explains María. “Every has always spoken to the endur- because it was a very poor country generation has this feeling of Ice- ing elements of life on this island, at the turn of the century,” says land changing so fast, but at the channelling its geophony, the Kjartan. “Every- same time, the wind-battering rhythms echoing thing changes very core doesn’t from the past into today. fast these days and “The beauty of change.” “With Sigur Rós, you never has been for the last “We like things know what will happen. Things eighty years.” this is that all the t o h a p p e n just kinda fall into our laps and “Except the poli- fast, some- we don’t overthink it,” Georg says. ticians,” Georg in- people involved times without “Something could happen tomor- terjects. don’t recognise thought, and row or in ten years. We just never Kjartan contin- it’s exciting in know.” ues: “So it’s excit- it as their own ways but it’s al- ‘Odin’s Raven Magic’ is a mes- ing, but at the same work. It’s so col- ways the same sage bottled in a distant past, a re- time it’s reckless.” feeling that minder of the things that endure: “When we were laborative that you get stuck old friends, old poems, old ways. filming [the tour it’s become an w i t h w h e n Like the steinharpa, which is said movie] ‘Heima,’ things aren’t to never go out of tune, the band’s JORGENSENKITCHEN.IS I remember we independent done carefully. spontaneity and the spirit of cre- came home after Which could be ativity that drove them to write LAUGAVEGUR 120, 105 REYKJAVÍK touring just be- thing.” said about this ORM, also endures. Perhaps we fore the [2008 fi- album. It never needed reminding. Perhaps they +354 595 8565 nancial crash] and we were like, would’ve been done if people had did too. ‘What’s happening here?!’ Every- actually thought about what they one wanted to be a banker and we were doing.” The Reykjavík Grapevine 14 Best of Reykjavík Issue 10— 2020

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Roald Eyvindarson is a journalist, Lunch is with the hubby at Kaf- Coffee with friends at Mosfellsba- husband and dad to the most won- fivagninn. It’s a diner-like restaurant karí. Everyone should have a Bjart- derful little girl in the world. Bearing located on the docks at Grandi and mar, Snorri and Bjössi in their life. shop.grapevine.is the same first name as one Roald it’s one of my favourite places in They beat yoga and therapy. Amundsen and one Roald Dahl, he Reykjavík. Someone described it as, feels under constant pressure to “the complete opposite of a gentri- Dinner shop.grapevine.is excel in life. Roald—Eyvindarson, not fied hipster hangout” and that’s ex- Dahl—is also a publishing director actly what I like about it. Just a bunch Indian or Thai takeaway from Hraðles- shop.grapevine.is at Birtíngur, Iceland’s largest maga- of old sailors, people coming from tin or Krua Thai with the hubby, our zine publisher, and editor-in-chief of AA-meetings and the occasional daughter and her two mothers. I re- shop.grapevine.is Gayiceland.is. tourist. After having seafood soup, cently found out that she loves Ru- which is sublime by the way, it would Paul as much as she loves Peppa Pig, First thing in the morning be fun to take a stroll around Grandi. so maybe we’d all watch an episode shop.grapevine.is There are so many cool places there. together. Going with the family to the Don't Hesitate! Sex. No, not really, just decided to old-fashioned restaurant Laugaás shop.grapevine.is*Act Now! throw that out there to get your at- In the afternoon would also be a great idea. I’ve loved tention. No, my perfect day starts it since I was a kid. The creamy “gratin * You only need to type the URL in once at the gym—World Class Laugar—at My daughter started kindergarten au gellur” is a delicacy, the checked 6:15 a.m. I’m an early riser and go- this fall and it would be great to pick curtains an absolute hoot. ing to the gym is a great way to get her up and get to spend some quality the blood flowing. A!er practice, I’d time with her. Take her to róló, play In the heat of the night enjoy a cup of black co"ee. I’ve been football and go visit my parents. My drinking co"ee since the age of four mother is a crazy cat lady who some- You do realize I was at the gym at Venue Finder and can’t imagine life without it. Like times thinks she runs a shelter for 6:15 am so I’d probably have to be a Venues Museums & Galleries someone once said: “I’m not addict- lost or abandoned animals and my coke addict to be awake this late? The numbers on the right (i.e. E4) tell you ART67 The Penis Museum Kjarvalsstaðir ed to it, we're just in a committed daughter loves every one of them. So, at this point, I’ve probably gone position on the map on the next page Laugavegur 67 F7 Laugavegur 116 F8 Flókagata 24 H8 Open daily 9-21 Open daily 10-18 Open daily 10-17 relationship.” to sleep feeling great a!er a won- Austur Kaffibarinn Ásmundarsalur Kirsuberjatréð Ásmundarsafn Austurstræti 7 D3 Bergstaðastræti 1 E4 Freyjugata 41 G6 Vesturgata 4 D3 Sigtún derful day. Open Tue-Sun 8-17 M-F 10-18, Sat-Sun Open daily 10-17 American Bar Kiki Queer Bar 10-17 Austurstræti 8 D3 Laugavegur 22 E5 Aurora Reykjavík Reykjavík City Library Grandagarður 2 B1 Kling & Bang Tryggvagata 15 D3 Andrými Loft Open 09-21 Grandagarður 20 A4 Mon-Thu 10-19, Fri 11- Bergþórugata 20 G6 Bankastræti 7 E4 W-Sun 14-18, Th 12-21 18, Sat-Sun 13-17 Ásgrímur Jónsson B5 Mengi Museum Listastofan Árbæjarsafn t Bankastræti 5 E4 Óðinsgata 2 F5 Bergstaðastr. 74 G4 Hringbraut 119 Kistuhylur 4 Vital Info Bíó Paradís Nordic House July 8-Sep 1, Mon-Fri Open Wed-Sat 13-17 Open daily 13-17 Hverfisgata 54 E5 Sturlagata 5 H2 Berg Contemporary Living Art Museum The Settlement Useful Numbers Opening Hours - Bars & Clubs Public Toilets Bravó Ölsmiðjan Klapparstígur 16 E5 Granadarður 20 A4 Exhibition Laugavegur 22 E5 Lækjargata 10 E3 Tu-F 11-17, Sat 13-17 T-Sun 12-18, Th 12-21 Aðalstræti 16 D3 Open daily 9-18 Emergency: 112 Bars can stay open until 23:00 on week- Public toilets in the centre can be found Curious Paloma The Culture House Mokka Kaffi Hafnarstræti 4 D3 Naustin D3 Hverfisgata 15 E5 Skólavörðustíg. 3A E5 Reykjavík Museum On-call doctors: 1770 days and weekends until further notice. inside the green-poster covered towers Open daily 10–17 Open daily 9-18:30 of Photography Dental emergency: 575 0505 located at Hlemmur, Ingólfstorg, by Dillon Papaku Reykjavík Tryggvagata 15 D3 Laugavegur 30 E5 Klapparstígur 28 E5 The Einar Jónsson Museum of Design Mon-Thu 10-18, Fri 11- Taxi: Hreyfill: 588 5522 - BSR: 561 0000 Opening Hours - Shops & Banks Hallgrímskirkja, by Reykjavík Art Mu- Museum and Applied Art 18, Sat-Sun 13-18 Dubliner Prikið Eiriksgata G5 Garðatorg 1 Most shops: Mon–Fri 10–18, Sat 10–16, seum, Lækjargata and by Eymundsson Naustin 1-3 D3 Bankastræti 12 E4 Open Tue–Sun 10–17 Open Tu-Sun 12-17 Saga Museum Post Office Grandagarður 2 B2 Sun closed. Banks: Mon-Fri 09-16 on Skólavörðustígur. Toilets can also be English Pub R6013 Exxistenz The National Open daily 10-18 Austurstræti 12 D3 Ingólfsstræti 20 E4 Bergstaðast. 25b F4 Gallery of Iceland The downtown post office has moved to found inside the Reykjavík City Hall and Fríkirkjuvegur 7 F3 Sigurjón Ólafsson Swimming Pools Gaukurinn Röntgen Gallerí List Open daily 10–17 Museum Hagatorgi 1, open Mon–Fri, 09:00–17:00. the Reykjavík Library. Tryggvagata 22 D3 Hverfisgata 12 E5 Skipholt 50A H10 Laugarnestangi 70 Sundhöllin, the downtown pool at M-F 11-18, Sat 11-16 The National Open Tu-Sun 14-17 Hard Rock Café Reykjavík Roasters Museum Pharmacies Barónsstígur, is an indoor swimming Public Transport Lækjargata 2a D3 Kárastígur 1 F5 Hafnarborg Suðurgata 41 G2 SÍM Strandgata 34, 220 Open daily 10–17 Hafnarstræti 16 D3 Lyf og heilsa, Egilsgata 3, tel: 563 1020 pool with hot tubs and a diving board. Most buses run every 20–30 minutes Hressó Stofan Café Open Wed-Mon 12-17 Open Mon-Fri 10-16 Austurstræti 20 D3 Vesturgata 3 D3 The Nordic House Lyfja, Laugavegur 16, tel: 552 4045 More pools: gpv.is/swim Fare: 480 ISK adults, 240 ISK children. Hverfisgallerí Sturlugata 5 H2 Tveir Hrafnar Iðnó Tjarnarbíó Hverfisgata 4 D4 Thu-Tu 11-17, W 11-20 Baldursgata 12 G4 and Lágmúli 5, tel: 533 2300 Open: Mon-Thu from 06:30–22. Fri from Buses run from 07–24:00, and 10–04:30 Vonarstræti 3 E3 Tjarnargata 12 E3 Tu-Fri 13-17, Sat 14-17 Open Fri-Sat 13-16 06:30–20. Sat from 08–16. Sun from 10–18. Hafnarhús on weekends. More info: www.bus.is. Kex Hostel i8 Gallery Tryggvagata 17 D3 Wind & Weather Skúlagata 28 E7 Tryggvagata 16 D3 Open 10-17, Thu 10-22 Window Gallery Tu-Fri 11-18, Sat 13-17 Hverfisgata 37 E5 A Downtown & proudly environmentalist—they A hope to use their profits to invest into Harbour DistrictÐ land so that the kitchen can become FISKISLÓ Get the bigger, moreThe detailed version of The ReykjavíkMap Grapevine self-sufficient. The restaurant also ÐUR City Map at your nearest hotel or guesthouse, with selections from our doubles as a wellness space offering Best-Of awards, vital info, downtown bus stops and a wider view of the city. a whole host of yoga sessions and GRANDAGAR

