The Year the Prince Popped

Issue 1 × 2015 January 9 - February 5

YOUR FREE COPY THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND

The Year The Prince Popped

IN THE ISSUE

THE DARKNESS How to defeat it DISCOURSE We fan the flames of Prins Póló made THE SONG OF THE YEAR. FOOD And Prins Póló is THE BAND OF THE YEAR. WTF is “The Lizard” ? All hail the Prince! TRAVEL Meet the tourist of the year WEATHER The year in

THE GRAPEVINE MUSIC AWARDS

Get the FREE Grapevine apps Appy Hour and Craving Available on the App store and on Android Market. The Reykjavík Grapevine The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 1 — 2015 2 Issue 1 — 2015

2Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík www.grapevine.is [email protected] Editorial-in-chief | Haukur S. Magnússon

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Editor In Chief: Haukur S Magnússon / [email protected] Editor: RELEVANT NOW Anna Andersen / [email protected] Journalist: John Rogers / [email protected] TRACK Journalist & Listings editor I ask myself Gabríel Benjamin / [email protected] Editorial: Is all hope lost? +354 540 3600 / [email protected] Is there only pain and hatred, and misery? Advertising: OF THE +354 540 3605 / [email protected] +354 40 3610 Publisher: And each time I feel like this inside, Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / [email protected] There's one thing I wanna know: +354 540 3601 / [email protected] YEAR! What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Contributing Writers: Ohhhh Ásgeir H. Ingólfsson Prins Póló Ásmundur Ásmundsson What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Atli Bollason París Norðursins Catherine Fulton And as I walked on Davíð Roach Download it at www.grapevine.is Elín Traustadóttir Through troubled times Helgi Hrafn Guðmundsson Hildur María Friðriksdóttir My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes Our panel of experts—along with the whole Kári Tulinius So where are the strong Óli Dóri of the Icelandic nation—picked “París Ragnar Egilsson And who are the trusted? Norðursins” as THE song of 2014. The track Snorri Páll Jónsson Úlfhildarson And where is the harmony? is a true radio monster, which resulted in Vera Illugadóttir Sweet harmony. the perennial left-field outsider indie kid Editorial Interns: (who has rested so comfortably on the Anna Manning / [email protected] Stefanie Mnich / [email protected] 'cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me margins of Icelandic culture for over a de- York Underwood / [email protected] wanna cry. cade) becoming somewhat of a celebrity. Art Director: We hear he even had to remove his list- Hörður Kristbjörnsson / [email protected] What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Layout: ing from the phone book to thwart an in- Ohhhh Anton Kaldal Ágústsson cessant stream of phone calls from drunk Photographers: Hi. Happy New Year. What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Anna Domnick housewives who wanted discuss the lyrics. Art Bicnick / www.bicnick.com We went bonkers for it as soon as we heard Nanna Dís / www.nannadis.com Right now, at this very moment, you could certainly So where are the strong? Sébastien van Malleghem it, featuring it as our “TRACK OF THE IS- argue that shit is fucked up and bullshit. For all sorts And who are the trusted? SUE” last August. Here’s what we had to Sales Director: of reasons. And where is the harmony? Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / [email protected] say back then: Helgi Þór Harðarson / [email protected] Sweet harmony. “You won’t find Prins Póló’s unexpected Óskar Freyr Pétursson / [email protected] summer hit 'París Norðursins' ('Paris Of Distribution manager: But, it feels sort of important that we don’t. That we re- [email protected] tain hope. That we strive for understanding, empathy, 'cause each time I feel it slippin' away, The North') on the act’s recent LP ‘Sorrí’ Proofreader: (‘Sorry’). Written and recorded specifi- Mark Asch humanity. For compassion and care. And kindness. just makes me wanna cry. releases: Harmony. All that dirty hippie bullshit. What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? cally for the purpose, the song features in [email protected] Ohhhh a highly anticipated film of the same name, Submissions inquiries: which hits theatres in early September and [email protected] Here is some dirty hippie bullshit that rang through What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Subscription inquiries: should be pretty great if the Prince’s con- my brain as I woke up this morning. It seems perti- Ohhhh +354 540 3605 / [email protected] tribution is anything to go by. General inquiries: nent: What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?” [email protected] The track’s steadily humming, upbeat Founders: bass line is accompanied with occasional Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson, “(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, (Those words were written by a man called Nick Lowe Hörður Kristbjörnsson, keys and distorted guitar segments, all Jón Trausti Sigurðarson, And Understanding in the year 1974, right when dirty hippies were falling wrapped up in a fun and danceable pack- Oddur Óskar Kjartansson, out of fashion. They are reprinted without permis- Valur Gunnarsson age. Hiding behind that cheerful façade As I walk through sion.. I hope that Nick Lowe is still into that whole “be- are lyrics that explore a recurring bitter The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken ing understanding” idea). theme in Icelandic literature—Halldór Lax- ltd. Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly This wicked world from May til October. Nothing in this magazine may be repro- Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity. ness’s ‘Independent People,’ for example— duced in whole or in part without the written permission of that of the stubborn male who strives to the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed around Happy New Year. I love you. Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður, Borgarnes, do honest work while his family life turns Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at key locations along road #1, and all to shit, partly because life is complicated, major tourist attractions and tourist information centres in the country. partly of his own doing. Whether this mir- Comic | Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir rors the plot of ‘París norðursins’ remains You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored (no articles to be seen [update: we saw the movie, it in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’). doesn’t exactly mirror the lyrics, but there are similarities]. With its infectious melody, steady beat and haunting lyrics, Prins Póló’s new single is surely in the running to be crowned 'Ice- land’s Summer Jam 2014.'”

On the cover: Svavar Pétur, It ran, it won, it surpassed. “París

Issue 1 × 2015 January 9 - February 5 Prins Póló, The Prince, Skakki. Norðursins” is our TRACK OF THE YEAR! YOUR FREE COPY THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND Photo: Baldur Kristjáns TRACK OF THE YEAR! TRACK OF THE (www.baldurkristjans.is) The Year The Special thanks to: Berglind Häsler, Air YEAR! Prince Popped Iceland, Hertz and Píla.

IN THE ISSUE

THE GRAPEVINE MUSIC AWARDS

Get the FREE Grapevine apps Appy Hour and Craving Available on the App store and on Android Market. www.66north.com Say your piece, voice your opinion, send your letters to: [email protected] the timeless warmth SOUR GRAPES AND STUFF of Iceland Most Awesome Letter of the Issue!

A big thank you as well. I hope those people who were so kind The next day was supposed to be to us somehow manage to read what Dear Reykjavic Grapevine, in a rental car driving to the Blue La- their kindness meant to us. If that hap- goon and the Lucky bridge that spans pens our miracle visit will be perfectly

www.arnartr.com My wife and I stopped over last week the gap between the North American completed. and wish to share with Iceland’s pub- and European tectonic plates but the lic and your readers several wonderful weather again prevented that and, as Merry Christmas incidents in which we were helped im- well, we wanted to be sure we sorted James and Sybile Scott mensely and left with a full apprecia- out our luggage which had been left tion of the kind people who live in your behind at Heathrow. This is where we Dear James and Sybile, country. Our Icelandair flight from were again blessed with the kindness London landed late in very strong and extra effort of Ms Drofn Palmberg Wow. Thank you guys for writing winds. Our hotel was the Hotel Smari who was working at the Icelandair lug- that. Seriously. As you might have only 100 meters from the airport – a gage services desk. She immediately noticed, we spend a lot of time rag- very short walk which we were un- appreciated that we couldn’t leave for ging on Icelanders and complain- able to complete on our own. Trying to Canada that night without our lug- ing about shit in these pages (and walk at 3:30 AM the very very strong gage because all our grandchildren’s on our website!). In a way, it’s kind winds pushed us back and we could Christmas presents were inside. She of our job, you know, being “a criti- only complete about 40 meters when suggested how I could check in with- cal media entity” and all, but we’re the wind blew my glasses off my face out our luggage and I could meet that not gonna lie: it gets tiring. Per- onto the road. It was completely dark day’s incoming flight from London haps especially lately, when there’s and we were on our knees searching for which was carrying our four suitcases all sorts of bullshit going down in my glasses when a car stopped and the and she would be there with me to tag Iceland (seriously, so much fuck- driver and a passenger got out to ask if the suitcases so they could be loaded ing bullshit!), it gets a little too we were OK……… this was the first ran- onto our flight to Toronto. She sensed easy to lose perspective and forget dom act of kindness we encountered. our concern and made sure to give us that most of us humans can be re- They offered to drive us the rest of the complete comfort that this plan would ally goddamn decent kind and well- distance to the hotel and only when we work. She also made sure the check in meaning when given the chance. got in the car did we realize there was staff were willing to go along with this So thanks for the reminder, also a baby and mother. In order to plan. And it did work perfectly. An- James and Sybile, thanks for tak- fit us in, the kind lady stood in the car other big hug from my wife and me to ing the time to write (a lot of the over her baby’s car seat. Her husband Drofn, who did so much to help our five time, folks only bother writing in entered the car, unbelievably, with my grandchildren have their presents to when they’re super upset about glasses which he found quite a few me- open this Christmas. something, like being overcharged ters further back than where we were My wife and I missed out on seeing at some shitty restaurant or what- looking! Iceland sights that day last week but ever). Honestly, you just made We thanked them with all our heart we saw so much that was absolutely our day. and we do so again now if they ever wonderful – the people living there. We Hope you can come back to en- read this. We never could have negoti- certainly will return to rent that car joy all your AWESOME LETTER ated the distance without their help. and now intend to spend much longer swag (drop us a line to collect it by The man working in the Hotel in your country. (As a further bonus, the way)! Smari reception at close to 4AM was my wife did see the glow of the North- also most kind, making us a cup of tea ern lights from her seat aboard the Love, and offering to waive the normal check London to Iceland Icelandair flight.) out deadline so we could have a decent Thank you for letting me share our Your Friends At The Reykjavík sleep. Thanks again very much to him experience with you and your readers. Grapevine

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WWW.ICEWEAR.IS The Reykjavík Grapevine 6 Issue 1 — 2015

a thorn in the side of the ruling elite and 2014 WHERE WERE WE? there is a general polarization going on.” "Ideology is dead. De- Thus, if 2014 was the year of shock, mocracy is an illusion. WHERE ARE WE? disbelief and cynicism, the year 2015 Critical thinking has IN should be the year of new hope, where we find the core of the good old ideas, been deemed impracti- WHERE ARE WE HEADED? and start working for them all over again. cal and unprofitable, BRIEF Getting the constitution done and agreed entirely abandoned by What are we thinking? upon with the help of international specialists and activists in the field, prevent- educational institutions. BY GABRÍEL BENJAMIN ing the money from natural resources Scholars’ focus is so Compiled by Haukur S. Magnússon (such as fisheries and hydro/geothermal narrow and localized power) from being drained away. Break- To mark the beginning of a new year, we posed two ques- ing up the polarization from the grass- that any kind of ethical JANUARY tions to dozens of Icelanders, old and new. Representatives of roots up—leaving the elite cold and lonely or contextual overview The year came out of the gate on the top—finalizing a new constitution, running, with television person- every single political party, ministers, mayors and machin- is all but impossible." ality-cum-sports announcer Björn founding a national park protecting the ists alike (as per usual, the governing parties mostly ignored Bragi Arnarson remarking that Iceland’s highlands of Iceland from further exploi- dominant performance in a handball our queries). We asked them to tell us—in their own unique tation and getting the innovative spirit on entirely on the surface level. The public ways, from their own unique perspectives—what summed up game against Austria was “like the Ger- the rise again. is intellectually castrated, completely as- man Nazis in 1938. We’re slaughtering the year 2014, and what they expected of the coming one. We This would be the best. The worst similated to economic models where it the Austrians!” All the while, Icelandic asked them to answer the following: “Where are we now, at the would be going from cynicism to despair plays the role of subservient workforce in brewery Steðji put slaughtered whales end of 2014. Looking back, how did that journey begin, and where or depression—to just giving up and mov- service of the elites. to good use, crafting the novel Þorri ing to Norway. Ideology is dead. Democracy is an il- “Whale Beer,” which contains trace did it leave us?” Furthermore: “Where are we headed? What would lusion. Critical thinking has been deemed amounts of whalebone meal. And, in an be the best possible outcome of the year 2015—and what might the impractical and unprofitable, entirely attempt to harness the 40% increase of worst one entail?” Or not. There were no restrictions—our cor- abandoned by educational institutions. tourists arriving to Iceland, landowners of Geysir started charging admission respondents were free to respond in any way, language and Scholars’ focus is so narrow and localized that any kind of ethical or contextual fees to their site, only to be thwarted by format. From their hearts or from their minds. Throught overview is all but impossible. The me- the government itself. So much contro- versy! this issue you’ll find the replies we received. Every last one of dia’s role as a Fourth Estate has evaporat- ed, as the public is uninterested in—and them. We hope that when read together, in the context of one Optimistically Moving FEBRUARY another, they may give a broad and even enlightening view unable to comprehend—anything beyond Despite pressure from LGBT sports and vapid entertainment. of how Icelanders as a nation perceived the events of the last Forward groups to boycott the Sochi 2014 Win- Chris Hedges seems uninterested in ter Olympics due to the host country twelve months, and what hopes (and/or fears) they harbour Vigdís Hauksdóttir finding reasons for optimism. Rather, he Russia’s recently passed homophobic for the next twelve. Each and every one speaks for itself, and MP, The Progressive Party delves into the blackest night of a future legislation, Iceland sent two government each one tells a story. Our hope is that this “perspective-mo- that is already deeply rooted in modern- ministers and president Ólafur Ragnar saic” might help us gain an insight into and understanding of We Icelanders are at a good place in day America. In the end, he attempts to Grímsson. The latter was even spotted light of how little time has passed since console us with a single paragraph, citing chatting amicably with the man Putin our current situation. If nothing else, it makes for a pretty fun the last parliamentary elections and the humankind’s deeper natures. himself. And, after twelve years of op- read. Enjoy. subsequent turnaround. Fundamental Especially interesting to me was a eration, anti-bullying association Reg- nbogabörn (“Rainbow Children”) shut services have been placed in a prior- chapter entitled “The Illusion Of Happi- down, its founder and chairman, actor ity position—healthcare, education and ness,” which revolves around corpora- Stefán Karl Stefánsson (AKA “Robbie There are unfortunately storm clouds transportation. The national budget has tions’ attempts to quell any negativity Rotten”), blamed lack of funding. on the horizon. The year 2015 has poten- been settled deficit-free for the second or attempts at critical thinking amongst tial to be the first one a long time where time since the current government took their employees. MARCH the state treasury’s returns do not im- the reigns, which is very important and I detect similar sentiments in Ice- When the two coalition parties pro- prove, but grow worse. There is much un- affirms that the state’s debt collection land. From our president, from our Prime posed to prematurely rescind Iceland’s The Year 2015—Where certainty with regards to the imminent has ceased. This has vastly improved Minister, from the bishop, and from oth- EU application, despite explicitly stating Does Iceland Stand? general wage negotiations, and the gov- our credit terms on the international ers. “Negativity is so boring, so tiring, so such decisions should be made through erning parties seem to harbour funda- market. That the household debt relief’s 2009, it doesn’t contribute and provides a referendum throughout their election Steingrímur J. Sigfússon mental disagreements over how to lift the implementation has commenced is cause no opportunity.” campaigns, people were not amused. MP, former Minister Of currency restrictions. This does not bode for great joy, as it signifies that we have I disagree. It’s true that negativ- An estimated 8,000 people gathered well, as it is the biggest, most fateful post- gained the necessary foothold to move ity isn’t constructive in nature, but for in protest outside Alþingi, and fifteen protesters assembled to greet ministers Everything, Left-Green Party collapse task that remains unresolved. society forward, because the household people who foster no particular vision of with the now infamous “banana gaunt- So: Iceland is in an infinitely better serves as the cornerstone of every society. what they desire, determining what one let,” indicating that Iceland was in fact a Iceland saw progress in several areas in position than it was in 2008-2009, but We have set the course for the abol- doesn’t want is a great starting point. And banana republic. the year 2014. We enjoyed some economic there is still much work to do—and the ishment of currency restrictions and for me, the reality that Chris depicts— In other, more inspiring protest growth, even though Statistics Iceland’s current outlook is uncertain, to say the the settlement of the collapsed banks’ that grim future that’s currently gaining news, Björk, Darren Aronofsky, Patti quarterly numbers were disappointing. least. estates. If done right, these acts will a foothold—is the opposite of what I de- Smith and their friends raised 35 million The economic recovery, which began completely transform the Icelandic na- sire, for myself, for my friends and for my ISK for Icelandic environmental NGOs with the economy’s turnaround in 2010, tion’s standing. I am very optimistic for descendants. I suspect that most people at a benefit event in Harpa. And when continues for the fourth consecutive year. the coming year, and choose not to re- would agree. Icelander Kristján Kristjánsson went on Unemployment numbers kept decreas- mark upon what the worst-case scenario This leaves us with the question of how Facebook asking for help in locating ing, as they have since they peaked in the would entail we can collectively work against going a new kidney, he wasn’t just met with spring of 2010. The state treasury further there, what concrete actions we can take likes, but offers from twenty people! recovered after being balanced for the to veer off that path. Charitable indeed. first time post-collapse in 2013. However, APRIL the recovery of 2014 is unfortunately first Somewhere Between April proved to be a super positive and foremost due to irregular, one-time Worried And Cynical month, as Icelanders retained the tile credit entries from the Central Bank of Andri Snær Magnason of Europe’s Chlamydia Capitol, a crown Iceland and Landsbankinn. The underly- we’ve proudly worn for the past decade. ing recovery of the state is thus nominal author, poet Educators were more sensible, however, in actuality. Nonetheless, 2014 marks the Empire Of Illusion as upper secondary school teachers state’s sixth consecutive year of overall The world’s mood is very strange and Biggi Veira reached a compromise with the state recovery. Furthermore, public spending Iceland swings along. The post-crash era numbered folders negotiator, ending a three-week strike, power continued improving, although was interesting in many ways: offering musician, GusGus Jófríður Ákadóttir and university teachers managed to a growing economic divide is implicit in promises of social innovation, the rise settle before their planned strike actions this development. of small businesses and a general opti- I read an interesting book last year, Chris musician (Samaris, during exams. Airport staff also reached To summarize: the recovery process mism—a euphoric feeling that anything Hedges’ ‘Empire of Illusion: The End Of an agreement that saw an end to costly strike actions. Oh, and a sixteen-year- continued in 2014. There are those who might be possible. This situation caused a Literacy And The Triumph Of Spectacle’. Pascal Pinon) old cat named Örvar was reunited with maintain that a great transition, a turn- wave of urban legends about Iceland. We Even though it’s focused on U.S. affairs its owner after going missing a whop- around even, occurred when the current were creating a new constitution, excit- and realities, I found it corresponded life is a current and we are currents, ev- ping seven years ago. government took power at the end of May ing initiatives, etc... Such stories are still with developments in Iceland and our erything is the same but always chang- 2013. The Prime Minister, the head of the circulating, even as the new government current government’s policies to the ing. we make a monument of it when MAY state budget committee and other gov- has been busy systematically killing most point of discomfort. dividing a flow of things, situations and According to the annual “State of ernment affiliates are prone to speak as of the post-crash initiatives—along with Chris depicts a world where dema- happenings into a year. i feel, more now the World’s Mothers” report, issued by if the brunt of any good fortune Iceland- dismantling the older systems we were goguery and stupidity have conquered, as i grow older, that this particular year Save The Children, Iceland is the world’s ers have enjoyed since settlement times so proud of along with raising taxes on where the education system aims only at has no particular meaning and that it's fourth best country in which to be a occurred when the collapse-parties culture and food (while lowering taxes producing a malleable workforce, where merely a matter of convenience, putting mother. Which maybe didn’t provide resumed their reign over Iceland. Such on TVs, sugar and cars). the media has been commandeered by life in numbered folders. nonetheless i do much consolation to local parents as claims are naïvely egocentric, solipsistic Many are stuck somewhere between the ruling classes and has abandoned hope that we will see good people spread primary school teachers went on strike. even, as official economic statistics aptly worried and cynical. Online, they try to any pretence of keeping the authorities good energy and good things taken into Airplane pilots also went on strike, re- maining grounded for a while, before demonstrate. Regardless, we continue leave comments on viral videos detailing in check and speaking truth to power, in- action, amity kismet and harmony in ev- the government passed a law making pulling forward in most areas, and the re- all the amazing stuff going on in Iceland, stead wholly devoted to providing brain- ery corner. covery that commenced halfway through saying “nothing of that is true: the consti- dead entertainment and propagating a the last parliamentary term is still ongo- tution failed, the innovation failed, our distorted worldview in the service of its ing. cops want guns, not kittens, the culture is owners. On the surface, the public has CONTINUES OVER little to complain about, as it now resides