ELEGANT PREMISES breathing workshops. Have your "# plant-based prayers been answered? IN THE HEART OF B ! Maritime REYKJAVIK 6. Noodle Station Museum

BREAKFAST and BRUNCH Dining Laugavegur 103 Saga Aurora LUNCH and DINNER MENU Drinking Museum Reykjavik LOCAL and FOREIGN DISHES Billowing clouds of coriander scent 1. Austur-Indíafjélagið ÁNANAUST HAPPY HOUR DAILY 15-18:00 are a mouth-watering introduction 12. Röntgen NÝ Hverfisgata 56 to Noodle Station. Choose beef, LE ND HOLTSGATA U M C GATA Ý vegetable or chicken, and add an Hverfisgata 12 SELJAVEGUR RA RG Still going strong 20 years on, Austur- extra spice or flaky chilli sauce until ATA

Indiafjélagið is an institution. Make your nose runs, your tongue throbs Röntgen is a party bar in the purest FRAMNESVEGUR BANKASTRÆTI 7A - 101 REYKJAVÍK - TEL. 562 3232 a meal out of the delicate salmon and your gums howl. It’s bar-style sense, with a rowdy dance floor, ÍGUR VESTURGATA pollichathu, kozhi mappas and stool seating and cheaper prices delicious cocktails and a fanbase BÁRUGATA ARST RÁNARGATA kulchas and share it family style. (for Reykjavík) attract prudent solo that’s just growing and growing. Run HOLTSG. ÖLDUGATA Keep your eyes peeled for the travellers. by the legends behind Húrra (RIP),G ATA RABORG RIMANNASTÍGUR THE Ð Ý vegetarian and vegan dishes as well. Röntgen unexpectedly grabbed the ST D BRÆ runner-up for the Best Goddamn MARARG. 7. Grandi Mathöll TÚNGATA ÆGISGATA Bar category at the 2020 Best Of 2. Gaeta Gelato HÁ Grandagarður 16 Reykjavík awards. We stan. VALLAGATA S WAY ÓLVALLAGATA to plan your journey Aðalstræti 6 + Hlemmur Mathöll TÚNGATA Grandi Mathöll has an immediately ÁS 13. Lebowski Bar VALLAGATA Gaeta Gelato is owned by recently- comfortable feel, with various stools, arrived Italian transplants with nearly benches and couches scattered Laugavegur 20a 25 years of experience as gelatai. through the space. There are nine E HÓLAVALLAG. Their artisanal and authentic flavours, concessions and a bustling, social This fully carpeted bar honouring the SÓLVALLAGATA

from blueberry to Piedmontese feel as people meander between the “Lebowski” Lebowski (not The Dude, $! hazelnut, are made with fresh and vendors, who shout out names as man), is a nice place that offers two well-sourced Icelandic ingredients. their orders are ready. Our tip: Vegan vibes: start the night nice and cosy REYNIMELUR HRINGBRAUT URGATA Though only recently opened, Gaeta food from Spes and friend chicken with an artisinal White Russian, and Ð

VÍ SU Gelato has already won over a crowd from KORE. Everyone's happy! end it on one of the rowdiest andÐ IMELUR Strætó of committed regulars. most underrated dance floors in the F LJÓSVALLAGATA The o!cial Icelandic 8. Vitabar city. Yup, Lebowski is a great place to Hólavalla- public transport app 3. Sæta Svinið hang at, but that could just be, like, garður Bergþórugata 21 our opinion man. Cemetary Hafnarstræti 1-3 ESPIMELUR This old-school burger ‘n’ beer joint is 14. Jungle Cocktail Bar B With big portions and a tasty menu, right downtown—near Sundhöllin— this hip restaurant offers everything but feels like a real neighbourhood Austurstræti 9 G FURUMELUR you might desire, from crispy bar. Its unassuming exterior hides National BIRKIMELUR library broccoli and big bowls of mussels a cosy, no-frills dining room, where The verdant Jungle Cocktail Bar to a great leg of lamb and a taste of you’ll mostly be surrounded by came in like a tropical storm last lobster Try and get a seat upstairs: locals. For once. winter. Devoted to the elevation of National museum it’ll be like dining under a starry sky all things cocktail culture, some of in the most romantic, dim-lit set-up. 9. Salka Valka Jungle’s stranger offerings over the past months have included a kale Skólavörðustígur 23 cocktail, but there’s no shortage of H ÐURGATA 4. Valdís SU level-headed concoctions like the University Grandagarður 21 & Frakkastígur 10 For a piece of good ol’ Icelandic signature “The Bombshell” (tequila, of Iceland fish, there’s no better spot than rhubarb & vermouth) along with any This beloved ice cream parlour— Salka Valka. The restaurant serves classic you can name. which has a Grandi and downtown up a steamed fillet in their Fish Of location—makes everything in- The Day meal, with the fish options 15. Port 9 house each morning, and you can depending on what is the freshest STURLUAGATA SÆMUNDARGATA I tell. If you like liquorice, try Tyrkisk available. They also have potentially Veghúsastígur 9 Nordic House Culture Center Laugavegur 60A, 101 Reykjavík Peber. While it looks like liquid the best plokkfiskur in the city, some FÁLKAGATA 1 2 himalayanspiceiceland.com cement, it tastes heavenly. The spot stellar soups, and—quite recently—a Cosy and tucked away with a doesn’t have a large seating area, so pizza menu. secretive vibe, Port 9 is a true hidden

take your cone on a stroll along the gem, hosting a delicious wine list as 17. LunaARAGATA Flórens C harbourside or enjoy it in a parked 10. Bæjarins Beztu well as potentially the most intimate ODDAGATA car, Icelandic style. atmosphere in Reykjavík. It also has Grandagarður 25 Tryggvagata 1 a nice balcony—the ideal locale for 5. Bastard Brew & Food sipping some Pino in the summer Luna Flórens is Iceland’s only “gypsy Wine bar Icelanders have a weird obsession sun. bar.” Part flower-child, part spiritual & food Vegamótastígur 4 with hot dogs—trust us, you won’t and with a whole lot of whimsy thrown understand until you’ve been here. 16. Mengi into the mix, this cosy and hand- This downtown drinking hole is It’s universally agreed though that crafted bar is so intimate it makes something of a beer and bar-food the tiny stand Bæjarins Beztu serves Óðinsgata 2 you wanna spend the day musing palace. It’s an English pub style the best one. Pro-Tip: When they ask about geodes, lunar cycles and tarot environment, without the sense of what toppings you want, say “All.” This Mengi’s concert room is more white card readings. You can do all this and history, but with eleven beers on is the only way to eat it. cube than dive bar. The programme more while sipping on their excellent tap, a great happy hour, and the encourages new collaborations and house cocktails and an excellent slice phenomenally good ‘Fat Bastard’ 11. Mama experimental performances, so even of vegan cake. burger on offer, it’s a firm Grapevine if you know and love the work of the favourite. Their tacos are pretty Laugavegur 2 musicians you’re seeing, you might 18. RVK Brewing Company notable, too. be treated to something brand new Nothing tastes better than ethics, on any given night. Skipholt 31 which is why we love to try the VÍNSTÚKAN rainbow salad and “nicecream” bowls Yes, there is a bar on Skipholt, and yes, at Mama, a plant-based restaurant it is one that you need to check out. with big dreams. The company is The RVK Brewing Company has slid E HÓLMASLÓ

Downtown & Marshall House Viðey ferry Harbour DistrictÐ ARÐAR TAG FISKISLÓ New In Town ET UR KL Ð ' Grandi Hildur Yeoman GRANDAGAR Mathöll Laugavegur 7 The Grapevine’s 2020 Best Clothing Store Maritime winner and patron saint of Icelandic Sigurjón KLETTAGARÐ Museum fashion Hildur Yeoman recently relocat- Art ed from her cosy Skólavörðustígur bou- Museum AR Aurora tique to a large, prominent Laugavegur VESTURGAR Saga storefront. We couldn’t be happier for her Museum Reykjavik because were we not a magazine, we’d ÐAR ÁNANAUST clothe ourselves everyday in her charac-

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LANGAHL BÓLSTA which they make themselves locally. awards. They have a fantastically to easily spend an entire afternoon arrangements that reference SÍ 20. Hildur Yeoman ÐARHLÍ HÁALEITISBRAUT HRI MIKLABRAUT Ð Come and experience your new beer- NGBRAUT curated selection of books, lamps, perusing their selection. classic IcelandicÐ nature in an UMÚLI STARHAGI KRINGLUM ÁLFHEIMAR HEIMAR addiction. Laugavegur 7 candles and more. Plus, the owner unexpectedSKAFTA and innovative way. Ð NAUTHÓLSVEGUR HLÍ is a photographer and often has 24. Melabúðin Trust us: You won’tÐ find a florist in the ÁLFTAMÝRI GO Hildur's got a fresh new boutique exhibitions on the lower floor. Ð city that’s in any way comparable. 19. English Pub SAFAM on Laugavegur. As well as selling ESKIHLÍ Hagamel 39, 107 SÓLHEIMAR SKÓGARHLÍ BARMAHLÍ BÚSTA Ý Austurstræti 12 her own designs—womenswear Ð RI 22. Wasteland Reykjavík REYKJAHLÍ 26. Street Rats Tattoo Ð characterised by flowing shapes For foodies looking for artisanal MIKLABRAUT Ð MÁVAHLÍ True to its name, the English Pub made from fine fabrics with Ingólfsstræti 5 AVEGUR Ð deli meats, fresh figs, rare cheeses Hverfisgata 37 Ð STIGAHLÍ LJÓSHEIMAR ÞORRAGATA offers many different kinds of lager colourful, distinctive, busy prints— and all sorts of unexpected, hard- Ð Ð DRÁPUHLÍ on tap and a whiff of that genuine Hildur Yeoman's boutique also For super á la mode downtown to-find treats, Vesturbær’s beloved Kristófer, a.k.a. Sleepofer Tattoo, GNO Ð SKEIFAN UK feel. Try the famous “wheel of features sunglasses by Le Specs, Reykjavík looks—i.e. cheerleader Melabúðin should satiate your has proven himself to be a fresh, Ð ARVOGUR fortune” where one can win up to jewellry by Vanessa Mooney, French uniforms, Guy Fieri t-shirts, and desires. BLÖNDUHLÍ experimental artistGRÆNAHLÍ whose works STAKKAHLÍ a metre of beer with a single spin tea, and other interesting trinkets. astronaut-esque jumpsuits—this Ð have become a somewhatÐ coveted while a steady team of troubadours second-hand store is the go-to. symbol in the city. So if you’re FLUGVALLARVEGUR 25. Pastel Flower Studio MIKLABRAUT FELLSMÚLI engage the crowd in classic sing- looking to get your travel tattoo, Reykjavík 21. nomad. GRENSÁSVEGUR Domestic alongs every night. The only thing 23. Lucky Records Baldursgata 36 go there. It’s way more interesting missing is the salt & vinegar crisps. Frakkastígur 8f than a Vegvísir.HAMRAHLÍ Airport Ð Terminal Kringlan Rauðarárstígur 10 Pastel Flower Studio is only open on Ð Shopping HÖRGSHLÍÐ EINARSNES Mall F HÁAHLÍ Party Every Night. Cocktails! Ð

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Nauthólsvík Beach The Reykjavík Grapevine 18 Music Issue 10— 2020 the iconic vintage clothes featured in their music videos. “Oh, we have “You’ve never seen done so much shopping,” Katrín says, naming HUMANA in Berlin someone swim as one of their favourite spots. Ul- traflex say they also borrowed a lot sarcastically in a of clothes from the band CYBER, lake until now.” who are good friends of theirs.