The Reykjavík Grapevine 8 Issue 1 — 2015

The Year In | Their Own Words the GDP is likely growing (although the year the idiots had their way. 2014 numbers are conflicting) and steps have According to the Chinese Zodiac, been taken to rescind the currency re- 2015 is the year of the Green Sheep. strictions. This sounds like a perfect year for IN However, we have rarely engaged in Framsóknarflokkurinn (“The Progres- The Bearable Lightness as many heated debates over fundamen- sive Party”—the name makes no sense What’s Important tal issues as we did in 2014. The unjust at all). Luckily, in the rest of the world BRIEF Of Being “debt correction,” attempts to withdraw sheep are not exclusive to Bjartur and Gunnar Nelson Iceland’s EU application without a refer- Framsóknarflokkurinn. I choose to fo- Sigurður Mar Jónsson their labour struggle illegal. On a more endum, the deferment of environmental cus on the gentle and positive aspects of fighter, winner, Zen-master positive note, the government’s house- Government Press Secretary laws, the regional relocation of public the sheep, and will assume that 2015 will hold debt relief was outlined, although At the end of 2014, I have a baby boy. institutions, submachine guns, the leak work out better than 2014. the final product was a far cry from His name is Stígur Týr Nelson, and he's Iceland is not devoid of problems. How- affair, mosques, state funding of cultural For the sake of nature, for the sake of what had originally been promised: it growing bigger and stronger every day— ever, when the situation elsewhere is affairs and how the tax burdens should be education, for social welfare, for prosper- wasn’t financed by foreign vulture funds he's seven months old now, so he wasn't examined, the Icelandic problems seem divided between citizens. And the year of ity, we will get rid of this government (rather, by taxpayers themselves), and there at the start of the year. I've also been rather trivial. This does not change the course ended amidst a doctors' strike, ASAP. Fuck Yeah! it didn’t benefit everyone—just property training a lot in 2014, competing three fact that we need to deal with them. with the healthcare system in limbo. owners. Shucks. times in the UFC, with two wins and one The state of affairs in this country This year will, unfortunately, be no loss [incidentally, Gunnar's first profes- is shaped by a lot of what goes on in the less marked by strife. Chief among them JUNE sional loss], but overall it went pretty well. wider world, but at the same time we are will likely be the impending general wage As celebrated anarchist comedian may- or Jón Gnarr stepped down after a sin- I've learned a lot and look forward to tak- sheltered from many of the difficulties negotiations, where we seem to be head- gle term in office, Reykjavík city council ing on 2015. that are proving the hardest for others to ing towards the biggest conflict we’ve elections saw the Social Democratic What’s in store? Oh, more of the same overcome. seen in decades. The results will have a Alliance form a new four-party majority really, I'm going to keep training and You could say that our small size and widespread effect on the nation and its Is This What under the leadership of Dagur B. Egg- spending time with my family. We're geographical position are at the same well-being. We will also suffer through ertsson. No surprises there. The cam- hopefully moving to a new house soon, time our biggest benefit, and our worst fights about a remodelled fishery man- You Wanted? paign season was unfortunately marked where we can make ourselves more com- drawback. Those who run businesses agement system, the nature pass, a repeat by the Progressive Party’s reactions to fortable. And then, there will probably be and provide services often wish that the of the EU struggle, a changed framework Karen Pease the realization that it would likely fail to a few fights in the coming months. The home market were greater, others con- programme, the ever-increasing income programmer get a Reykjavík representative elected worst-case scenario would probably be sider our sparse population an advan- and opportunity divide, and the next for the second time in a row. The party if I and everyone I hold dear were to sud- tage—few countries are less densely pop- steps towards lifting the currency re- I find our race to the bottom unbeliev- went into full-on desperation mode, re- denly die, with me being the last to go. ulated than Iceland. This increases the strictions. able, along with the velocity at which sorting to playing the trusty Islamopho- cost of maintaining an infrastructure, It’s hard to determine the coming we're moving. I would have never imag- bia card (which has proved so fruitful for their Scandinavian counterparts). Dur- but shapes Icelanders as a nation. At the year’s optimal outcome. The most at- ined that Iceland could turn into the ing the final stretch of campaign season, same time, it seems to make the country tractive scenario would see Icelanders’ United States in the span of a year, as the Progressive candidates’ platform desirable in the eyes of the ever-growing discourse reaching a level of higher civil- we import submachine guns and rush focused on revoking the city’s land allot- number of visitors we receive from all ity, along with Icelandic politicians’ work to dismantle our welfare and healthcare ment to the Muslim Association of Ice- over the globe. methods; and it would entail society’s systems. land (with its 465 members) to build a Iceland rates high by most of the chief operators abandoning their “us vs. But, this is Iceland today. A nation mosque. Tasteful? Hardly. But it did earn yardsticks that are used to measure na- them” worldview. In a small and tightly whose doctors have been on strike for them two seats on the council. Ultra Modern Fairy Tale tions’ prosperity. In some areas, we are knit community such as ours, where pri- six weeks, a nation where corruption and Birgitta Jónsdóttir on top, such as in terms of civil liberties, vate interests are apparently (and regret- blatant abuse of power have become so JULY the status and rights of minority groups, tably) at all times protected at the cost common that encountering honesty, can- An estimated 11,000 people par- Pirate Party MP, equality and health. Of course, we of common welfare, this might be a pipe dour and/or competency is an exception. ticipated in Reykjavík’s annual SlutWalk, shouldn’t take for granted that this will dream at best. Are your actions being scrutinized and 3,000 attended an anti-war “die-in” Poetician, chair of IMMI perpetually remain true, and the recent by a member of the press? That’s fine; rally to protest Israeli air raids on Gaza. Iceland’s representative to the UN, for- doctors' strike reminds us that our com- you can charge them with slander and eign minister and PM all publicly con- I LOVE crisis. It is the only time where petitive position is difficult now that it’s defamation. Failing that, you could just demned the attacks. And sadly, Iceland’s we as individuals, and we as a society, get easier than ever for specialists and well- purchase the newspaper and have them marimo population, fondly known in the power boost to achieve fundamental trained professionals to sell their talents fired. Icelandic as “kúluskítur” (or “shitballs”), transformative changes. We nearly man- to the highest bidder. State budget running on empty? That faced extinction due to increased levels aged to get some serious changes through Iceland has changed fast over the won’t stop us in lining the pockets of our of pollution in their Lake Mývatn habitat. a new constitution written by and for past few decades, and it will continue to wealthiest oligarchs. Hurry, we must But hey, badass Icelandic athlete Annie the people of Iceland. However, those in change in the foreseeable future. Pos- The Idiots Had Their Way abolish the fishery tax! Mist Þórisdóttir finished in second place power during the last term failed to un- sibly, the main controversies of the next Grímur Atlason We’ve become a nation of privatiza- at the 2014 CrossFit Games, despite a derstand the urgency of acting swiftly, few years will revolve around how—and tion and outsourcing, one that Ayn Rand back injury! for the window for real changes is usually whether—those changes will be directed head of Iceland Airwaves herself would take pride in. So let’s gift very short during times of crisis. or controlled. our natural wonders to heavy industry— AUGUST Our transformation is stuck in a most people won’t be able to see them Do you remember Geir H. Haarde, the former PM who asked god to bless Sleeping Beauty coma, and the nation has Icelanders are amongst the privileged anyway, unless they fork out for that na- Iceland when the economy collapsed not realized that its wet (r)EVOLution- few. Our problems are typical first world ture pass. and was eventually charged and found ary kiss is the only thing that will awaken problems. But we tend to whine, com- Whoever could be pleased with these guilty of negligence during his time in the fair princess. All of a sudden we are plain and feel sorry for ourselves. This developments? Is this what you were ask- office? In August, we appointed him to out of the fairy tale, straight into the full- choir of self-pity was the foundation of ing for when you voted for the governing the position of ambassador to Wash- on zombie apocalypse. All the oldies are 2014. A nation that receives 150 requests parties? What were you thinking when ington DC! Good job, everyone! Still, it back in power due to the sleepwalkers’ for asylum per year is lighting the bon- you picked these extremely dangerous wasn’t as great as seeing 90,000 people fairy dust of cheap election promises. Years Of Strife fires of Islamophobia. In comparison, people to lord over you? show up for the annual Reykjavík Pride The current situation in Iceland is so Þórður Snær Júlíusson Sweden receives 84,000 applications for I see no hope until the next elections. parade (that’s a fourth of the nation, bad that a new crisis of some sort is un- asylum annually. Our government plays Happy New Year. folks). Perhaps in celebration, an erup- avoidable, hopefully this year, before the Editor, Kjarninn the self-pitying, frightened and ignorant tion started in the Holuhraun area. It was octopus zombies take over everything citizens like a flute. Instead of repaying again. We are in many respects at a better place our debts, the old “me! me! me!” has taken by the end of 2014 than we were at the over, and 100 billion ISK are burned for CONTINUES OVER year’s beginning. Inflation is negligible, nothing. I’m sorry to say it, but 2014 is the

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s . .

. up magma plumes some 60 metres into Iceland | For Dummies ? the air—and it’s still going strong. SEPTEMBER One of Iceland’s park rangers gave an American family a bollocking for dar- ing their son to jump into freezing Flo- sagjá rift at Þingvellir National Park. The boy crawled up onto a ledge, freezing So What's This Order and shivering as his parents laughed, unaware of the grave danger they had placed him in. Meanwhile, the Icelandic Of The Falcon I Keep police, generally known for their kitty- filled Instagram account, brutalised (read: stabbed) Liberian asylum seeker Chaplas Menka while in custody. Police Hearing About? authorities have since said the whole in- cident was an accident.

OCTOBER Words by Kári Tulinius @Kattullus An Akureyri man found himself on the wrong end of the law for burying Illustration by Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir his beloved, deceased pet Chihuahua, Prins, in his backyard. This is apparently illegal, as he learned when local health authorities phoned him up demanding n a better, more entertaining or a businessman. Their salary should he disinter the body and bury it some- world than ours, the Order of be compensation enough, without them where else. Medical doctors also exer- the Falcon would be Iceland's being given something called a Knight's cised their right to limited strike for the premier superhero group, fea- Cross. very first time, earning much sympathy turing Captain Fisherman, from the general public. On a more Doctor Feminfist, and Ster- But why does an army-free state like positive note, Afghani asylum seeker kálfur, the World's Strongest Elf. In our Iceland want to give people some- Ghasem Mohamadi, who had gone on Ireality, the Order of the Falcon is the thing called the Knight's Cross? hunger strike to protest his planned de- medal that the Icelandic State bestows That is only lowest level of the Order of portation, has been allowed to stay in on whomever it pleases. It has been in the the Falcon. The others are, in ascend- Iceland. Welcome, Ghasem! news lately because in mid-December ing order of sparkliness: Commander's NOVEMBER the President gave the Prime Minister Cross, Commander's Cross with Star, As the weather started cooling the Grand Cross of the Order of the Fal- and Grand Cross. These can be given to down, a new wave of protests started— con. anyone. However, the final and highest an informal gathering of 4,500 demand- grade can only be given to heads of state, ed that the government and elected That last phrase still sounds like it's and that is the Chain with the Grand officials do their job with integrity. A tall out of a comic book. Cross Breast Star, which does resemble order, perhaps, but the protesters cer- It was done almost in secret. No press re- the name of some medieval torture im- tainly had their hearts in the right place. leases were sent out, no photos were tak- plement. The reason for these ridiculous And after the police and coast guard en, in fact the media did not learn about sounding titles is that the Order of the miserably failed to retain the 250 new it until someone noticed that his name, Falcon was established when Iceland submachine guns that they acquired and that of the Speaker of the Icelandic was a kingdom. from Norway on the down-low, authori- Parliament, had been added to the list ties were thoroughly ridiculed and have of recipients on the President's website. Iceland had kings? I bet they had cra- since promised that they will return the arms. Eventually. Probably. When the media revealed this, it caused zy unpronounceable names like King an uproar. Hjörlúðvík and Þórvígbrandlákur. DECEMBER The Kingdom of Iceland had only one Icelandic composer Jóhann Why? Politicians are always giving king, Christian X. Despite the name, he Jóhannsson was nominated for a each other stuff like that. They're like was not a bi-religious follower of Mal- Golden Globe for his work on the film friendship bracelets for grown-ups. colm X, but the tenth king of that name ‘Theory Of Everything,’ while coastal Things did not improve for the current to rule Denmark. In 1918 Iceland gained patrol vessel Týr rescued 408 migrants Prime Minister when it came out that sovereignty over its internal affairs, but drifting some 165 nautical miles off the previous Prime Minister, Jóhanna retained the Danish king as head of state. Malta’s coast. Good job! And during the Sigurðardóttir, had refused the Order of Christian X felt that a new kingdom middle of Alþingi’s discussions about the Falcon three times. This reminded needed its own set of sparkly friendship the government’s budget proposal, PM people why they liked her in the first bracelets, so he established the Order of Sigmundur Davíð decided to take a place (her principled refusal to be given the Falcon, as the heraldic symbol of the vacation without notifying the relevant a piece of shiny metal) and also why she King of Iceland was a gyrfalcon, which is people. When the Grapevine reported on his impromptu vacay, the PM’s press lost popularity during her time in office native to Iceland. secretary got in touch and urged us (her principled refusal to let the media to “reconsider” the story (which we know she had refused the piece of shiny Falcon in 1921 have received it. However, lot of the boring stuff that makes a society Why does the Order of the Falcon still promptly failed to do). Meanwhile, the metal). after the 2008 financial crash, the public function, for instance by deciding who exist if Iceland is no longer a kingdom? PM was discretely awarded the highest has become a lot more critical of politi- should be recognized publicly for their When Iceland became a republic in 1944, national order of Iceland for his exem- Ah, so people are upset that the cur- cians, so things that were once tolerated good works. That is the popular side of the role of the president was modelled on plary service. Shortly thereafter, it was rent Prime Minister didn't refuse the now cause outrage. the Order of the Falcon. People like that the king. In fact, the first president had revealed that his predecessor, Jóhanna sparkly thing? individuals who have dedicated their previously served as the king's regent in Sigurðardóttir, had been offered said or- Sort of. But as both the President's Of- Isn't the point of politicians in a de- life to the arts, charity, or the benefit of Iceland. So along with other functions, der three times, but refused every time, fice and one of the Prime Minister's as- mocracy to be a target for the public's society for limited rewards, are given a the president became the Grand Master stating that she did not believe her work sistants pointed out, it is traditional that dissatisfaction with society? token of appreciation. What causes an- of the Order of the Falcon. And secret to be any more important or worthy of a Prime Minister be awarded the Grand That and to provide employment for ger is when people are given shiny bits of leader of a group of superheroes who recognition than that of others. Bravo. Cross. Most people serving in the office people who make medals. Though to be metal for attaining a particular political protect Iceland against supervillains and since the founding of the Order of the fair to politicians, they do take care of a office, or doing their job as a bureaucrat alien invasions.

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Tel. +354 540 1313 | [email protected] | grayline.is The Reykjavík Grapevine 12 Issue 1 — 2015

The Year In | Solipsism

Selfie ANALYSIS Nation Inspired by Foreign Journalists, Part II “The untamed, Words by Ásgeir H. Ingólfsson distant and cool Iceland” Artwork by Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir

“A few reasons why Iceland is the best place in the world”

Those are random headlines I spotted on Icelandic news sites the day I wrote this article. Both stories report on articles that appeared in the foreign media. On any given day over the past five years or so, I probably could have found similar headlines. Judging by the Icelandic media, foreigners are simply going mad for Iceland, at an un flattery—could serve as basis for a much Inspired by and they attended concerts with Hjal- precedented rate. more dynamic cooperation with the out- Foreign Journalists talín and the National Symphony Or- side world, in journalism and other fields. The Cannes Film Festival, Roskilde and chestra (fourteen journalists) and For a But what changed? Icelandic nature is institution that flies over at least one hun- We seem stuck in a hollow praise- Glastonbury. Those festivals have at least Minor Reflection’s album release show mostly the same as it was prior to 2008’s dred foreign journalists every year. relationship with the outer world. We ea- two things in common: all are among the (nine journalists). Most of those journal- economic collapse (except for the parts Meanwhile, it is highly unlikely that gerly await the next words of praise, and most famous and prestigious cultural ists came from big media companies, me- that have been destroyed by dams and al- Icelandic journalists’ trips abroad num- post them right on our collective Face- festivals in the world—and no Icelandic dia companies that ought to be able to pay uminium smelters, of course), Reykjavík ber in the hundreds. The number is cer- book pages the moment they arrive. newspaper sent a correspondent to any of themselves for visits abroad, unlike their is still the same city, our towns remain tainly nowhere near the nine hundred As a nation, we started shooting self- them in 2010. Icelandic counterparts. the same towns, our villages the same that were either invited or assisted in ies exclusively, way before it was fash- We all know the reasons—the local This initiative would have made me villages, the countryside the same coun- visiting Iceland in 2013. I have personally ionable. And our selfies are meta-selfies, media suffers from budget cuts, while happy if it signified a newfound generosi- tryside, and so on. Of course we have seen gone abroad for journalistic reasons five photos of other people’s portraits of our- fewer and fewer journalists can afford to ty towards foreigners, but on the contrary a few positive changes that some of the times over the last six years—four times selves. fund such trips out of pocket. This is just it‘s really a symptom of a deeply rooted praise could be credited to—but the most to attend film festivals, and once to report This development been ongoing since one of the luxuries that we had to forego apathy about the outside world. Our in- significant contributing factor, however, on the then-recently independent Kosovo the crash of 2008. During that time, the post-collapse, right? Yet, the problem terest in the outside world seems non- what really changed, was the marketing. and the aftermath of the Bosnian war. I number of PR specialists in Iceland has runs deeper. There was rarely money— existent, except when the outside world always had to pay my own expenses, save kept growing, as the number of actual, or ambition—to be found for such trips is talking about us. As long as it‘s positive. Get inspired! for three free nights spent at a Croatian employed journalists steadily decreases. during the boom years. There is little ac- If not, we put our heads in the sand and The "Inspired by Iceland" PR campaign hotel. This is the reality of many local This is, in part, the work of a government knowledgement of how productive jour- speak of envy and mean foreigners who was launched in the wake of the 2010 journalists—and not just the freelancers. that employs PR personnel for almost ev- nalistic trips abroad can be as important pick on the little island. Eyjafjallajökull eruption. It eventually If the funds simply weren’t there, this ery ministry, a government that prefers to for the Icelandic media as the translation This has nothing to do with the love turned into a government-funded insti- situation would be more acceptable. But, pay people for controlling the news that of world literature is for our literature, of music or journalists—on the contrary it tution called Promote Iceland. Like most we certainly seem to have money to go is being reported rather than help jour- because without it, local media and local suggests that artists mostly have value as government-funded institutions, Pro- around for subsidizing journalistic trav- nalists come by the necessary funds and literature will quickly become stale. long as they attract tourists and journal- mote Iceland publishes a detailed annual els. Alas, only in one direction. resources to actually report the news. One possible solution is to offer state ists only have value if they can be used for report of its activities, the latest of which Of course, a government that’s aller- grants for projects or trips too expen- promotional purposes. covers the year 2013. This report states Look at us! Look at us! gic to criticism welcomes this develop- sive for the newspapers to fund on their This play, then, reaches surreal that: A nation certainly has some issues if it ment. But for the society it serves, it is less own—but such a fund is nowhere to be heights when detailed articles (yet usu- “This year, Promote Iceland invited keeps yelling: “Look at me, look at me!” than thrilling. Surely, a steady stream of found in Iceland (such journalism funds, ally devoid of criticism) appear in the representatives from about 100 media while never bothering to look at others; foreign journalists to the country, bal- both state run and private, are quite com- Icelandic media about the trips foreign outlets to visit the country on organized if it would rather broadcast foreign TV anced with a steady stream of Icelandic mon in Europe). The money for such a journalists took in the country to speak media trips. In addition, Promote Iceland shows about fictional Icelandic elves journalists reporting on and seeking the fund nevertheless seems to be there, as about Icelandic bands. By now, I don’t assisted some 800 journalists in organiz- than fund its own programmes about viewpoint of the outside world, would 23 journalists were recently sponsored only have to read the foreign media to get ing their trips to Iceland, and also worked other nations. create the sort of dynamic dialogue that by the government to go abroad for a proper coverage of foreign culture—I also closely with the PR offices of different Indeed, paying others to talk about we are sorely missing. concert. Those 23 journalists work for es- have to read it to get proper coverage of arts and festival organizers to help out ourselves and then loosely translating Finally: as the title indicates, this ar- teemed publications and I have no doubt Icelandic artists. with such trips.” their words for our local news seems like ticle is a sequel. Four and a half years ago, that they are good journalists. The latter article originally ap- This is interesting: while political and a contradictory media policy. Using those 23 foreign journalists were invited here But none of those journalists are peared in Icelandic in the now defunct financial powers continue suffocating existing funds to enable some of our own to report on Icelandic musicians. At the Icelandic. They came from esteemed in- website Kistan on July 27, 2010. Iceland’s media (via withholding funds journalists to go abroad and make real, time, I penned an article that seems wor- ternational media outlets such as Dan- and unprecedented interference in gen- lasting connections with the outside thy of a revisit: marks Radio, Politiken, Sunday Times, eral), we operate an entire government world—not just ones based on empty Dazed & Confused, NME and Die Welt,

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BSÍ Bus Terminal 101 Reykjavík +354 580 5400 OR [email protected] • www.re.is The Reykjavík Grapevine Surely, the summer of 2015 will be the best ever. We will feast on ice cream and 14 Issue 1 — 2015 lounge around in our underwear! We will figure out what shorts are for! We will bask in the warm glow of a loving sun. This is almost certain.

- The Year In| Weather A Tale Of Ice And Fire (But Mostly Wind... And Not Much Sun)

Words by Hildur María Friðriksdóttir @hildurmf Hildur María Friðríksdóttir is a geophysicist at the Icelandic Met Office.

Icelanders are obsessed with the weather. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s ever been here: the weather is no joke. If you don‘t keep a close eye on forecasts and weather-related news, you might miss out on the few good days of summer, end up stuck somewhere in a snowstorm or—on rare occasions—drive right into the latest eruption’s ash cloud. In that spirit, we present some peaks and ebbs of 2014, as it pertained to our friendly in- house meteorological expert.

Now, it would be a bit extreme to say that The unlucky guests The weather from there on was sur- not only were tents and loose items flying off to everyone but scientists and the this was a good year for Iceland in terms prisingly pleasant. People kept firing up everywhere, but outhouses as well. press, but it is possible to book observa- of weather. While temperatures might at the Westfjords’ their BBQs, watching the Eurovision It was a big year for the northern end tional flights when the weather (and your have been slightly above average, so was Rauðasandur festival in Song Contest and being generally cheer- of Vatnajökull National Park. In July, one wallet) allows. precipitation—and we had our first volca- July had to be rescued ful until the month of July, where it rained of the largest recorded rockslides since nic eruption in over three years... for pretty much the whole entire month, the settlement of Iceland happened next Any way the wind blows from heavy winds, at least on the south coast. The typical to lake Askja, causing a tsunami that Enough fire for now, it’s time for storms. In the beginning which were so intense summer weather map of Iceland usually reached 20-30 meters in height. Fortu- Usually when hurricanes from the Ca- there was... that not only were tents shows rain in the capital and clear skies nately, the rockslide happened late at ribbean move over the colder waters of The year 2014 started with the usual and sun in the north and east. The most night, so there were no people in the area the North Atlantic they die down and snowstorms, but despite the weather be- and loose items flying popular summer vacation for Icelanders at the time and no one got hurt; had it we don’t really see much of them, but at ing bad, there were quite a few opportu- everywhere, but out- is thus to drive around the country; that happened earlier in the day, there were the end of August, Hurricane Cristobal nities for Icelanders to partake in their houses as well. way you might be lucky enough to catch people in the area who might not have managed to make it all the way to Ice- favourite winter sport: skiing. The North- maybe a bit of sun somewhere sometime. been able to escape. land. There are warnings put out in all ern Lights were also a common sight, no year due to a hailstorm and the roads be- Except when I did it last year and acci- news media when storms like this are on doubt to the pleasure of our foreign visi- ing covered in ice. dentally followed the rain the whole way Eruption erection the way, so people can secure any loose tors. February is the coldest month of the around the country. On August 16, an intense seismic swarm items they might have lying around out- year here, but temperatures in Reykjavík Tourist-spotting started in the Bárðarbunga volcano, side. This is particularly important near during the month were above average—a Iceland has a lot of public holidays (or, A year for goths, vampires where a lava tunnel began to form lat- the end of summer, when there is a high smashing 1.7°C (35°F). as the locals call them, “red days”), one and most festivals erally out in a northeastward direction chance of stray lawn furniture all over March wasn't any better. The island of which is The First Day of Summer 2014 was a great year for goths and vam- from the Bárðarbunga caldera. Then, the place. Despite every warning, flying suffered heavy snowstorms, particularly (“Sumardagurinn fyrsti,” the first Thurs- pires, though! The total amount of sun- fourteen days later at about ten km north trampolines are a common occurrence in in the north, and many roads were shut day after April 18). Somewhat ironically, light we had was way below average at of Vatnajökull, the lava tunnel reached the first big autumn storms. for days, causing people to finally read that day almost always sees snowfall— 420 hours, which is 180 hours less than the surface, causing an eruption that is Winter came late this year. It was a that Scandinavian thriller they got three but not in 2014, where we had tempera- average over the last decade. still ongoing, four months later. If there‘s bit windy in October, but we had a mostly copies of for Christmas. tures going up to 14°C (!!!). By the way, There was a record amount of festi- anything Icelandic people love reading warm November, with average tempera- Easter came with the usual cold spells that’s about the temperature where you vals this year, with most of them being about more than the weather, it‘s earth- tures in Reykjavík at 5.5°C (42°F), which for that time of year. April 15th is the day start really seeing who’s a local and who’s very successful—all but one. The unlucky quakes and volcanic activity, so this erup- is 3.2°C above the ten-year average. Ice- by which all cars must have their winter a tourist (hint: the locals all don shorts guests at the Westfjords’ Rauðasandur tion seized all of our attention during the landic winters are often characterized by tires replaced with summer tires—how- and t-shirts while tourists are still decked festival in July had to be rescued from autumn months. frequent storms, but the stormiest period ever most people ignored that law this in full winter regalia). heavy winds, which were so intense that After the 2010 eruption in Eyjafjal- of the year turned out to be December. lajökull and the 2011 eruption in Gríms- Wind speeds of up to 65 m/s (234 km/h, vötn, both scientists and the general 145 mph) were recorded in Hamars- public have been mostly concerned about fjörður before the meter broke, and the dangers related to ash. This particular wind charts showed colours represent- eruption caught everyone off guard being the highest numbers the scale can cause, unlike the previous eruptions, it represent. The meteorologists must have wasn’t ash that caused a problem, but seriously considered adding a new colour rather gas pollution. There’s not a lot that to the scale. can be done when it comes to natural gas Flights were cancelled and people emissions such as these, so people just were asked to pick their children up from have to follow the news and try not get school, and everything that could blow too exposed to the air outside when the away did, including rooftops and people. wind blows in their direction. As such, A video of people in Reykjavík struggling most weather-related news in Septem- to walk across a road went viral, since ber and October was related to pollution they were rather blown down a hill into from the volcano. an underground parking lot. Fortunately, Thankfully most people were not af- the wind eventually died down and most fected too badly by the gas, but sales of people got to enjoy a picturesque white asthma medication increased quite dra- Christmas (including ice-rink style pave- matically as a result. After four months ments). MADE IN ICELAND www.jswatch.com of continuous activity, the eruption’s lava 3 With his legendary concentration and 45 years of experience our Master flow has now reached 1.1 km in volume, In summary: Mostly windy, a pretty shit- Watchmaker ensures that we take our waterproofing rather seriously. the largest volume of lava produced since ty summer, and rain in July. Somebody Gilbert O. Gudjonsson, our Master Watchmaker and renowned craftsman, Laki in 1783 (which was a slightly more somewhere owes us our 180 hours of sun- inspects every single timepiece before it leaves our workshop. sizeable 14.7 km3). The area is still closed light, but who cares, ELDGOS! 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The Reykjavík Grapevine 18 Issue 1 — 2015

The Year In | Art The Feminine Ways Icelandic Fine Art in the year 2014

Words & artwork by Ásmundur Ásmundsson, Fine Artist

At the beginning of a new year, it is absolutely necessary to take an honest inventory of the preceding one’s victories and mishaps in the field of the fine arts. The Reykjavík Grapevine is not the right platform for an honest and moral artistic introspection, as this publication is for tourists. When one stops to ask oneself a question (publicly), I believe in asking nicely.