Favourite tracks and future plans When it comes to their favourite track on the album, Ultraf- lex agree on the aforementioned “Work Out Tonight.” “Production wise, ‘Work Out Tonight’ is my favourite,” Kari says. “The beat and the bass is just so good. It's just really groovy.” “If there’s one song that best describes Ultraflex it’s ‘Work Out Tonight,’” Katrín agrees. She also names “Man U Sheets” and “Papaya” as other favourites. In fact, ‘Visions of Ultraflex’ has so much vision that it’s no surprise the band are already work- The leopard pu!n in its natural habitat ing on new music. “We have a new theme for our next album,” Katrín the humour, especially in the lyr- disco.” Katrín describes Kari’s pro- says. “I don’t know if we are gon- ics,” Kari says. (See the track “Full duction as “musical joyfulness”. na—are we gonna reveal it, Kari?” of Lust” for reference: “You’re not Holding a mug of warm oat-milk Kari laughs and shakes her head. Ultraflex Just really my type but this is your night matcha in her hands, she adds that While we wait, fans of Ultraflex / Can’t find the guy that I like and Kari is also the “master of matcha”. can look forward to more upcoming you’re the second best.”) Kari also music videos from the band, who Wanna Have compliments her bandmate on her will be releasing a video for every eye for visuals. Katrín has proven Ultraflex: fashion icons song on ‘Visions of Ultraflex’. her talent for aesthetics in her solo Collaborating comes easily to Kari projects, as well as with Ultraflex. and Katrín, who work together like Fun “Kari is a producer and a very spandex and leg-warmers. Speaking successful one,” says Katrín. “She’s of spandex, fans have probably been a DJ and she DJs a lot of obscure wondering where Ultraflex sourced gpv.is/music The group talks their debut album, Share this + Archives fashion, and what the future holds

Words: Megan Massey Photo: OKAY KAYA

Album K and a member of Reykjavíkurdæ- tur) and Kari Jahnsen (a.k.a. Farao). Stream ‘Visions of Ultraflex’ on all The dynamic duo broke onto the platforms. scene in May with their dance TAPASBARINN debut “Olympic Sweat,” which, like “Work Out Tonight,” was ac- companied by an equally dance-y music vid. This single preced- ed the release of their debut LP which came out on October 30th. CHRISTMAS MENU “I think our main goal was to have as much fun as possible,” Kari says. She’s all smiles, dressed in a comfy sweater: a toned-down version of the moody neon-clad sports star she portrays on film. “We decided we wanted to make danceable Inspired by Soviet aerobics videos, music, disco, club stuff; and for the Ultraflex’s debut album ‘Visions of visuals we had this idea to take in- Ultraflex’, is sure to get you up and spiration from soviet aerobic videos moving. You only need to check out that I was hung up on at the time.” the band’s defining single “Work The pair admit they weren’t re- Out Tonight” to be lured into their ally sure what to expect when they pop disco world. This track is a started this project, but they’re certified bop, with its whirlwind very pleased with the result. “It’s of techno beats, groovy synths and much better than we thought dreamy vocals, plus the music vid- it would be,” Kari says. "It’s go- eo increases the amount of upbeat ing really well and we’re hav- Starts with a glass of Faustino sparkling wine Soviet energy to a level almost off ing a lot of fun with the project.” the scale. Reminiscent of an 80s home video, it offers a combination Followed by 7 exciting christmas tapas of cool irony and chic aesthetics, Working together featuring cycling shorts, vintage The writing and recording pro- And two delicious desserts track jackets, gym socks, neon high cess for ‘Visions of Ultraflex’ all heels and blue eyeliner. The band’s happened before the pandemic too-cool attitude and detached fa- hit, but many of the singles were cial expressions will make you feel released while Katrín was in Ice- 8.990 kr. per person like you really are at the gym— land and Kari was in Germany. you’ve never seen someone swim “I think we’ve done a really good Book your table at tapas.is sarcastically in a lake until now. job of working together from different countries,” Katrín says. The pair explains that they hold An album to sweat to daily Skype meetings each morn- Ultraflex is comprised of Katrín ing. They clearly run a tight ship. Helga Andrésdóttir (a.k.a. Special “I think Katrín brings a lot of TAPASBARINN | Vesturgata 3B | Tel: 551 2344 The Reykjavík Grapevine 19 Music Issue 10— 2020 Event Picks

in. The live sessions feature Salomé Katrín, RAKEL, Guðmundur Arnars, Sandrayati Fay, Supersport! and Dymbrá. There is a huge production team around it and these sessions will be recorded at Loft Hostel. Because of the pandemic, it Black Sundays: ‘Suspiria’ Film Bubbi Morthens MUSIC Ólafur Arnalds is following will be live on the Loft Screening Þorláksmessutónleikar NEWS the drop of his newest Hostel Facebook page album ‘some kind of Í Sæn# Saman: Loft Hostel Live Sessions and YouTube channel. December 27th - 20:00 - Bíó Paradís - December 23rd - 22:00 - Online! - peace’ with a new short film ‘When We Salóme Katrín kicks 1,600 ISK 2,000 ISK Are Born,’ slated for a 2021 release. The January 10th, 12th, 17th, 19th & More! - things off on January short film is directed by Vincent Moon Lo# Hostel YouTube & Facebook 10th. Guðmundur Oh wait—this whole fuckin" pan- How would you go about explaining and is primarily a dance performance. Arnars will perform the demic wasn’t scary enou"h for you? Bubbi Morthens? He is the top selling The choreographer is the legendary This project is a series of together.” Fitting as it 12th. Dymbrá the 17th, Well, maybe arthouse horror with recording artist in Iceland, bar Erna Ómarsdóttir, who will work in col- live session recordings perfectly describes Supersport the 19th, dancin" witches is more your vibe. none. A former fish worker, Bubbi laboration with the fantastic Iceland aptly named “Í Sæng both the nature of the Sandrayati Fay on the If you "et too afraid, just remember became famous for songs about the Dance Company. Ólafur has already Saman,” which roughly project and the current 24th and finally Rakel on director Dario Ar"ento’s famous struggles of small Icelandic fishing proven himself to be one of the best translates to “in bed reality we find ourselves the 26th. VG quip to a journalist about "ore: “It’s villages. He's like Bruce Springstein... electro-classical-genreless artists in not blood, it’s red.” HJC except Icelandic. HJC the world, and we couldn’t be more excited to see his foray onto the short- film screen. A one-minute long trailer Our music listin"s pa"e is on hiatus, because... reasons. has been released and it looks pretty incredible. VG

“Magnús Jóhann” thread about it. One that shows a deft understand- ing of sound, transitions and how you can meld them together into endless forms. “I feel like the album is kind of two-sided,” he admits. “There’s a jazzier, more instrumental side with drums and saxophone and then there’s this ambient, totally electronic side. The most challeng- ing thing about making it was how do I combine all of these sounds to tell a whole story?” He pauses. “I had to create a sonic world to fit The tallest dance-pop artist in the them both.” world, Daði Freyr, made a statement For Magnús, this collage of to Entertainment Weekly earlier this sounds is the culmination of a month that he will never perform the lifetime of musical consumption. hit song “Ja Ja Ding Dong” again. The Raised in a family of classical pi- song became an unexpected smash anists, 70s rock devotees and hip- this year after Netflix released Will Fer- hop heads, Magnús was exposed rell’s comedy about Eurovision, entitled to many sounds at a young age. As ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of a teenager, he dove headfirst into Fire Saga,’ which was mainly shot in jazz and piano, which he later stud- Húsavík (which is the title of another ied at the university level. great song from the movie). Anyway, Nowadays his work is even Daði performed “Ja Ja Ding Dong” once broader. Next year, he plans on re- online but he has boldly claimed—de- leasing a film score, theatre score, spite massive pressure from fans—he as well as a collaboration with Skú- will never do it again. We suppose it’s li Sverrisson. At the same time, a big nei nei ding dong from him now, he’s producing works for Auður, dawg. VG Hipsumhaps and even played on the most recent Auðn release. “It all represents different sides of me, but that’s what I rep- thing I saw before I went to sleep. resent—a lot of different things. One day, I thought ‘that might be a I don’t want to be limited to one Limitless, nice cover’ and then I had to start thing,” he concludes. writing music because I had found a cover,” he laughs. “As soon as you’ve decided on some aesthetic Introverted music Effortless, or visual aspect, you immediately Releasing ‘Without Listening’ was put yourself in some sort of mood. a three-year effort for the artist, And that was the atmosphere that who began writing the album in Genreless inspired the music.” late 2017 and then spent the next years recording and refining it. Magnús Jóhann refuses to be defined And while, of course, the midst of Two-sided tones a global pandemic was perhaps not Words: Hannah Jane Cohen Photo: Art Bicnick And like the differently coloured the best time to release it, Magnús Möller Records may not be a household materials peppering the house sees a silver lining to the timing. name, but it’s more or less the flagship Single “Basically, the whole beginning of on the cover, Magnús’s album is a “It’s introverted music,” he ex- of electronic music in Iceland. And this whole album process was not surprising and plains. “The ide- what’s more, they are coming up on Check out ‘Without Listening’ on all a single note of music, it was the delightfully con- al listening sit- their ten year anniversary, which they’ll streaming platforms. cover,” Magnús Jóhann states. He’s t ra st i ng son ic “It’s introverted uation is alone celebrate with an anniversary album— referring to his recently released experience. Me- at home, so it’s on vinyl, of course—which they are effort ‘Without Listening,’ the cov- andering through music. The ideal good for your currently crowdfunding through the er of which shows a haphazardly a murky area be- listening situation self-isolation or Karolina Fund. If a decade isn’t enough constructed half-built house in an tween post-clas- quarantine.” He to celebrate, it’s also their 100th industrial wasteland. It’s from a sical, improvi- is alone at home, pauses. “So it album. Möller Records was founded series called ‘Waiting,’ which doc- sational jazz and so it’s good for made sense for in 2011 by Árni Grétar (Futuregrapher) umented construction after Ice- dark electronica, me to release it and Jóhann Ómarsson (Skurken). Later land’s economic crash. you could perhaps your self-isolation now. If not now, on, Stefán Ólafsson (Steve Sampling) “It’s a photograph that my old- ca l l his effort or quarantine.” then when?” and Frosti Jónsson (Bistro boy) joined est brother, Ingvar Högni Ragnars- “genre-fluid.” But the team. They have worked with over son, took that was hanging in my regardless of what 50 artists over the past decade. Pretty bedroom so it was the first thing soundscape the pianist is dipping good for a small homegrown label. VG I saw in the morning and the last his toes in, there’s an undeniable Find today's events in Iceland! Download our free i8 Gallery listings app - APPENING Tryggvagata 16 on the Apple and 101 Reykjavík Android stores [email protected]