I have a positive outlook on life, to communicate with the spirit ten referred to as lyrical and and I think the hard questions of the house itself and its own- sentimental, are made to evoke should be swept under the rug ers. The owners are good friends strong emotions in the viewer, until times are more favourable. with Ragnar and patrons of the and are successful at doing just Criticism should always be con- arts. They have decorated the that. Kristinn E. Hrafnsson, structive, but I prefer to avoid it house in a beautiful Selby-like born in 1960, is on the other hand altogether, because of our diffi- way. a hard worker in the field of Ice- cult situation. Everyone is trying I admit it—I fell into a trance. landic post-conceptual art, with to do their best, and this is the It was not unlike taking a nice a strong philosophical thread, a time for a celebration of the finer warm bath, as the artist himself ponderer of time, space, move- things in life. “The Disunion does in the most elegant scene, ment, relativity and the Icelandic Demon,” as the great writer where he sings the profound language. Guðmundur Andri Thors likes verse: “Once again I fall into my Hreinn Friðfinnsson’s ex- to call the negativity and anger feminine ways.” Another scene hibition bore a hilarious title: ‘A that seem to have taken hold of of beauty and simplicity is Kría portrait of a Sculptor as a Sculp- the nation, must be knocked out Brekkan playing the cello in a ture, with a Sculpture by the for good, because he seizes every nightgown. Absolutely stunning! Sculptor’. Kristinn’s show had opportunity to the push people I was not the only one in a an equally rib-tickling name: further apart, women and men. trancelike state; the whole audi- ‘The Big Dipper’. The former The feminine and the masculine. ence was lying on the floor like centres on Friðfinnsson’s videos This is not a good idea! dead bodies in the battlefield of of the young sculptor, Friðfinns- Big Bethel. I have only seen this son’s protégé of many years, 1. The New Sincerity kind of behaviour among jaded performing everyday feminine art viewers once before, and that tasks and ingenuous actions in The year started out with a was at the Tate Modern, when various public and private places bomb: B.O.M.B. I am talking Ólafur Elíasson (another Ice- throughout the beautiful city of about the nine-screen music vid- lander!) showed his Big Sun. This Reykjavík. In this series of vi- Icelandic sculpture.” The mostly Nína Sæmundsson’s “The Little If it wasn’t for "The Pearl eo installation ‘The Visitors’ by was before the credit crunch, gnettes, the stout sculptor tries minuscule works of these pio- Mermaid,” located in the cherry Necklace" and the generous do- Ragnar Kjartansson at Gallery when the sun still shone on our to reclaim the child within with neer women have been renamed pond. The work is based on H.C. nation of the mall’s owners, the Kling and Bang. The wonder- part of the world, like there was the help of instructions given by after book titles of the nineteenth Andersen’s fairytale, but the sculpture would most likely have ful artwork caught the world’s no tomorrow. But now is the the old master. It seems to have century novelist Jón Thoroddsen story behind Nína’s sculpture is been forgotten again. City of- imagination, and it is safe to say time of the feminine, and Ragnar had a beneficial effect on both of also a fairytale in the making. ficials held their breath on New that its author not only com- Kjartansson delivers the moon in them. I was not the only one Whether it will have a happy Years Day, anxiously waiting pletely defeated me (figuratively all its originality. And he does it In return, Kristinn Hrafns- in a trancelike state; ending remains to be seen. to find whether the sculpture speaking), but also conquered with utmost sincerity, but at the son made an equally captivating the whole audience The work was originally would survive the festivities. It the artworld (by storm!). Why same time with top-notch irony. tribute to his hoarier in a photo placed in the pond in the year did, and a well-known theatre is the work so special? Well, for And this perfect combo is what series titled ‘Nocturne on the was lying on the floor 1959. On New Year’s Day of 1960, director was quoted saying that one the music is gorgeous; com- makes Kjartansson’s work so Last Quarter’, where the elder's like dead bodies in the the statue was blown into smith- “The Little Mermaid is still alive forting and melancholic at the fresh. Ragnar is the king of the bald but very brainy head rep- battlefield of Big Bethel. ereens by avant-garde artists and gulls have been busy slowly same time. Somewhere between New Sincerity. resents the moon. The moon of and thugs, and was soon forgot- dressing her in a beautiful wed- Damien Rice and Bon Iver, but course signifies the negative, the ten. Forty years later, Smáralind, ding gown.” with that unique Icelandic sound 2. Beautiful passive and the wet. Once again, elder, the first novelist in Iceland. Iceland’s biggest shopping mall, Maybe it’s just me, or the that we at the Reykjavík Grape- the artists hopelessly fall into Notably, “Lad and Lass” by Þorb- opened its doors on the outskirts name of the park, or the Japa- vine love so much. Male Friendship their feminine ways. jörg Pálsdóttir, “Son” by her sis- of Reykjavik. The fact that the nese trees surrounding the pond, The visitors in this lyrical ter Ólöf Pálsdóttir, and “Man and mall resembles a giant phallus but last thing the bird droppings piece are Ragnar himself and his The odd couple Hreinn Frið- 3. The Women Woman” by Tove. when viewed from above makes remind me of is a wedding gown. bandmates, each located in a sep- finnsson and Kristinn E. Hraf- The name of the park has the story more intriguing. “The arate room in the “dilapidated” nsson collaborated and paid “The Pearl Necklace” is a brand angered feminists with its bla- Little Mermaid” by Nína was but elegant Rokeby Farm in up- homage to one another at their new, all-female sculpture park. tant reference to pornography, the centrepiece of the mall’s dé- state New York. The bandmates wonderful solo exhibitions at i8 It is located under the Japanese but I believe the officials were cor, and made many children communicate with each other gallery and Hverfisgallery, re- cherry trees (commemorating actually thinking of women’s happy until the amusement park telepathically, which enables spectively. Hreinn Friðfinnsson, the victims of Hiroshima and passion for glamour and expen- (where the sculpture was locat- them to jam together with a very born in 1943, is an elegant man Nagasaki) at Hljómskálagarður sive jewellery, so that criticism ed in front of an old-fashioned resounding and harmonious out- and a frontrunner of Icelandic Park. The sculpture park is “in seems a little far-fetched. My French carousel) was closed come. The musicians also seem conceptual art. His works, of- memory of the foremothers of personal favourite sculpture is down few years ago.

Einar Hákonarson, Farwell, 2011. Erró, Man with a Flower, 1985. The Elfschool Visit Iceland’s largest Do you want to know why 54% of Icelanders art museum belive that elfs do exsits? artmuseum.is

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Reykjavík HafnarHús kjarvalssTaðir Ásmundarsafn TryggvagaTa 17 flókagaTa sigTún 101 rvk 105 rvk 105 rvk Síðumúli 31, Reykjavík. - tel. +354-588-6060. - www.theelfschool.com Art Museum The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 1 — 2015 19

The Year In | Music Óbó A year in the life

Words by Ólafur Björn Ólafsson, Musician

We asked Mr. Óli Björn Ólafsson to write us a letter and talk little bit about the year 2014 as it pertained to him, since it was kind of monumental in his life. Yup, the local legend-slash-player of instruments for many of your favourite Icelandic bands (there’s a Tumblr dedicated to him out there) finally managed to release a solo album, ‘Innhverfi’. And it’s pretty goddamn wonderful (see, for instance, the Straumur list of 2014’s best releases elsewhere in this issue). You should read Óbó’s letter and then go like his Facebook page (facebook. com/obotheband), and then check out the delightful ‘Innhverfi’!

In contrast to the year 2013, I mostly spent 2014 at Midsomer Murders Festival at Harpa. When I grow My favourite home, in the land of ice and snow. up, I want to play like him. I was very impressed! concert was seeing Early in the year, I decided to finally release the I finally managed to finish Mo Yan's ‘Life And solo album I had been working on (on and off) for Death Are Wearing Me Out', a wild and funny novel Pekka Kuusisto about eight years. Considering that it takes less than and my favourite book of the year (although it was play a mixed bag half an hour to listen to, and that it has only seven published in 2006). of Bach and Steve songs, I must ask myself: What took me so long? (Or Fríkirkjan has been one of my favourite concert rather: What was I thinking?) venues, ever since I saw Bill Callahan and Joanna Reich in the great Other projects included designing the sound- Newsom perform there almost a decade ago. I was Midsomer Murders scape for the inside of a stranded whale in a gigantic thus very excited to stage my album release concert Festival at Harpa. devised theatre show by the harbour called Fanta- there, as part of Iceland Airwaves. That huge altar- star, as part of the Reykjavík Arts Festival. piece with JC on it was the perfect backdrop for my I felt privileged to play percussion in Valgeir Sig- stuff. urðssons’s ”Wide Slumber” project alongside a cast Most of all, I was very glad to spend most of the of great musicians, also a part of the Reykjavík Arts year at home with my family, after having spent Festival. so much time abroad in the preceding ones. Some Then I made music for a hilarious comedy at Bor- might even call that the comeback of the year. garleikhúsið. I had a lot of fun with that one. My favourite concert was seeing Pekka Kuusisto play a mixed bag of Bach and Steve Reich in the great

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www.gocarrental.is +354 551 1115 The Reykjavík Grapevine 20 Issue 1 — 2015 Welcome To The Dark Side Snow, darkness, SAD –Is it time to hibernate?

Words John Rogers & Elín Traustadóttir

Photos Sébastien van Malleghem & Nanna Dís

Winter is upon us. It’s here. Enshroud your very being in short, frosty days with only a few hours of sunlight, followed by long, frozen, windy nights. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Some handle it just fine, getting cosy at home as the weather settles in. But the less fortunate ones, the ones who really feel the lack of Vitamin D, will suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, SAD. They will struggle to get out of bed until spring arrives. Not being able to wake up in the morning becomes standard for many people; their lives become a bleak, sunless pit of frozen darkness. It’s hard. If winter is your least favourite season: we hear you. Janu- ary in Iceland can really suck. It has the shortest days and the coldest temperatures, which can in turn lead to a lack of energy, mood swings and difficulty sleeping, to name a few common side effects of SAD. Still! There’s hope! Whether you’re happily withdrawing into your home, feeling a bit drained, or struggling with the trials of full-blown SAD, there are plenty of things to do to brighten your days and your life. In this issue, we take a look at some options and activities—be they attending the first Ice- landic music festival of 2015, Dark Music Days, or making the most of Reykjavík’s many picturesque corners; or taking some advice from a psychologist or sleep specialist. What we mean to say is: we have some suggestions on getting through the bleakest midwinter. And, here’s some cold comfort: we’re already past the worst. Winter Solstice, December 21, marked the shortest day and the longest night of the year, when the North Pole was tilted away from the sun at 23.5 degrees. It’s already getting better by the day. From now on, your days will continue to get brighter, figuratively and literally. And, hopefully, our tips will help speed up the process. Erla’s private clinic is at Sálfræðiráðgjöfin in Laugavegur and she also runs a group The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 18 — 2014 insomnia therapy programme at Heilsuborg salfraedingar.is heilsuborg.is 21 Welcome To The Dark Side Darker Still SAD Times

We spoke to an Icelandic sleep specialist about the effects of winter—and how to fight back