t: +354 551 3666 www.i8.is Art

The national costume of the Earth A Cinematic Jóni and Eirún feature in the film 06.08.2020–03.01.2021 as the Madams—two stoic women dressed in the Icelandic national Collection Of Souls costume reimagined in camouflage. “They have been there The Icelandic Love Corporation forever. They are almost like the Gilbert & on ‘Psycho!raphy’ Earth themselves. We are dressed in camouflage and in a national Words: Hannah Jane Cohen costume, so maybe we’re in the na- George Photos: Provided by the Icelandic Love Corporation tional costume of the Earth,” the two explain. “Of course it has this A teenager lies on the floor feed- years, to see if there were some violent side because [camouflage] The Great Exhibition ing herself popcorn with her feet. images or anything that we could is very much connected to war, A woman in a glamorous outfit start working with,” she says. as is nationality. So it’s not only hopelessly sweeps a room filled peaceful—it’s a mix.” with sand. A man presents a plate The aforementioned exhibition of burnt kleinur donuts to an emp- The Hidden Woman & the film is featured in seeks to ty kitchen. Welcome to ‘Psychogra- The Farmer explore the relationship between phy,’ one of the Icelandic Love Cor- Fortunately, the psychic saw a the near and the far, the collective poration’s latest cinematic works plethora of images, which pro- and the local—the “Home” and , which is being featured at the vided a framework for a few of the the “Globe.” The gallery itself is ‘When The Globe Is Home’ exhibi- characters featured in the film. housed in an old prison. This, both tion at the Gallerie delle Prigioni “For example, there is a char- emphasize, is somewhat of an Eas- in Treviso, Italy until the end of acter that we call the Hidden ter egg. “Our characters are maybe February. Woman,” Jóni says. “The psychic not in a prison, but somehow they saw this Hidden Woman that was are locked in their dimension,” protecting the land, but couldn’t Jóni concludes. The grand video move away from it.” In Icelandic, the title of the The 18-minute long extravaganza “There was also a very dam- film is ‘Sálnasafn’, which loosely is based on a participatory perfor- aged, not-so-happy spirit that was translates to a collection of souls. mance by the group in 2016. While locked inside the house. He was ‘Psychography’ is their interpre- the now-duo has dabbled in many so angry and so hostile that the tation of his concept in English. different mediums over the years, psychic said we should not work The wordplay brings to mind an this was their first, as they de- in the house and never sleep in intricate connection between the scribe it, “grand video.” the house because things would psyche and geography. “Not only “We had this opportunity to start to happen,” she continues. the geography of the land but of make this performance in the “There is a character in the movie, the soul,” the two conclude. “The countryside at an old farm that which is not based on this guy ex- landscape of the soul.” used to be a settlement from the actly but has a bit of him. It’s this Viking Age. It was also occupied by farmer with a big shotgun. He feels the British army during the war, trapped inside his own feelings.” so there’s a huge saga, or history All of these characters exist in connected to the land,” Eirún Sig- different dimensions of the house, urðardóttir explains. Jóní Jónsdót- somehow locked to the land itself. tir, her partner in the corporation, Take the aforementioned girl with The Icelandic Love Corporation’s agrees. her popcorn. “She’s trying to get ‘Psychography’ will be featured at “We had a psychic or medium out the window and run away but ‘When The Globe Is Home’ exhibi- Hafnarhús Open daily with us at the start of the project. she gets caught in the net and tion at the Gallerie delle Prigioni Tr y g g v a g a t a 17 10 h 0 0 – 17 h 0 0 We wanted to see what a psychic pulled back in,” Jóni exclaims. “It’s in Italy until the end of February. + 3 5 4 411 6 4 1 0 Thursdays would feel coming into this old a little bit like our ‘Hotel Califor- You can explore the exhibition vir- artmuseum.is 10 h 0 0 –2 2 h 0 0 house that hadn’t been lived in for nia.’” tually on their website. The Reykjavík Grapevine 21 Our Picks Issue 10— 2020

This interactive Amobi, and Alvaro online exhibition, Barrington are curated by Hans among the 55 fea- Ulrich Obrist, tured artists—it’s invites the viewer a long list, these to follow instruc- are just the ﬁrst tions set out by three in alpha- 55 artists. Visitors betical order, engage with the no favouritism art in a practical intended. So this Bæ, Bæ 2020 Gleðile! jól!: Christmas Exhibition 100% Wool way, led by artists holiday, no need from the comfort to step outside Until Dec. 23rd - and self-em- Until Dec. 23rd - tion, we assume Until Jan. 31st have the best of home. It was and brave the Núllið ployed creatives. Ásmundarsalur it’s rather hip - Museum Of wool on Earth. ﬁrst conceived crowds for some Artworks of all and well-curated. Desi!n & Applied Seriously, to call in 1995 and art. Just Do It (At This Christmas disciplines will be Ásmundarsalur Around 300 Art it integral to the re-launched in Home). MM exhibition available—photo- is the resident works will be for foundation of this 2020 in response features work for graphs, paintings, han!out for the sale, you that What’s our country would be to the COVID-19 sale from twenty fashion design artistic-minded you can email us favourite four- downplaying the Do It (Home) pandemic to keep up-and-coming and more. Plus, intellectuals of at !rapevine@ letter word? importance of the experience of Icelandic artists: all money goes Reykjavík so if !rapevine.is to WOOL! Icelanders the material. So Until December 26th – Online event art alive at home. a mixture of art directly to the they have some deliver us a !i$. will proudly tell celebrate wool. hosted by the Reykjavik Art Museum! Etel Adnan, Chino school graduates creators!. MM Christmas exhibi- Thanks. HJC you that they With wool art. HJC