When I meet working psycholo- symptoms of depression. gist and PhD student Erla Björn- "Depression in general, and of sdóttir, it’s already dark outside. course SAD, can get really bad,” Reykjavík’s streets are becoming she explains. “People can feel un- treacherous as compacted snow able to get out of bed at all—what freezes into sheets of slippery would help them most is to see If you’re living in ice, and the streetlights have people or take a walk, but they been lit for a couple of hours really just can’t. Some people already, throughout the late af- cannot get out of bed, mentally Svalbard, three hours ternoon. People clutch their hot and physically, when they suffer drinks in the coffeehouse, and this. So it can be serious.” of sun is a luxury a barman lights candles on the tables. The atmosphere is tangi- Stop the clocks bly hushed as the winter season When people suffer these kinds Photo hangs over the city. of problems, their first port of Paal Lumd Around 101’s many down- call is often their doctor. "Ice- www.shutterbirdproduction.com town bars and cafes, sleep is- landic people have the world re- sues become a common topic of cord in hypnotics use,” says Erla. Although at 64° N Reykjavík is the world's conversation at this time of year. “Last year there were eight mil- northernmost capital city, the most northerly Whilst some locals carry on as lion sleeping tablets prescribed permanently populated site on Earth is Sval- normal, others spend many ex- here, which is crazy. Sometimes bard. Located at 78° N, this Norwegian archi- tra hours in bed throughout the it is necessary to use antidepres- pelago is about halfway between the edge of dark Icelandic winter, rising at sants, and I certainly have noth- continental Europe and the North Pole. Winter noon as the sky finally begins ing against that. But in some age there is a three-month-long period of constant to brighten. Others still toss and groups we have 70% using sleep- night, in which a transient 2,600-strong im- turn all night, becoming strung ing tablets, when long-term us- migrant population live, many of whom are out, unwell and drowsy. age is very bad for your health. drawn to the earning potential of the 15% tax We need to admit that something rate and strong Norwegian currency. We asked isn’t right here—and I think the Erla Jóhannsdóttir, an Icelander who’s liv- SAD is real lack of daylight has something to ing on Svalbard this winter, how the Svalbard "Melatonin sets the internal body do with it.” blackness compares to Icelandic winter. clock,” Erla explains, “and morn- With this in mind, Erla is part "Locals in Svalbard talk just as much about ing light is important for melato- of a large-scale study to find out the light as Icelanders do about the weather, so nin production. In winter, people more about the sleeping habits there's a lot to say," she writes, communicating don’t see the morning light until of Icelanders in the dark months via Facebook Messenger. "When my boyfriend 11am, when they’re probably in that will examine, amongst other was preparing me for the 'dark season' last fall the office and too busy to look things, whether a change to the I was all like, 'Yeah yeah, I'm an Icelander, I out the window. Then, when they clock might benefit those having ments, such as cognitive be- know all about it!' But little did I know as I was leave for the day, it’s dark again. trouble. "Some people can havioural therapy. But it can be boarding the plane in Tromsö, I was having a So they don’t have enough mela- “We’ll send out question- a prohibitively pricey process. precious moment with the sun. I haven't seen tonin, which can cause sleep dif- naires to 10,000 Icelandic people feel unable to get out “The government doesn’t help daylight since, and won't see it again until the ficulties.” this January,” says Erla, “not of bed at all—what out with the cost of these treat- middle of February." Alongside other symptoms— necessarily about SAD, but about ments,” says Erla. “I think this is It's a huge difference, even from the three- such as lethargy, low moods and their general sleeping habits. We would help them most one reason that we see such an hour days of peak winter in Iceland, and men- even full-blown depression— want to know if Icelandic people is to see other people abnormal level of sleep medi- tally challenging for sure. The darkness messes winter sleep dysfunction comes are sleeping less than those in cine usage—it’s more affordable with the tempo in your life, and you have to under the term Seasonal Affec- nearby countries. The data from or take a walk, but for people to go to see the doctor make an effort to create a routine. For the first tive Disorder, also known by the this study will be very helpful in they just can’t. Some and get a prescription, but it can two weeks it seems a bit funny and exotic, but somewhat apt acronym SAD. A deciding whether changing the be difficult to get into a psychol- soon enough you feel how it affects your sys- quick Googling of SAD reveals Icelandic clock would be help- people mentally and ogist’s office.” tem. an ongoing debate within the ful.” physically cannot get "The most common practices for dealing medical community, with some But with so little daylight Searching for solutions with it are overdosing on Vitamin D, and going doctors and psychologists ques- available, how would a clock shift out of bed when they Erla is also involved in a for- to the solarium. I haven't been to the solarium tioning the existence of the con- help? “It would move what little suffer SAD. It can ward-thinking project that since I was sixteen! And, well, for many many dition. daylight we have to the morn- moves to remedy this via an locals, consuming alcohol is a popular way of “Well, it definitely exists,” ing,” says Erla. “We actually used get serious." online service for those unable surviving the neverending night. I would say says Erla, “but we need new stud- to have summer and winter time avoiding excessive consumption to pay for private therapy. “We that people don't talk much about depression ies to measure it. My feeling as a here in Iceland—I think it was of alcohol and caffeine, particu- have a web treatment now here here... more like just get drunk and deal with it. working psychologist is that SAD in 1969 when it was decided to larly late in the day. in Iceland at www.betrisvefn.is, It's very much a cowboy way of living up here. rates are high here. There are stick to the summer time. If we “I also highly recommend also available in Norwegian at There are a lot of coal miners. many of people suffering from a changed the clock by just one SAD lamps,” she says. “There www.somnify.com. The concept Luckily I'm very good at sleeping in after lack of energy, sleeping troubles, hour, we’d get six more weeks of are recent studies showing very is one I think we’ll see more and years of training in Iceland! My best advice for and a feeling of constant drowsi- light mornings, which could re- promising results. You have to more in the health system—that anyone living in a place with a short window of ness in the darkest months. Right ally help people suffering from make sure to use the right kind is, internet-based interactive daylight in the winter is to go outside and ab- now is the peak time in my clin- these problems.“ of lamp, an approved 10,000-lu- treatment. It’s an Icelandic en- sorb all the light you can, while you have the ic—we have a long waiting list.” men lamp, and to use it correctly, trepreneurial project by myself chance, and then enjoy the dark for the rest of when you wake up, for half an and two other young doctors, the day." hour. That should boost your en- SAD can get bad trying to find solutions for these If you’re interested in finding out more, SAD can cause all kinds of prob- ergy and help you sleep the fol- Today, we fight back problems.” check out www.svalbard.net. lems, from increased sick days at There is also a range of practical lowing night. At the sleep clinic, So, armed with Vitamin D work, to an impact on people’s measures that sufferers can take. all of us have a lamp on our table. supplements and sunlamps, and relationships and social lives. Erla recommends that people Between Vitamin D and sun with new studies and an English- Erla says the rate of drop-outs at take lýsi (cod liver oil) or Vita- lamps, this can help alleviate language self-treatment website Iceland’s high schools and uni- min D supplements throughout mild symptoms.” on the way, perhaps people can versities peaks in the winter as the winter, as well as simple but If those measures don’t work, sleep a little easier this winter. young people struggle to main- effective routines like exercise, there are psychologists in Ice- tain a normal schedule, as does socialising, balanced meals and land who offer specialised treat- the number of people reporting The Reykjavík Grapevine 22 Issue 1 — 2015

Remain In Light A survival guide for the darkest months

Words By Elín Traustadóttir & John Rogers

Main photo Sébastien van Malleghem

In Reykjavík and beyond, there are some chances are at their highest. Twitter is at sunrise and sunset. activities that are available only in the useful for real-time updates, but get out hallgrimskirkja.is / perlan.is winter season. January can be made quickly if you hear the lights are out— lofthostel.is / kolabrautin.is into a lively month, with a few ideas and they can be gone for the night after a a bit of willpower—never before has the dazzling ten-minute display. frozen city pond looked as inviting, or a www.is.gd/auroraiceland / glögg by the open fireplace seemed so extremeiceland.is tempting. Enter the glacier Get wet on purpose (for a change) January is peak season for winter tour- Hire a car and head out in search of wil- The hardest part is often deciding to do ism in Iceland. This is the season to head derness hot springs on the south coast something and getting going, so push out to Vatnajökull on an ice caving day (there’s a handy guide in our last issue, Dress to kill yourself to get out of the house and you’ll trip to experience the glacier’s vast and and on our website), or treat yourself to While many Icelanders choose to wear rarely regret it. Instead of dozing the ever-changing ice caverns. There are a a fancy spa day at the Blue Lagoon. For black at this time of year, make an effort morning away, you can flick on a SAD few companies offering trips, operating those on a budget, hit the city’s geother- to wear colours instead. Bright colours lamp, down some lýsi, pull on some co- buses from Reykjavík for an early start— mal pools with their naturally hot water, are proven to positively affect mood, so lourful clothes, and head out into the with any luck, you’ll see the sunrise as steam rooms and outdoor hot pots. No- Hit the slopes playful socks, scarves and hats will help There are two skiing areas, Bláfjöll and snow. you reach the southern coastline. body has ever felt worse after doing these exorcise the demons of darkness. Check Skálafell, both within a 25-minute drive glacierguides.is things, that’s a promise. out downtown stores like Gyllti köttur- from Reykjavík. There are buses avail- Catching the few rays that are available extremeiceland.is swimminginiceland.com inn, Kiosk and Spúútnik to brighten up able to either, and you can hire all the is best done towards noon, so it’s best your wardrobe. gear you need for just under 5,000 ISK. to get moving when the pink sunrise is gylltikotturinn.is skidasvaedi.is reflected from the snowy streets and kioskreykjavik.com / mountains. After 3pm it’ll get gradually facebook.com/Spuutnik darker, and that’s when you can line up some fun stuff from the list we’ve assembled for you.

Keep watching the skies Don't be an arsonist The Aurora Borealis is in full swing in There’s no reason to go mental and set January, and offers a famously fantastic spectacle, from a spectral green glow to stuff on fire for the light, FYI. Just go sit Be mothlike by the fireplace at Uppsalir Bar at Hotel dancing blues and pinks. You’ll have to There’s a lighthouse at the picturesque stay alert to see it—keep an eye on the Eat stuff Reykjavík Centrum instead. Grótta area, on the city’s western shore, This one is for your own health and san- aurora forecast, or take a tour when the hotelcentrum.is which can be reached on foot via a cause- ity. Don’t forget the Vitamin D supple- way at low tide. Yoko Ono’s peace tower ments and to stock up on avocados, shines bright from Viðey Island in the berries, bananas for vitamins—and city’s harbour, although boat rides to the anything colourful, just for the fun of it. island only operate at weekends in win- There’s a healthy, tasty selection of food Quality - Experience - Dedication ter. Because it’s freezing out there tbh. at the well-lit white-cube health restau- videy.com / rant Gló if you feel like eating out, and an imaginepeacetower.com oat milk latte at Reykjavík Roasters will do wonders for your spirits. EAST Learn Icelandic CITY glo.is / reykjavikroasters.is CITY at Mímir CENTRE Autumn Term Höfðabakki 9, 110 Reykjavík Öldugata 23, 101 Reykjavík Bus line no. 6 from city centre and Spring Term bus line no. 12 from Breiðholt Summer Term Get high The Perlan building has a gelato par- Walk on water Höfðabakki 9 Entrance to lour, a restaurant, and unencumbered Mímir-símenntun Level 1–5 When the city’s covered in snow, you’ll views looking in all directions, and is find downtown Reykjavík’s pond, open until 21:00 each night. Loft Hos- Tjörnin, deeply frozen. This is your tel’s roof terrace offers a great view of signal to go and cross it, always with a snowy central Reykjavík and white roof- company! Vesturlandsvegur tops. Kolabrautin, the restaurant at the www.visitreykjavik.is/tjornin-pond top of Harpa, has a two-for-one cocktail happy hour 16:00-18:00. Hallgrímskirkja www.mimir.is - Tel: 580 1800 church tower is open until 17:00 every day and offers beautiful views, especially The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 1 — 2015 23 MUSIC

STRAUMUR

Straumur’s Best Of 2014!

Straumur radio show airs www.straum.is Straumur Mondays on X977 at 23:00 Aðalstræti 9 t Words Óli Dóri & Davíð Roach 101 Reykjavík Photo M-Band

We at Straumur wish all you readers a happy new year, and hope 2015 will be a blast for all of us. But, before we dive head-on into the New Year, it’s time to reflect on what just Open from 16:00 happened. Behold, our absolute favourite Icelandic albums and songs from last year: on weekdays Best albums 3 Best songs 3 ÓBÓ GUSGUS INNHVERFI CROSSFADE and from 14:00 10 ASONAT 10 BOOGIE TROUBLE www.hafnarborg.is CONNECTION STEINUNN 9 GUSGUS 9 PÁLL IVAN on weekends MEXICO EXPANDING 8 BEN FROST 8 MYNDRA AURORA DISTANT LOVER 7 FM BELFAST With ‘Innhverfi’, Icelandic mu- 7 PINK STREET BOYS Full of nostalgic references BRIGHTER DAYS sic mainstay (and frequent EVEL KNIEVEL to the origins of dance mu- 6 BÖRN Sigur Rós keyboardist) Óla- 6 FM BELFAST sic, which double as sexual BÖRN fur Björn Ólafsson, Óbó, has THE END innuendos. Högni’s bright made a wonderfully alluring baritone in the chorus serves 5 album. Free from the clichés 5 as the perfect tonic for Daníel OYAMA that are often associated with M-BAND Ágúst’s dark verses that are COOLBOY the kind of music Óbó plays, EVER ENDING NEVER drenched in reverb. ‘Innhverfi’ was one of 2014 most pleasant surprises. 2 GANGLY 2 FUCK WITH SOMEONE ELSE PINK STREET BOYS TRASH FROM THE BOYS Oyama’s ‘Coolboy’ is packed Like GusGus, Jon Hopkins full of dreamy shoegaze, and Caribou on a massive wrapped in a combination bender in Berlin. A long night, of sounds that form a tight but you wish it would never union. end. Iceland’s answer to FKA Twigs. Brooding and futuris- 4 ‘Trash From The Boys’ is one 4 tic triphop featuring a trio of GRÍSALAPPALÍSA of the most exhilarating rock GRÍSALAPPALÍSA mysteriously unknown voices RÖKRÉTT FRAMHALD albums unleashed upon Ice- FLÝJA that are scrambled and bent land in recent memory. Re- like radio signals from a far- leased on cassette via Lady away galaxy. Boy Records last fall, the album viciously attacks all 1 senses at once, tantamount PRINS PÓLÓ to a blow to the face. PARÍS NORÐURSINS Grísalapplísa’s sophomore ef- Grísalappalísa diversified fort, ‘Rökrétt framhald’ (which 1 their sound on their second roughly translates as “A Logi- M-BAND album, as heard on “Flýja” Now offering cal Next Step”), is not as logi- HAUST (“Escape”), a dark ballad cal a step forward as the title that’s equal parts Lou Reed, suggests. In contrast to the Serge Gainsbourg and Bob catering service! band’s début, this record is Dylan. The string arrange- There was no question about all over the place—while ‘ALI’ ment’s exceptional, too. it. The dirty synth bass throbs, was much more of a concept kick drum on every beat and album, ‘Rökrétt framhald’ funny lyrics analyzing the features a tight selection of Hörður Már Bjarnason’s first main players in an archetypi- songs that work better on LP as M-Band, ‘Haust’, is a cal Icelandic fishing village, their own. dark soulful techno record push “París Norðursins” over that sometimes recalls Gus- the top. Concise, witty and an Gus at their best, with a little arrow through the heart of a bit of Jon Hopkins thrown into nation. the mix for good measure. The highlight of the album For more detailed lists (in Ice- is the splendid “Ever Ending landic, but with YouTube em- Open: Never”, with haunting vocals beds and stuff), head over to build around a repetitive, www.straum.is Mondays-Saturdays 11:30-22:30 bouncing synth line. Sundays 16:00-22:00 The Reykjavík Grapevine 24 Issue 1 — 2015