December 18th-January 14th

title. Sigurbjörn Helgason makes Icelandic art (the museum is literally birds. Big birds. Small birds. Birds named a$er him) and is one of the HAFNARBORG Art Listin!s made of wood. Birds made out of country‘s most beloved artists. His What Meets The eye reindeer horns. Lots of birds. Now connection to, and interpretation A retrospective of works by lo- you can watch him do it live in of Iceland’s natural environment is cal goldsmith and artist Gunnar Events are listed by venue. For complete the museum shop at the Design thought to have taught Icelanders Hjaltason. He painted in oil, acrylics listin!s and detailed information on venues, museum. to appreciate it anew, and to have and watercolour, but this exhibition • Runs until December 30th, 2020 encouraged pride in the country’s will focus on his prints. The images visit !rapevine.is/happenin!. uniqueness and the world of adven- depict landscapes, town views of Send your listin!s to: listin!s@!rapevine.is HARBINGER ture to be discovered within it. Hafnar'örður and the Icelandic Core Temperature • Runs until December 31st, 2020 nature Fritz Hendrik IV’s new solo exhibi- Sigurður Árni Sigurðsson: Expanse • Until January 31st, 2021 Ongoing ogy, this exhibition provides insight tion is locked. By that we mean it’s In this mid-career retrospective, Hafnar#örður: into Reykjavík's farms at the time of literally locked, as in patrons can’t Sigurður Árni Sigurðsson presents Works from the collection NATIONAL GALLERY OF ICELAND the first settlers. enter the room, only stare from the a series of paintings which dissect The exhibition is a selection of works Solastalgia windows. Entitled ‘Core Tempera- just how we view the world around from the Hafnarborg collection In this immersive installation, REYKJAVÍK MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY ture,’ it deals with the expectations, us. Sigurður's works are known for that all showcase Hafnar'örður in explore a mix of augmented reality Distance and Intimacy. Contempo- fate, and disappointment relating to exploring the limits of our field of a unique way. Few towns in Iceland with contemporary art, multisenso- rary Icelandic Photography. global warming and the pandemic. vision and how that forms the basis are as picturesque as Hafnar'örður rial e"ects and cutting edge sound What happens when you look at a Serious shit. of our worldview. and the nature surrounding it also design. Enter a mysterious future photo for a really long time? How • Runs until December 25th, 2020 • Runs until January 24th, 2021 o"ers spectacular points of view. in a post-human Earth where only much more do you see? This exhibi- And we're not just saying that be- a mysterious digital cloud has tion invites viewers to find out, with GALLERY PORT cause our editor is from there. survived. Do you still have faith in a selection of contemporary photos Christmas Exhibition • Runs until March 7th, 2021 technology? (No.) that walk the line between social 50 artists—all beloved by Gallery • Runs until January 10th, 2021 media and high art. Port—present their wares for your FLÆÐI Treasures Of A Nation • Runs until January 10th, 2021 holiday perusal. Prints, sculptures FLÆÐI CHRISTMAS MARKET 2020 A selection of over 80 works chosen Nocturne - Hrafna Jóna Ágústsdóttir and more will be on o"er for you Your favourite ALL-IN-CAPS gallery is from the national gallery’s collec- Hrafna Jóna Ágústsdóttir’s photog- to buy and give to your friends and here with a Christmas market. Not tion displays the evolution of art raphy exhibition Nocturne takes relatives... or keep for yourself. interested in heading inside? Don't since the 19th century. its viewers on a creative fairytale • Runs until December 24th, 2020 worry—all the works will be avail- • Runs until February 14th, 2021 night wander through Icelandic able online at flaedi.com. High Plane VI cityscapes. Explore the mixed emo- GERÐARSAFN KÓPAVOGUR ART MUSEUM • Runs until December 23rd, 2020 Katrín Sigurðardóttir has for some tions of the night: secretive and SCULPTURE / SCULPTURE years been exploring the e"ects uncanny, but also at times warm and Presenting: two solo exhibitions by LIVING ART MUSEUM of perception in her installations beautiful. Ordinary suburban scenes artists Ólöf Helga Helgadóttir and NÝLÓ Light Bazaar 2020 and works. Here, she dismantles a take on a surreal magic when Magnús Helgason. The aim of the As is the trend in 2020, the Living classic theme of Icelandic paint- daylight disappears and is replaced series is to explore contemporary Art Museum’s annual Light Bazaar ings: mountains, the blue of distant by the cool glow that falls from sculpture and the development is moving online. Brighten the dark vistas, and the obsession with streetlights and windows. within three-dimensional art, not winter nights with some beautiful Icelandic nature. • Runs until February 1st, 2021 REYKJAVÍK ART MUSEUM % HAFNARHÚS only as an important part of art art. View and buy the works of over • Runs until January 3rd, 2021 Erró: Cyborg history, but also as a living visual 40 contemporary artists on ljosa- Threads Of Art This series of the great Erró was language within contemporary art. basar.nylo.is and help raise funds to Celebrate the centenary of the birth inspired by technology, science The series is intended to honor the support the Living Art Museum. The of textile artist Ásgerður Búadóttir. and the combination of the human sculptor Gerður Helgadóttir (1928- Marshall House will also be hosting If you thought there wasn't a rich and the mechanic. In particular, it 1975), who Gerðarsafn museum is an open storage and pop up home contemporary textile scene, you examines how technology invades named a$er. for the Bazaar during opening hours. have no idea just how experimental the body and how the human body • Runs until February 28th, 2021 • Runs until December 30th, 2020 this medium can be. adapts to the machine. The images • Runs until January 24th, 2021 o"er questions concerning the Electromagnetic Objects borderlines between human be- The "Electromagnetic Objects" are a ings and technology. collection of works by Woody Vasul- • Runs until December 31st, 2020 ka and the audio artist Brian O'Reilly. Gilbert & George: The Great Exhibi- According to O'Reilly, “the works use tion sources excavated directly from Perhaps two of the most influential Garðatorg 1· Garðabær the output of the Electromagnetic contemporary artists of the last Open Tue - Sun 12 -17 Objects, as well as further manipu- REYKJAVÍK MARITIME MUSEUM five decades, Gilbert & Georg are lations using Tom Demeyer's ImX Fish & Folk known for their pioneering perfor- so$ware, developed with input from Name a better duo than fish and mance pieces, bold photo-based Steina." Sounds complicated, but we Iceland. You can’t. So come learn graphics and anti-elitist “Art for still stan. about the history of Icelandic fisher- All” ethos. At this special exhibi- Exhibitions: • Runs until December 31st, 2020 ies from row boats to monstrous tion, come challenge the prevail- trawlers. ing bourgeois ideas of taste and 100% Wool Opening 19th of September EINAR JÓNSSON MUSEUM Melckmeyt 1659 decorum while empowering gays

Permanent Exhibition Melckmeyt was a Dutch merchant and other minority groups. What Bird Artist in Residence The museum contains close to ship that crashed near Flatey Island else could you want? Opening 17th of September 300 artworks including a beautiful in 1659. Explore the wreck here. • Runs until January 3rd, 2021 garden with 26 bronze casts of the with two images of di"erent origins artist’s sculptures. against each other. REYKJAVÍK ART MUSEUM % KJARVALSSTAÐIR REYKJAVÍK CITY MUSEUM MUSEUM OF DESIGN AND APPLIED ART Jóhannes S. Kjarval: At Home Settlement Exhibition Bird Artist In Residence Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (1885- As Viking ruins meet digital technol- Well, really all the info here is in the 1972) was one of the pioneers of Find today's events in Iceland! Download our free listings app - APPENING on the Apple and Film Android stores

THE SWEETEST CENTURY Since opening our bakery in 1920, we have constantly pushed the boundaries of traditional Icelandic baking methods. Find us in Now that's what I call Blue Steel™ the heart of Reykjavík serving piping hot, fresh pastries made from scratch, every unveils what most of the world has morning from seven-thirty AM. somehow missed, which is that Danish people are an absolutely Iceland On The insufferable bunch of pompous Not a sweet tooth? That’s OK. Come by for a savory brunch or taste one of our homemade softies that speak the most hideous language in the world. But, sodas or craft beers. World’s Bi!!est you know, imperialists, right? With his observations, Ari unveils the characteristic funny-but- extremely-petty national soul of Comedy Sta!e Icelanders, which is usually lost in Pardon our editor-in-chief’s take on Ari Eldjárn’s most of the cutesy international first Netflix stand-up special media attention the country gets. Words: Valur Grettisson Photo: Hörður Sveinsson We could be imperialists too I’m just going to say it and I know comedy—rather than going for But to be critical, Ari’s stand-up is that this might result in the stand- niche Icelandic political jabs or not perfect. In the middle of the up community in Iceland (and Monty Python-inspired rabble—is one-hour long special, he does maybe one eccentric historian) more about Scandinavian stereo- seem to lose track for a moment disowning me—and maybe I de- types in general. He made head- though he does later regain his serve that—but here goes: Icelan- lines as the first Icelandic comedi- vigour. The part about how Dan- dic stand-up has been a goddamn an to get his own Netflix stand-up ish people make up strange jokes tragedy throughout the years. But special, and while cynical read- about Iceland is perhaps too niche don’t despair, there is one man ers might say everyone and their for an international crowd. And working hard to get us on the grandmothers get Netflix stand- nobody in Iceland cares about world map. This is, of course, Ari up specials nowadays, we want Himmelbjerget anymore. That Eldjárn, who just premiered his to state that Iceland does have a mountain is more of a tragedy first Netflix special, ‘Pardon My population than a joke. Icelandic.’ of 360,000 B u t o v e r a l l , people, so “Danish people are Ari’s show reminds one of them us that he is truly Iceland comedy history get t i n g a an absolutely insuf- the comedy king in 30 seconds special is ferable bunch of of Iceland and he Stand-up comedy in Iceland has l i k e 4 0 0 sails his first spe- more or less been an odd slap- Netflix- pompous softies cial pretty safely to stick situation throughout the specials per harbour. A little too years from Ómar Ragnarsson, capita com- who speak the most safely, actually, and who just danced while reciting pared to the hideous language in that could be a criti- rhymes like he was strung out on U.K. Now it cism in itself, but amphetamines, to Spaugstofan, seems pret- the world.” who can blame him who made tacky political jokes ty big right? - Editor-in-Chief of for playing it safe on that were more like a series of dad So let’s the biggest stage in jokes than commentary, to the talk about the RVK Grapevine the world? boozy Radíus bræður, who gave us ‘ P a r d o n He does give intellectual humour under heavy My Icelandic’. Ari’s warm and one hope that comedy in Iceland influence from Monty Python and friendly comedy translates pretty does not only have a bright future, booze, to finally Fóstbræður, the well to the worldwide screen. His but that it could actually conquer surreal comedy group lead by our humour, which in this special the world! Which is also a weird EST. 1920 former mayor, Jón Gnarr, that was revolves around Scandinavian quirk in Icelanders; we are the also under the heavy influence of quirks, brilliantly nails Iceland’s world’s smallest imperialist-wan- Monty Python. Scandi neighbours, like the robot- nabes. You can run with that in ic emotionlessness of the Finns your next show, Ari. and the unbearable tone shift at Imperialists… am I the end of every sentence in Nor- right? wegian. Laugavegur 36, 101 Reykjavík www.sandholt.is But Ari Eldjárn is different. His Most importantly though, he The Reykjavík Grapevine 23 Issue 10— 2020