Music | Awards Behold! The Reykjavík Grapevine’s Third Annual Music Awards! Text by Haukur S. Magnússon Photo by Baldur Kristjáns

As a thank you for making SONG OF THE YEAR, we teamed up with Hótel Búðir to get Prins Póló a free night of rest and relaxation at the wonderful retreat.

The following is true: We at The Reykjavík Grapevine really like music. You could say we love it. We love music. Every goddamn person involved in this publication lives and breathes music every hour of every day. Every hour. It’s true. As a matter of fact, many of us were initially drawn to Reykjavík (and subsequently became involved with The Reykjavík Grapevine) following a long-standing fascination with the city’s vibrant music scene and the myriad of wonderful people that make it up. In light of this, it makes sense that we would celebrate the music scene that inspires us daily with The Reykjavík Grapevine Music Awards. It’s not like the Grammys or anything—there’s no red carpet ceremony (there is a kickass party for the victors and their friends, though)—but everyone gets something nice, like a meal at a fancy restaurant or a year’s supply of guitar strings. The idea boils down to this: we want to honour some of those wonderful people who make living on the edge of this desolate rock on the edge of the Arctic Circle bearable, enjoyable even. We want to heap them with praise and bestow fun prizes upon them. It’s our way of saying a little thank you in recognition of all the entertainment, inspiration and food for thought and conversation that musicians bring to the inhabitants of our chilly northern isle. We want to show our love, because we can. As always, you should feel free to fret and disagree with our panel. You could even write us a letter telling us why (for the last time: if it’s not an asshole letter, we promise to print it and everything!).

The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 1 — 2015 25

As a thank Prins Póló of being BAND OF THE YEAR we teamed up with our three-time best goddamn res- Band Of The Year 2014 taurant SNAPS for a invite to a luxurious dinner party at the restaurant. Prins Póló

Song Of The Year 2014 Those who have closely followed the devel- ist, influencing popular culture from the Prins Póló — París Norðursins opment of Reykjavík’s music scene over the sidelines as his uncompromising attitude en- The Prince Speaks past decade or so have undoubtedly derived sured he would never appeal to the masses. much joy from watching Prins Póló grow As the years have passed, Svavar’s aes- We called up Svavar and asked what advice There was never any doubt song can get. The melody, from strength to strength in recent years. thetic remains just as eccentric, his stance he would give to today’s loser teenagers who as to the song of 2014. The the beat, the lyrics, the at- Prins Póló is the solo venture of one Sva- just as compromising. But something weird harboured hopes to become Band Of The results were fixed from the mosphere and the attitude var Pétur Eysteinsson (joined on stage by has been happening lately. Svavar Pétur’s Year 2030. get go. Our prestigious panel all wonderfully complement his wife Berglind and their friends Kristján various projects (the latest one is a line of This is what he told us: barely bothered discussing one another, coming together Freyr and Benni Hemm Hemm), who made vegan sausages) have been gaining fans in the category, let alone argu- to form a perfect harmony of his first appearance on Reykjavík’s stages in the unlikeliest of places, and chief among “It took me a while to accept the fact that I ing their choice. The debate pure pop bliss that the world’s the early noughties playing with twee quirk- those is Prins Póló. had absolutely no shot at athletic glory, and went like this (we have it on most celebrated songwriters sters Rúnk (“Masturbation”) and quickly The Prince’s rise to glory has been a slow I would never be crowned Mr. Iceland in a tape): “So, song of the year... would be thrilled to accom- made a name for himself as a unique, fiercely and steady build-up that no one really saw beauty pageant. But, when I did, there were ‘París Norðursins’, right?” plish. With ‘París Norður- independent and perennially DIY-minded coming. It finally reached a tipping point no obstructions. It was just me and the gui- “Right.” sins’, Svavar Pétur and his artist. Throughout the decade, he further during the summer of 2014, when the band tar. “That’s alright then. cohorts have earned a perma- cemented his reputation through his work exploded all over Iceland’s airwaves via top What’s up next?” nent placement in Iceland’s with indie rock outfit Skakkamange (where pop hit “París Norðursins,” which was em- But, armed with a guitar you can go any- After we thoroughly pes- pop history. It is most cer- he is also joined by his wife), before making a braced equally by every facet of Icelandic where. One doesn’t need to be the world’s tered them to give us some- tainly the song of 2014.” name for himself as a hyper-creative cultural society, from ‘modern rock’ radio to com- greatest guitarist. Being the world’s worst thing to write about in this instigator-slash-entrepreneur, founding and mercial MOR stations to vapid tabloids and guitarist is also an advantage. And you don’t category, a panel member fi- running an independent book/music/art/de- TV stations. need to know how to read music and you nally remarked: sign store and called Havarí, which doubled All of the sudden, Prins Póló is every- don’t need to be good at math. You don’t re- “’París Norðursins’ is a as a cultural hub and meeting spot for Reyk- where, beloved, revered and celebrated. The ally need to be good at anything. You can be just about as perfect as a pop javík’s artists and musicians in the decade’s band of 2014, without doubt or question. And both ugly and stupid. latter half. the best part is: aside from a natural, gradual A graphic designer by trade, Svavar fur- evolution, his approach and aesthetic have But you can never be lazy, because that will ther made a mark on Icelandic underground remained the same throughout, as dedicated result in absolutely nothing. culture by creating book jackets, album cov- to the DIY spirit, as supportive of the under- ers and posters for his contemporaries, hon- dog, as inclusive and welcoming as ever be- What’s important is this: you need to believe ing his uniquely original, ever-evolving aes- fore. in yourself, and do what you want. Don’t get thetic while actively supporting local artists. Everyone loves an underdog proposition, stuck doing what others want to do. Music Despite many successes and impressive and it's with a lot of pride that we crown isn’t something you want to do. Music is projects, Svavar seemed destined to forever Prins Polo The Band Of 2014. something you need to do. And this is true of remain in the underground, an artist’s art- all creation. It has to happen, and while it’s happening, other things just need to wait.

Album Of 2014 M-Band—Haust

The Panel

As a thank M-Band for making ALBUM OF THE YEAR, we teamed up Flybus for year ticket from and to the airport.

Anna Ásthildur is one of the Óli Dóri is a well-known advocate The third man is none other than As our team of experts the scene and started “Expectations were newer arrivals to the local music of new and exciting music—Ice- local music legend Egill Tómas- quickly discerned, 2014 making waves. We are of high, but Hörður really scene. She brings a fresh perspec- landic and international—via his son. He's the longest-serving mem- was, in fact, a pretty course talking about M- came into his own with tive on what's happening, gleaned long-running radio show Straumur ber of the Iceland Airwaves team damn good year for Ice- Band, the musical outlet M-Band in 2014. After a via her varied work with Icelandic (tune in to X-ið 977 Monday nights (involved in the festival’s produc- landic music. We had es- of one Hörður Már Bjar- couple of years of devel- Music Export, the You Are In Con- at eleven pm) and through his tion since the beginning, pretty teemed veterans like Ben nason, whose stunning opment, ‘Haust’ turned trol conference and the Icelandic website, Straum.is. He can regu- much), and has as such amassed a Frost, GusGus and FM début album ‘Haust’ out to be a beautiful Music Awards. She's also part of larly been found playing records truly in-depth knowledge of Ice- Belfast dropping major (“Fall”) absolutely capti- and fully-formed work a downtown DJ duo called Myth at downtown’s top bars and clubs, land's music scene. Every year, releases, while newcom- vated anyone who came that incorporates both & Lazybones, and is an active en- and writes a monthly new music Egill closely observes the hundreds ers such as Börn, Pink across it. structure and sponta- thusiast of electronic music. That column for the Grapevine. Óli has of homegrown applicants the festi- Street Boys and Óbó hit neity—from pounding Anna, she’s so great! top-notch taste, and follows the lo- val receives, attending gigs, listen- hard with some unbe- Quoth the panel: “At the 4x4 rhythms to sim- cal scene with eagle eyes. We love ing through demos and dealing di- lievably accomplished start of 2014, Hörður had mering, poetic ballads that guy! rectly with most of the bands. Few débuts. already proved beyond and squalls of electronic people know more about Icelandic doubt that he is one of noise, ‘Haust’ is a won- music than Egill, so it is an honour After much debate and the most talented musi- derful debut led by pow- and a privilege to have him on our discussion, our team cians of his generation— erful creative instincts. reached the conclusion not only through his solo An instant classic.” that 2014 best goddamn work as M-Band, but also album was the work of as member of bands like a bright young whipper- Nolo, Retrobot, and next- snapper who just a short big-thing Tonik.” while ago crashed onto The Reykjavík Grapevine The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 1 — 2015 MUSIC 26 Issue 1 — 2015 26 You Should Have Heard This In 2014! Asonat—Connection Breakfast

As a thank Asonat for making a wonderful record in "Connection" we teamed up with Brunch our Bravó and Húrra for loads of free beer.

The “Most Overlooked” cat- best releases was also one that the fringes up until now. But the Björk-like stylings of sing- egory is where we try to shine failed to register with most ca- it is a great album that will er Oléna make ‘Connection’ a light on releases that might sual music listeners. appeal to almost anyone who worthy of anyone’s attention. have fallen under the radar for “It’s not really surprising gets the chance to gives it a For starters, check out album whatever reason, and people that Asonat’s ‘Connection’ chance. Electro veteran Rux- high-points “Quiet Storm” just need to hear. Right now. didn’t top any charts upon re- pin’s wonderful songwriting and “Before It Was” Don’t’ And this is pretty great, lease—they are after all a fairly filtered through the band’s miss out.” because, as we learned in our unknown group whose mem- unique and highly evolved discussions, one of 2014’s bers have mostly operated on soundscapes and topped with

Lunch Band To Watch 2015! Fufanu

Happy Hour

As a thank Fufanu for being awesome, we teamed up with Sushi Samba to invite Fu- fanu to a luxurious dinner party for six at the restaurant.

The experts all agree: Fufanu media representative that at- full-force into 2015, they are “Make sure you don’t miss is THE band to watch in 2015. tended Iceland Airwaves 2014, aided by an impressive record out.” “Fufanu totally knocked and it’s no wonder: when Fu- deal and some crucial celebrity Dinner the socks off almost every fanu are good, they are RE- endorsements—it is truly All international industry and ALLY good. As the band sails Eyez On Fufanu, 2Pac-style.” Live Band Of 2014! Pink Street Boys

K-Bar is a gastro pub with a Korean, Japa- nese, Icelandic inspired kitchen and quirky cocktails. We have eight icelandic craft beers on tap and over 100 types in bottles. Open all day from breakfast to late night snacks. K-Bar is located at Laugavegur 74. Ask your reception how to ﬁnd us or ﬁnd us on facebook.com/kbarreykjavik

As a thank Pink Street Boys for being such a great goddamn live band, we teamed up with musicians' haven Tónastöðin to get them a year's supply of guitar strings. Use them well, guys!