that we are not building inventory, we are making the garments as [orders] come in,” Áslaug reiterates. “I “We’re not just say- realise that for that to be a feasible business model, you have to be able to ing it’s sustainable. do it really fast, so we partnered with We really want to factories in the US that can do that in a two to three day turnaround… and show you why.” we have tracking numbers on all the items. ” She promptly points to a patch on the sleeve of her sweatshirt. It has a QR code, and above that, an embroi- dered number that says KF001. “You can go and type that on the site and see the history of the garment. Like where did the garment come from? Who manufactured it? What are the environmental certifications tied to the fabric?” She says, smiling. It’s clear that now we’ve come to a fac- et of Katla that Áslaug is particularly proud of—a personal flair that distin- guishes Katla from the pack. But perhaps what most distinguish- es Katla from the rest of the sustainability-driven brands is their resale- recycling program. “We tell customers ‘please don’t throw the garment away if you decide not to use it, send it back to us, we will pay for your shipping, and we will give you a 20% credit for the original purchase price towards your next purchase’ So that’s an incentive to send it back. And then, if it’s in good enough condition, we resell it,” she explains. “Then, you can see in your tracking number the digital passport of this garment. We don’t use people’s Áslaug Magnúsdóttir and two of her most patient models names, [but it shows] the first buyer was in Reykjavík then it went to New York.” “It provides another level of transparency,” she continues. “We’re not just saying it’s sustainable. We really Take Action want to show you why.” Áslau! Ma!núsdóttir’s Katla brin!s sustainability to the forefront of fashion Áfram með smjörið! Áslaug’s growing interest in sustainability over the years has also mirrored Info Áslaug Magnúsdóttir wears a lot of ing entirely and comprehensively sus- well: If you have to put a big percent- an internal interest to reconnect with hats. When she talks, she’ll transform tainable. “When I started this, people age of your fashion on sale, clearly you her country, which she’s also sought to Check out Katla at from a shrewd businesswoman to a said to me, ‘Try to focus on just doing were overproducing.” showcase in Katla’s designs. katla.com and on staunch activist to a forward-think- one part of sustainability really well,’ The focus on seasons and trends, “I had been working in New York Instagram at ing consultant to a good old fashioned like focus on environmentally-friendly she continues, also contributes to and London, in big cities, and barely @katlaforce fashion-devotée—often mid-sentence. fabric or ethical labour practices or this. “We—[the industry]—have said ever going out into nature, ” Áslaug A veteran of the fashion world animal-cruelty free. But for me, that that a fashion item loses its relevance says. “Then I started a few years ago known for co-founding Moda Ope- didn’t really ring true,” she says. “I after five to six months and then it’s coming back [to Iceland] for longer randi, the luxury direct-to-consumer felt like if I’m creating something new discounted and no longer relevant and periods and reconnecting with na- Words: webstore that more or less changed from scratch, I may as well try to do it has to be taken out of the store.” She ture … and I realised—wow, this was Hannah Jane the game for high-end retailers, as as well as I can from a sustainability pauses. “That’s a message that needs an important part of my life as a child Cohen well as her early work at Gilt, another standpoint.” to change. And more and more people and I lost touch with it. I found that it game-changing webstore that brought Because the fashion industry, she are rethinking that.” grounds me. It makes me stronger to Photo: luxury flash-sales to the online world, explains, is a large culprit in global be in nature. So I kind of rediscovered Art Bicnick you can’t help but desperately want to pollution—and one that is often ig- Iceland in a way.” know Áslaug’s next move. She has a nored by the general population. “The An ethos of transparency She brought his newfound enthu- finger firmly on the pulse of fashion. fashion industry is the second most No doubt, Áslaug is one of them. From siasm to her work in Katla. “Iceland is If there’s anyone who can predict the water-polluting industry in the world Katla’s inception, Áslaug has ensured one of the countries at the forefront of next wave, it’s Áslaug. and responsible for 10% of all carbon that every step—from designs to con- sustainability in terms of our energy Today, she’s wearing a sweatshirt emissions—worse than airlines and sumer life—has a foundation in sus- consumption. People are very aware from her new brand Katla, which de- ships combined,” she says, a note of in- tainability. and have this love for nature here. So buted earlier this year with a mixture credulity in her voice. You can tell the For design, Áslaug decided to forgo I thought it’s a good time [for Katla] of everything from cosy separates to statistics bother her, no matter how temporary trends and instead focus and there’s nowhere in the world you gorgeous flowing sundresses. The many times she’s shared them. on pieces that would stand the test can get more beautiful photographs!” print is a play on the traditional Icelan- One of the largest contributors to of time. Sustainability did not have She bursts out laughing. “This is where dic butter logo; the word smjör being fashion’s enormous environmental to become a liability; in fact, it was I’m from! It’s time to embrace it. When replaced by Katla. On the back reads impact is that overproduction has be- easily compatible with this ethos. “I I was young I was trying to get out of ‘Áfram með smjörið”—an old Icelandic come accepted as a necessary and in- wanted to create something that was Iceland and now I’ve finally learned to saying that translates to “On with the tegral part of profitability. “[For your beautiful, that I wanted to wear, that’s love it in another way and bring that to butter.” average brand], every season there is fashion, but at the same time has this the world.” “I interpret it as ‘Take action! Or a 30-40% overproduction of clothing. timeless element and has quality. It And perhaps, there’s nothing that ‘Move!’” Áslaug explains, sitting back That’s because of the system we’ve lasts, and you can wear it again and better represents this journey—both at her kitchen table, a cup of coffee in created around how you sell fashion. again,” she explains. “We’re not mak- external and internal—than the butter her hand. And perhaps, there could be Manufacturing is typically happening ing gowns that you’re going to wear sweatshirt. It’s an iconically Icelandic no better catchphrase for the brand. months in advance of a season, often just once. It’s things you’ll keep in your reference and one that has strong as- far away and without acknowledge- wardrobe for a long time.” sociations for Áslaug. ment of what the end consumer is In production, Katla is careful to “This was in my home. We had Taking responsibility going to buy. So brands kind of take a use environmentally-friendly fabrics this in our fridge everyday,” she says. “I wanted to try to create a brand that bet—they don’t want to have too little or completely animal cruelty-free tex- “The sentence ‘Áfram með smjörið’—I was as holistically sustainable as so they end up always having too much tilesas a rule, rather than the excep- thought, oh my god, yes, that’s hysteri- possible,” Áslaug says on the origins of certain things,” Áslaug says. “A lot tion. As for manufacturing, the brand cal! It’s so Icelandic and it’s so relevant of Katla. “As I looked at the industry, of it gets thrown out. There’s unfortu- has opted out of the aforementioned for what we’re doing.” She smiles. there are many people trying to do nately a lot of inventory that is burned overproduction model, instead fa- “Take action! Move!” beautiful sustainable brands, but it’s every season. Things do get put on sale vouring a mixture of on-demand and such a small part of the landscape.” and there are outlet stores, but there’s small-batch manufacturing. And there were even fewer brands, still a significant amount that gets left “We try to move as much as pos- Áslaug noted, that were focused on be- over and that’s a lost opportunity as sible to on-demand, which means The Reykjavík Grapevine 24 Music Issue 10— 2020

ICELANDIC SEAFOOD makes world’s best sushi

Rex Pistols, disarmed

who does not believe in the after- life. I imagined this place in my ‘What Love Is’ dreams as well, and it looked like a cross between the ivory tower By Rex Pistols in The NeverEnding Story and the moon kingdom of Sailor Moon. Lu!osi, don’t be afraid of this art The best of Icelandic produce Laws of Passion with a nod to Japan and South Words: Hannah Jane Cohen Photos: Art Bicnick My unbridled urgent desire to America. Modern Icelandic Track By Track Don’t Be Afraid of my Heart devour another body, my raven- ous sexual hunger that requires flavours, share plates and award Stream 'What Love Is’ on all A call to my friend and lover who immediate release. We were two platforms. Cassette version on could not let themselves catch up months into lockdown and I was winning cocktails. myrkfaelni.bandcamp.com to my love in time. It was a rela- horny as fuck. tionship where there was love, but just different kinds. Not unrequit- Cosmic Intimacy ed, just out of sync. The purity of my connections with SOCIALIZE Water Dance my friends that no time or space can come between us, where we WITH THE Abandoning myself to my deep- converge mentally in perfect sync, est fears and desires in a dark, where we meet each other with no LOCALS cavernous watery canyon. I wrote judgement, just unconditional love this song in my head, humming to and acceptance. myself while floating alone in the hot tub at my old gym, which was Glittering Moon in a super dark grey room. Goth isn’t dead, people. It’s alive and An ode to the truest love in my life, thriving in downtown Reykjavík in Pray For Love my best friend in the universe, who the form of Rex Pistols, who recently is always with me no matter where dropped ‘What Love Is,’ a soundtrack My complete frustration of repeat- we are. The title of the album also for the lace-gown-wearing introspec- ed unrequited romance, deceit and is derived from the name of a video tive romantic heroines of the world. disappointment. I have had only art piece we made together based To satiate our synthcore goth needs, a small handful of romantic rela- on one of the funniest moments we sat down with Rex herself to go tionships, but mostly a series of we’ve ever had together. through the album track by track. doomed love affairs, and this was ‘What Love Is’ is an explora- me being fed up with it. White Gold tion of love in all its forms and how it has shaped my inner emo- Draumur A farewell to someone beloved, tional world, my psyche and how in the moment when they began I navigate life. Ultimately, it’s an The loves I meet in my most re- to leave their body. The entire al- album of love songs, but mostly alistic dreams that disappear the bum started from this song, which not centred around romance. The moment I wake. I’m a very active came to me the night I learned that album was conceptualised, writ- dreamer. I meet everyone I know my grandmother was dying. If the ten and recorded over the course of in my dreams and they feel so real. album is a package, this is the rib- months—partly before lockdown, It can make waking life very con- bon around it. Our kitchen is open partly during—where love was all fusing, especially when it comes to 17.00–23.00 sun.–thu. I could think of. I found it and I lost the way I feel about people. Don’t Be Afraid… Reprise: 17.00–24.00 fri.–sat. it over and over, while my deep- est friendships prevailed as the Lunar Palace Just a reminder: believe that our Sushi Social most important love relationships love won’t tear us apart.. Þingholtsstræti 5 • 101 Reykjavík I have. An orbiting fantasy world for one Tel. 568 6600 • sushisocial.is The Reykjavík Grapevine 25 Issue 10—2020

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Brian and a drawing of a cat (le!) The Father Of Icelandic Christmas ing stories, painting landscapes In fact, Brian sees his Yule Cat Brian Pilkin!ton brin!s the Yule Lads to life and creating wonderful folkloric illustration as a kind of self-por- Words: Iona Rangeley-Wilson Photo: Art Bicnick illustrations—and particularly trait. “Because I’m grumpy and vi- spectacular holiday images. Brian cious, too,” he jokes, “and he’s got has written countless books about a beard and moustache and goatee Books old Icelandic book–something as come to define the appearance of Icelandic Christmas. Amongst his like mine. So we’re basically the old and ancient as the tale of the these age-old characters. Trolls, best-known are ‘The 13 Yule Lads same persona.” Pick up Brian Pilkington’s Christmas Yule Lads themselves. But while giants, elves, the Yule Lads and the of Iceland’ and ‘The Yule Cat–A If you look closely at the front books at the Grapevine store at the troublemaking brothers are Yule Cat: though steeped in his- Seasonal Makeover’. Whilst the cover of ‘The Yule Cat–A Seasonal shop.grapevine.is rooted in Icelandic history, the tory, they have been renewed and earliest mention of the Yule Lads Makeover,’ you’ll see Brian’s re- Yule Lads have a much more re- redefined by Brian’s books. can be traced back to the seven- flection in the red bauble hang- When you ask a child in Iceland cent co-parent: a Brit from Liver- Brian first came to Iceland in teenth century ‘Poem of Grýla,’ the ing from the Yule Cat’s neck: be- what the Yule Lads look like, you pool named Brian Pilkington. It the 70s. Now, he spends his days in pictures Icelandic children associ- spectacled, holding a paintbrush, might expect them to show you an is Brian’s illustrations that have his studio in Skerjafjörður, writ- ate with these characters today are glinting in line with the Yule Cat’s entirely Brian’s invention. disgruntled frown. There’s something oddly relatable about the mischievous nature of Iceland’s A Christmas calling Christmas characters, then. It’s Brian was first attracted to Ice- not a tradition that aspires to per- landic Christmas stories as a kind fect sweetness: the wry darkness of artistic calling. “When I first is appealing. came to Iceland I was obviously very aware of what was going on at Christmas time and I realised Nostalgia & reinvention no one else was doing anything Of course, writing for children is ICELANDIC GASTROPUB with these characters anymore,” an inherently nostalgic act that he explains, sitting amongst his fits well with the nostalgia of folk- piles of books and paintbrushes. lore—that’s another reason why "So I figured somebody had to sit these “ready-formed characters” down and start doing drawings are so charming to someone like and write books about them. And Brian. He turns back to childhood if no one else was doing it, then it and to old, traditional children’s fell to me.” stories simultaneously. Then he The Yule Lads aren’t as friendly readjusts and reinvents them: as more international Christmas making the Yule Lads and the Yule characters like Santa Claus. Whilst Cat new was an excavation as well Santa leaves presents in childrens’ as an invention. Jóhannes úr Köt- stockings, the Yule Lads harass lum’s 1932 poetry book ‘Jólin Koma’ and steal: they peep through win- established the thirteen canoni- dows, lick spoons, bowls and pots, cal Yule Lads as we know them to- slam doors and steal skyr and sau- day, but they had lain untouched sages. Their mother, Grýla, likes since then. Jóhannes’s book had eating naughty children, whilst tiny, black and white illustra- the Yule Cat’s child-based tastes tions—lovely in their own right, fall on those who have not been but nothing close to the colour and gifted any new clothes. The char- liveliness of Brian’s pictures. acters are more comparable with “There was a big element of Dickens’s Scrooge than any jolly, having to create these people for laughing Father Christmas. For the first time,” says Brian, and he the same reason, Brian emphasis- made sure he perfected them. “I es, they’re also more interesting to applied myself to doing loads and draw. loads of drawings of cats to find one I was comfortable with. I re- assessed him and gave him more Appealingly imperfect colour, lightened him up and made “They’re not quite as nice as Fa- him more of a tabby cat.” ther Christmas, but they’re not Brain Pilkington projected hideously awful at the same time,” these characters back into the pub- explains Brian. “They’re more fun lic eye, turning the pencil sketches to draw than a jolly Santa. Scowl- of ancient poems in the lively, co- ing expressions, tatty old clothes.” lourful, characterful illustrations Brian doesn’t like anything “too that Icelandic children know and KR. KR. sweet and saccharine” and finds love today. !"# !"# these Icelandic characters more enjoyable precisely because they’re imperfect and therefore realistic. SÆTA SVÍNIÐ / Hafnarstræti 1-3 / Tel. 555 2900 / saetasvinid.is The Reykjavík Grapevine 27 Lifestyle Issue 10— 2020

FANCIES is where we talk to Reykjavík's most fashion-forward figures about style

Dóra Júlía Agnarsdóttir (28), a.k.a. DJ Dóra Júlía, is DJ Dóra a DJ, radio host and art history master’s student. Wearing: • Outfit and scarf by Hildur Yeoman • Bag from flea market in London Júlía • Shoes by Melissa • Jewellery by Gucci, Vanessa Mooney and Hen- Words: drikka Waage Hannah Jane Cohen Describe your style in 5 words: First off, coordinates. I love everything match-y. Photo: Then, comfy—I am not going to wear something Art Bicnick that doesn’t make me feel good. But also, I’m always a little glamourous. Last, I’m a bag-lover and a jewellery-lover. I started doing fashion interviews like this when I was 16-17 and my answer about my style is still the same: I wear what I want when I want! Sometimes I wake up and want to wear a pink dress so I wear a pink dress! Even if it’s just a Monday morning at home.

Favourite stores in Reykjavík: If I got this question a few years ago, I would have said that I usually only shop when I go abroad, which isn’t really mindful. But now I really appreciate the Icelan- dic fashion scene. It’s been coming out strong. I love Hil- dur Yeoman; she’s a creative genius! I also love pop-up shops like Sif Benedicta’s right now. You have to keep your eyes open. I haven’t been shopping a whole lot this year but I definitely appreciate Icelandic CHRISTMAS fashion more than ever. You have so many talented women here. I AFTERNOON love Yeoman, Katlaforce, Sif Bene- dicta, Hendrikka Waage, and TEA others. I also love—it’s not a clothing store—but Nomad On EVERY DAY 14:30–17:00 Laugavegur. My favourite item of this year was a cosy candle Blueberry scones from there. They also have amaz- Whipped Icelandic butter and two types of jam ing books. Confit duck on Icelandic flatbread Duck confit rillet, caramelized apples, Favourite piece: Malt sauce, orange sauce This Yeoman set is one of my fa- Arctic charr & blini Chickpea flatbread, lighly cured arctic charr, horseradish vourites because I bought it this sauce, roe, crispy lentils, yuzu elderflower dressing summer when I had a lot of DJ Beef carpaccio on crisp bread gigs lined up so it was a symbol Truffle and mushroom duxelle, parmesan chips of hope for me that I’d be able to Christmas sandwich work. I love all my clothes though. Glazed ham, carrot and green bean mayo I try to be really mindful when I’m shopping that it’s going to be SWEET something I can use and hope- Skyr Eton Mess cheesecake White chocolate “skyr” mousse, meringue, fully next generations can too. raspberries, raspberry sauce Þristur chocolate cake Something I would never wear: Icelandic liquorice chocolate Þristur, chocolate, I don’t think so. I’d never say vanilla ice cream and whipped cream never! Cup cakes Red Velvet Lusting after: Chocolate fudge A bright orange coat from Sarah Bernhardt cookies Saks Potts. It’s been on my Macarons wish list for a couple of years and I’m hoping to buy Afternoon Tea 3.990 kr. per person it for myself one day! But With a glass of Prosecco 4.890 kr. per person right now, I’m kind of just With a glass of Möet Champagne 5.890 kr. per person lusting after a vaccine.

fjallkonan.rvk fjallkonan Hafnarstræti 1–3 > Tel. +354 555 0950 > fjallkona.is 15% DISCOUNT 15% discount of total bill, every day IF you bring this ticket Food

SALKA VALKA FISH & MORE Here's to a vaccine! Steamed Fresh Fish, Traditional Icelandic Fish ‘Stew’, Fish & Vegan Soups, Smoked Salmon & Vegan Toppings on Sourdough Bread, Beer, Wine, Coffee & more SkólavörDustígur 23 • 101 reykjavík A Christmas To Remember A pandemic is no dampener on festive spirits

Words: Shruthi Basappa Photos: Art Bicnick

Christmas Dining ing the night away. While this does with a thimble of cabbage kimchi, rob the joy of the traditional guess- spicy and funky, or laced with in- Various restaurants who-kissed-who-they-shouldn’t- tervals of turmeric hued pickled have games, virtual beer tastings daikon. The hotteok are made to In stark contrast to the decadent and cook-alongs are something we order and arrive piping hot, with a jólahlaðborð extravaganza of the could all get behind. brown sugar sauce ladled over the pre-Covid years (think 10-course In keeping with the Grapevine pan-cooked stuffed bread. Makake menus spanning quail to langous- tradition of handpicking a selection sneaks a bit of gochugaru into their tine, wines and spirits to match that reflects various sensibilities, stuffing, their surprise heat a nice and languorous evenings stretch- this year, we sought out four res- foil to the miso in that sugar sauce. ing late into the night), this year’s taurants that have been pushing the Service is warm and attentive, the pandemic-tinged festivities are a envelope in the pandemic, making format ideal for a pandemic treat, tad sober in spirit. Nonetheless, quick-footed changes, following ev- where fewer people, small dishes festivals stir up a passion for the er-changing protocols and restric- and a long afternoon all serve as a pastoral even in the most Scrooge- tions with none of the limitations reminder that good dining experi- like hearts. In a year to forget, it is dampening that Christmas spirit. ences are still to be had. hardly a surprise that we strive for a Christmas to remember. The Non-Traditional One The Traditional One The Christmas Buffet 101 Where: Makake Where: Grand Brasserie

A steadfast tradition in Iceland, the A Korean inspired all-you-can-eat At the Grand Brasserie, chef Úlfar Christmas buffet is no stranger to brunch, this is perfect for those Finnbjörnsson has crafted a smart, change, evolving from a traditional craving a ticket to lands afar. The perfect for at-home decadence with buffet, to its fine dining format in menu is extensive and the kitchen his Christmas platter. This is old- recent years. Where staff were once handily suggests ordering 2-3 dish- school, Icelandic festive food done ferried on private boats to Viðey for es at a time, allowing you to pace well, tugging at all the right strings. their annual festive feast, Covid yourself between the tteokbokki The anise-crusted salmon subtly Christmas is a staid but not tame and the japchae. The latter are evokes liquorice, the dung smoked affair. sweet potato noodles stir fried with version is delicate and, paired with Conversations with friends and generous slivers of fresh ginger and the laufabrauð, makes for a snappy family quickly reveal that the the former are chewy rice cakes that bite. The reindeer terrine is stud- jólahlaðborð has indeed adapt- are all bite and a textural treat. The ded with pistachios and the goose ed—think at-home dinner kits by time in-between dishes is perfect liver pate is velvety smooth. These in-house chefs or restaurants ca- for grazing over the banchan, an es- are high quality ingredients treated Laugavegi 28 tering to a new normal with spiffy sential part of any Korean meal; the with respect and the elegant mor- take-away menus and shorter set mayak eggs are particularly good. sels are an ideal precursor to your 537 99 00 courses for on-site dining, custom Soft boiled eggs are marinated Christmas feast. Orders are on a [email protected] goodie boxes and the virtual online overnight in a sweet rice syrup, soy 48-hour notice, so hurry up while sumac.is party replete with entertainment sauce, garlic and other seasonings, you can. by local celebrities in lieu of danc- perfect to top over steamed rice, The Reykjavík Grapevine 29 Food Food Issue 06— 2020

Fiskmarkaðurinn's treats

Skál's take on X-mas REYKJAVIK EST. 2012 Traditional, Yet flavours. The hangikjöt is doubly Special mention has to be made of Contemporary smoked, ribboned with fat and is the staff, who weren’t just attentive mellowed momentarily by the mus- but followed safety protocols to the Where: Skál! cat creme. The winner-repeater T. With a focus on wild caught pro- however is the sild. The underrat- duce, this year’s menu stays true to FRENCH ONION SOUP Chef Gísli Matthías Auðunsson is ed herring comes into its own at the restaurant’s love affair with fla- Icelandic Ísbúi cheese, croûtons known for taking the deeply Ice- Christmas, and here it is reminis- vours of the East. Devoid of farmed 2.490 kr. landic and making it oh-so-of-the- cent of the Russian ‘herring in a fur salmon’s pronounced fattiness, the moment. And he does it yet again blanket’ except, lighter, fresher and wild salmon is lightly cured, lightly MOULES MARINIÈRES with this year’s take-away menu. almost spring-like. Pink with beets, charred. There is wild duck served steamed mussels from Breiðafjörður A small yet satisfying affair, the brightened with fresh horseradish two-ways and roast deer with trim- 2.600 kr. starters are really the stars here (a and sourcream and peppered with mings. But the highlight of the warm, cardamom scented braised cress, this is a dish we came away evening remains the wine service. FISH OF THE DAY pork cheek with barley is perfectly wanting to recreate. The festive menu can be paired with chef´s special lovely too). The laufabrauð is a tra- maverick South African winemak- 3.990 kr. ditional recipe, culled from a sous- A Little Kiss From Asia er, Pieter H. Walser’s Blankbottle Lunch offer from 11:30 - 14:00 1.990 kr. chef’s grandmother. This one is Winery—none of the bottles men- chock full of cumin, the best kind if Where: Fiskmarkaðurinn tion the varietals or blends except you ask us. Wispy layers of manda- for the vintage. A fitting pairing for rin-hued cured salmon are draped While we are firm fans of the Grill- the year this has been. over chunky batons of horseradish- market X-mas menu, we decided to dressed rutabaga, the raw on raw shine light on its sister Fishmar- ÓÐINSTORG | 101 | REYKJAVÍK | ÍSLAND is a contradiction of textures and ket, who more than holds her own. SNAPSBISTRO.IS | +354 5116677 30 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10— 2020

WELL, YOU ASKED HORROR!SCOPES you ARE Cameron Diaz in The treats and reconnect with child- Holiday. And despite what those hood flames. This year is no dif- bitchy Hollywood bigwigs say, ferent, except your alcohol toler- you WOULD kiss Jude Law. ance is off-the-roof, you’ve eaten way too many sweets to care and Bin!ein! Every your childhood flame is current- Vanessa Hud!ens ly in quarantine. Blast. Virgo The stars have something very Christmas Movie Ever special in mind for you, Virgo. They wouldn’t tell us what, but Capricorn Words: Two S"gitt"rii & An Aries we’re pretty sure it involves buy- Realising that you’ve already put ing a one-way ticket to a generic a lot of energy into organising Christmas festivities—you even All hail “The Knight Before Christ- on repeat since Halloween in an yet quaint European country How 2 B with a monarchical system and got your lights up before your mas.” We are not worthy. attempt to uphold your witchy neighbours!—treat yourself by aesthetic). somehow getting in the way of a certain prince or princess. Get getting plastered at the family Cool N Hot dinner and calling out your racist ready for your emotional barriers Questions & Answers: Megan Massey to be broken down and to learn relatives. In front of their kids. Aries something poignant about the Got a burning question? In desperate need Aries, we respect the hustle Gemini true meaning of Christmas. Be- you’ve put into perfecting “Into cause you’re worth it. of advice? We at the Grapevine are here You’re not special for not liking The Unknown” for your annual to help. Christmas, Gemini. You’ve an- Aquarius family Christmas karaoke. Un- nounced this every year to seem It’s that time of year again: time fortunately, due to a bad run-in edgy and every year no one has to remind everyone, both in per- with 40 years of smoking, your cared. Unlike Emma Roberts in son and across social media plat- grandma has been deemed high- Libra Holidate, no one is going to fall forms, that Christmas actually How old is too old to be sleeping with risk and karaoke is cancelled. But The best way to get in touch with in love with you because of your has pagan roots and is derived a stuffed animal? don’t panic Aries, there’s just no your inner Grýla is to blast Ari- pick-me girl Grinch vibes. from the Roman holiday of Sat- If you can read this you’re too old. way you could ever belt it out like ana Grande’s “Greedy”. urnalia. We assure you, people Idina and rock that riff like Au- are very grateful for this remind- rora. Pathetic. er and do not at all roll their eyes every single year when you bring Boys like me so much they don’t want Cancer this up. to date me. What should I do? Hanukkah HELP!: What can you, Scorpio a shiksa goddess, do to turn from Scorpio, just because you can sell Baby, I hate to say it, but it’s time for Taurus some tough love. There are two possible a Macca-don’t to the star of all your hometown to a mall devel- I bet a quasi-pagan like you is eight nights? It’s easy, just use oper doesn’t mean you should. explanations for what’s going on here. awaiting Yuletide whilst lament- your Goy-YUM charm to marry a Get ready to be visited by Ghosts Either you’re so hot that boys don’t ing Christmas consumerism, but Pisces nice Jewish boy like Joseph Gor- of Christmas Past, Present and Too scared to tell your fam- wanna date you because they’re only maybe it’s time to admit that if don-Levitt or Seth Cohen. Mazel Future. It’s about time we saw interested in marrying you (in which you can’t beat them, you might ily that you stopped celebrating Tov and welcome to the family. some character development. Christmas years ago, you will case, my advice is to just choose a hottie as well join them. You secretly *squeezes cheeks* once again buy a round of gifts and lock him down). love 'The Polar Express' and you for your relatives, send thank- However I highly, highly doubt this know what? That’s okay. The you cards and dutifully report for is the case. It’s more likely that you’re hot chocolate scene is pretty lit, Sagittarius family dinner in the most hid- just a little bit…average. To combat and if you’re honest with yourself you’d rather watch that than For a born and bred Sagittarius eous Christmas sweater you can this, you should try to make yourself Leo 'The Nightmare Before Christ- like yourself, the holidays are find. You can always tell them more attractive and interesting. I could Yes Leo, you were right. Despite mas' (which you’ve been playing merely an excuse to drink, eat next year, right? tutor you on how to be hotter but the what your bitchy roommate says, classes are pretty pricey and I can just tell from the way you typed your question that you deffo can’t afford it. I can also tell that becoming more attractive is going to be a difficult feat, so maybe just focus on becoming more interesting. You can do this by picking up an intimidating-yet-sexy hobby like archery. Honestly, I don’t have much advice for you because I’m actually very pretty and also a model so I’ve never experienced this myself.

If I stay in the bath for long enough will I dissolve into a broth? It depends. If you’re a snacccccc then hell yeah—come on in, the water’s fine! If not, then you’ll turn into a weird smelly mess and probably also get sucked down the drain. Sorry to be the one to break it to you. Stay Strong.

For advice, send your quandaries to CITY SHOT by Art Bicnick [email protected] Finally! Trees in Reykjavík!

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Ice Flow, Nowhere To Go Explorin! the ice caves of the Vatnajökull !lacier

Words: Iona Rangeley-Wilson Photos: Art Bicnick

“Are you underwater!?” my mum’s resident photographer Art sought to Whatsapp pings through on the last fix when he drove us interns 400km wisp of 3G available in the Sapphire east to the Vatnajökull glacier. He Ice Cave. spared no horses, fuelled by the bare I’m not—but she’s right, I could be. essentials of Route 1 travel: black cof- Carved into dimples by the wind, the fee and sheer, steely determination. Travel distance intensely blue ceiling looks more like Plus a mild to moderate amount of from Reykjavík: the ripples of a lake than any form of Taylor Swift playing on the bluetooth 380 km, Route 1 ice I’ve ever known or seen before. Jess, speaker, intermittently drowned out Art and Tinna, our guide from tour by the sound of studded tyres skidding Tour provider: company Local Guide of Vatnajökull, through the snow. To be fair, he said he localguide.is have all disappeared around the cor- didn’t mind. ner. I hold back, unwilling to dip my Now I am, for all intents and pur- One ring to cool them all... Accomodation: not-particularly-waterproof shoes into poses, alone in an ice cave. It’s probably fosshotel.is the glacial stream that twists into nar- not where I expected to be on a Satur- but it has changed shape since last glacier lagoon. Jess and I sit in the back row tunnels somewhere beyond them. day afternoon in November. A hole in year, shifting one hundred metres or eating Haribo Peaches and wonder Car provided by: the ceiling surrounded by icicles lets so further back into the glacier. aloud whether we think the hotel will gocarrental.is Race from Reykjavík the outside light through like a chan- Eventually the torchlights return have cocktails. By the time we reach delier, the walls are glowing a deep and Jess and Tinna reappear. They are Art’s rental car it has started snowing. Sitting in the Grapevine offices just blue, and the wind which made it dif- shortly followed by Art, who frantically The wind blows the flakes towards the over a week ago, wrapped in a blanket ficult to walk down by Jökulsárlón has asks me to shine my torch against the windscreen and in the headlights they and gazing passive-aggressively at the disappeared completely. There is only ice to help him get a photo, then puts look like fireworks. Support the Grapevine! View this QR code in your broken radiator in the corner, I asked silence, and the faint trickle of water. his foot in a stream of glacial meltwa- The hotel, thank goodness, had phone camera to visit myself the question any sane intern ter. For some reason, all I can think of cocktails—and more importantly a our tour booking site would eventually ask themselves: I may Gals on tour is The Tundra Rap from The Mighty two for one happy hour deal on prosec- have spent two and a half months in Boosh: Ice flow, nowhere to go, Lost in co (It was Jess’s birthday). With a glass Iceland, but have I really seen enough These caves, Tinna explained, change the blinding whiteness of the tundra... in each hand, we headed to our hotel ice? And without a visit to the ice caves every year, formed by the meltwater The sun has almost disappeared room, put on our hotel-issue dressing of the Vatnajökull National Park, the canals that run off the glacier in the when we return to Local Guide’s gigan- gowns and had both passed out from answer would of course have been no. summer. This is the second year the tic Ford—they call her Kata—us thud- ice-cave-prosecco induced exhaustion This was the existential gripe our Sapphire Ice Cave has been accessible, ding back over the rocks towards the by 10 p.m.

A cold day at the o!ce for Jess & Iona Issue 10 × 2020 Dec 18th — Jan 14th www.grapevine.is

LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND

DON’T QUOTE ME ON THAT GIVE THE GIFT OF

“I wear what I want when I want!” The legend, the DJ and the colour bomb of life itself, Dóra Júlía, describing her own style. Page 41 WOW “I have had only a small handful of romantic rela- NEW RIDES COMING IN 2021 tionships, but mostly a series of doomed love affairs, and this was me being fed up with it.” The goth-queen of Iceland, Rex Pistols, about her new album, ‘What Love Is.’ Page 40

“Sex. No, not really, just decided to throw that out there to get your attention.” Roald Eyvindarson describes his perfect day FlyOverIceland.is with a healthy dose of clickbait. Page 25

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