Picking the best live band last year. are a gang—morphs into a kind of band you want to expe- of 2014, was a no-brainer, as “Pink Street Boys are the force so in-your-face and bru- rience in a stadium. You need anyone who witnessed Pink band that Reykjavík so des- tal that the audience can be to be able to smell their body Street Boys in concert in 2014 perately needed. Their take on driven into a state of sheer he- odour. You need to see them will attest. sleazy garage rock may sound donistic insanity. They might now.” And, as we learned, our almost offensively basic at first not be able to command a panel certainly witnessed listen, but whenever they take stadium at this point in their Pink Street Boys in concert the stage, the gang—and they career, but then they aren’t the The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 1 — 2015 27 MUSIC

Band To Remember Amazing Þeyr 6 course menu

A unique Icelandic Feast

Starts with a shot of the Icelandic national spirit “Brennivín“ Arctic char with cucumber andcoriander Smoked puffin with yuzu mayo As a thank Þeyr for being awesome, we Minke whale teamed up with Kolabrautin to invite Þeyr with celeriac purée to a luxurious dinner party. Reindeer burger with portobello mushroom We made up the “Band To Remember” This year, our panel unanimously Icelandic free range lamb fillet category especially for all you tourist- agreed: “Whoever hasn’t heard Þeyr al- with cinnamon potato types (who might imagine that Icelan- ready, needs to hear Þeyr already. They dic music got off to a start with Ásgeir are the quintessential Icelandic band; And to end on a high note .... or Of Monsters And Men), so that you creative, mysterious, iconoclastic and “Skyr“ panna cotta with white chocolate might learn about some of the wonder- fiercely individualistic.” and raspberry sorbet ful, wonderful artists that preceded You need to listen to Þeyr. While you today’s hip modern artists. Think of it wait for their catalogue to download, 6.990 kr. as a sort of public service, and a sign of read Dr. Gunni’s take on the band’s Hverfisgata respect and gratitude. story, below. Lækjargata Lækjar- torg Laugavegur

In 1981, a flock of serious men came Þeyr and their close circle of friends Skólavörðust.

out of the woodwork clad in long black got involved with all kinds of mysteri- Skólastræti overcoats. They probably clutched a Joy ous ideologies. Occultism and mysti- Amtmannsstígur Ingólfsstræti Our kitchen is open Þingholtsstræti Division or a Þeyr record under their cism coloured the music and the band’s sushisamba 17.00–23.00 sun.–thu. Þingholtsstræti 5 • 101 Reykjavík outlook. The regular Þeyr fan tried his arms. Þeyr didn’t start out as the deep 17.00–24.00 fri.–sat. Tel 568 6600 • sushisamba.is young thinker's go-to band, though. No best to understand what Aleister Crow- sir, in 1979 the band approached Svavar ley, Nicolai Tesla, Wilhelm Reich, the Gests, a record mogul from another di- Illuminati and all the other stuff Þeyr mension, bearing two corny pop songs harped on was all about. that were representative of the music The band’s first 7 inch was called they were making at that time. Svavar ‘Útfrymi’ (“Ectoplasm”)—and includ- liked the songs well enough to agree ed “Life Transmission,” an ode to Joy to finance a Þeyr album to be released Division’s Ian Curtis, who had taken on the SG label that he’d run since the his life the year before. The record early 60s. came with a propaganda sheet where The band Þeyr were a group of the band declared that they wanted to friends who had been dabbling in have spiritual intercourse with the Ice- music since the mid-70s. They started landic nation. The record was released to record their pop songs during the on the band’s own label, Eskvímó, like winter of 1980, and had about half of most of their other records. a LP ready when they decided to take the summer off. During the summer Inducing tropical climates of 1980, the band got hip to all kinds Þeyr were pranksters. When ‘Iður til of new sounds through friends and fóta’ (“Innards at feet”)—a 10inch relatives—both progressive new wave featuring four accessible new wave and modern art music, such as Schön- songs—was released in September of berg’s. When the recording sessions 1981, the band issued a press release commenced in the fall, Þeyr’s sound claiming the album was equipped with was totally transformed. Also there had a weather control device. At that time been a lineup change: those who didn’t there was only one radio station in Ice- surrender to the new sound were cer- land. “It is remarkable that during the emoniously dismissed. days that the radio plays the record, Þeyr were on a roll. The band added Iceland experiences an almost tropical two guitarists to their ranks, Guðlau- climate,” they stated. gur “Godkrist” Óttarsson and Þorste- The band’s second LP, ‘Mjötviður inn Magnússon, who had played in Mær’, saw release in December of 1981. Eik, a progressive band that the Þeyr The term “Mjötviður” comes from Old boys had loved during their formative Norse mythologies, which is inter- years. His transformation to the new esting since the band’s main ideolo- style was celebrated with a ceremony gist, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, would during a Þeyr concert in February of much later become the high priest of 1981. He spoke of being “freed,” as his Ásatrúarfélagið, the religious organisa- long hippie hair was shorn on stage. tion for those who practice belief in the Old Norse gods. Iceland’s first new wave band It is a diverse album, its songs rang- Þeyr were called the first “new wave” ing from the soft instrumental song band in Iceland and had a very “new “Mjötviður” to the driving “Rúdolf”— wave”-ish stage presence. The mem- soon to be every drummer’s favourite, bers behaved like spastic robots and due to Sigtryggur Baldursson’s signa- sometimes the gigs would start with ture beat. Also to be found on the al- the members carrying in a coffin con- bum are experimental tracks such as taining the band’s singer, Magnús “Iss” and “2999,” which features the Guðmundsson. During the first song, sounds of a bulldozer that happened long and tall Magnús would rise from to pass the studio. The album got rave his coffin, and proceed to loom over reviews in the Icelandic media, the con- the crowd like a cross between Fran- sensus being that Þeyr were now in the kenstein and Dracula in his long black top league of Icelandic rock bands. leather coat, gravely singing and fro- Read the full story at zenly staring into the distance. www.grapevine.is The Reykjavík Grapevine THE BEST! 28 Issue 1 — 2015

Make sure it’s Elding! TOURIST

OF Call us on +354 519 5000 or visit www.elding.is

WHALES THE & DOLPHINS from Reykjavik all year round Elding Whale Watching schedule YEAR EL-01 / EL-02 / EL-03 Jan-Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov-Dec 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 14:00 14:00 14:00 17:00* 17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00* 20:30** 20:30 * From 15 May to 15 September 2014 ** From 15 June to 31 July

Words John Rogers

Wow, tourism really did dominate the landscape of debate here in 2014, didn’t it? We here at Grapevine have spent more time experiencing, arguing, analysing and pondering the effects of tourism on Iceland than maybe anything else. And there was some serious food for thought amongst it all. Are the tourists trampling our puffins and eating all our shark? Are we all going to wake up with a bulldozer outside of the house about to raze the buildings to the ground to build new hotels? Is Gulfoss going to LITERALLY EXPLODE FROM ALL www.elding.is THIS FOOTFALL?

Amidst the much-needed and overdue Bearing that in mind, we were particu- memorable things that happen—those conservation talk, hundreds of thousands larly taken with Kara Deniz’s account of tend to be more observational. One such of holidaymaking individuals came and left her search for a moment of peace amidst time was getting up on a Saturday or Sun- Iceland. And most of them seemed to have the busyness of everyday life. day morning, when the shops and cafes NORTHERN a pretty great time. It was fun for us to sift Kara didn’t find her most memorable were still closed and nobody was really through the stories they submitted to our moments drenched in the roaring of Sel- awake yet. I stumbled across the sculpture TOURIST OF THE YEAR comp. jalandsfoss or soaking up the party chaos garden by Hallgrímskirkja [at the Einar LIGHTS CRUISE of Kaffibarinn. She found them sitting on Jónsson Museum]. There was just one Here are some honourable mentions: the rocks of Reykjavík’s harbour, taking an other person there, who sat on a bench. early morning walk through empty streets, I took pictures of each sculpture and the »» The Hodson family, who had a valu- listening to the silence of her guesthouse plaques. To me those small moments are able camera go missing from under bedroom. Kara came to Iceland not de- the most memorable. I am somewhat in- their many noses, only to have it re- manding an experience—not to tick things troverted by nature, and I feel like I need turned in a mysterious fashion that off a pre-determined space and time to just be could only have been those pesky wish list—but with a blank and think. Iceland gets elves carrying out their mischief. canvas: open minded, THE GRAND PRIZE that—there’s a sense of attentive, and curious real calm. It’s a unique »» Maria Freestone and her friends, about what she would A trip to Iceland for culture.” Mak who expressed their admiration of find here. two, including air trav- “My one regret is that e sure el provided by Icelan- it’s the landscape by dancing on it wher- Kara also pulled off I haven’t had the oppor- Elding! ever possible, and filming them- some pretty great writing dair, plus three nights tunity to travel outside selves doing so (ronk-a-donk). in her submission. Read at the stylish Reykja- of Reykjavík. The city is her story: it’s right here. vík Hotel Marina (and wonderful, but I feel like »» Kristen Read and her friends, who So. After much delib- drinks at GV HQ)—was the tourism advertising hired a car in Keflavík, and quickly eration, we decided to provided in collabora- Iceland as a stopover is Daily departures from 15 September discovered a flat tyre, and then a flat name Kara our TOURIST tion with Inspired by ironic, as it’s more of a spare tyre, but didn’t let it stop them: OF THE YEAR. Congratu- Iceland. “Honourable destination in itself. It’s Call us on +354 519 5000 they drove around the country anyway. lations, Kara. You get a mentions” each get fitting with my style to or visit www.elding.is free trip to Iceland, for a bunch of Icelandic rent a car and just get »» Brendan Canty (unfortunately not the you and a buddy! goodies. out there and discover Fugazi drummer as far as we can tell) things for myself—to made a great film from lots of shaky Absorption interact with the space handheld footage that we felt really “I’ve always felt inter- and nature a little. I think captured the essence of an Icelandic ested in Iceland,” says Kara, after we told I’d like to see it in person and get a sense road trip. her over the phone of her winning entry. “I of what the rest of the country looks like.” don’t remember what sparked it. So when AND THE WINNER IS... the opportunity came to travel to Europe, So, Kara: now’s your chance to get out Of the multitude of reasons folks cite when I suggested an Iceland stop. I spent time there! Enjoy the trip, and thanks for your attempting to explain that peaceful trance downtown, sat in Kaffitár, and watched mindful approach to tourism and your Iceland exerts on its visitors, we noticed the people walking by, watching how thoughtful account of your time here. Now that for many it’s the small things that they spoke and interacted. I really wanted you’ll get the chance to get out of the city make their trip special. Brendan Abbott to get a sense of the people, that’s how I and find some more peaceful moments remarked that when he bought a hand- travel. We went running along the harbour out there in the wilderness. knit sweater in a far-flung rural craft store, and I sat in the rocks and looked out and Now, read her winning essay. the shopkeeper knew Lóa, the woman just absorbed it all. We went around the who’d knitted it, and told him some small bar scene. Our outward flight was early, facts about her for a truly personal touch. when it was still dark—it was over quickly, Observations like these display a mindful but it made a big impression.” and keen-eyed approach to travel, and we “I do like to pick off the hot spots when enjoyed them the most, perhaps. travelling, but they never entail the most WELCOME TO APOTEK RESTAURANT Apotek Restaurant is a new and exciting restaurant located in one of Reykjavíks most historical buildings in Austurstræti 16. Apotek is a casual smart restaurant, oering delicious food in vibrant atmosphere and stylish surroundings. The menu is a fun mix of Icelandic and European cuisine with a smoking hot Argentinean grill. Must try dishes are our Icelandic rack of lamb, fresh seafood and 60 days dry aged rib eye.

Kara´s Story OPEN 11:30–23:30 Mondays – Thursdays 11:30–00:00 Fridays and Saturdays 17:00–23:00 Sundays I haven’t picnicked on an iceberg or American accents I heard through the searched for my own lost self. I was per- steam, clutching plastic cups with beers haps a rather boring tourist, from an out- in their hands. APOTEK RESTAURANT Austurstræti 16 101 Reykjavík [email protected] apotekrestaurant.is sider’s perspective. I didn’t flirt with death On my second day, I sat on the rocks by nature, and I didn’t lose myself. near Harpa, looking out at the mountains. I did find something, though, that I I focused on the still water and waiting for hadn’t been looking for. I found in Iceland that silence, that silence I craved for so something rare in our modern world. many years, and which I felt in that same I found: silence. spot five years ago. Just then, a Caterpil- I found it in 2009, the first time I visited lar construction truck ploughed by me, Iceland. As I sat on the putting rolls of grass harbour, breathing in I would hope that oth- into the openings the clean air and look- er tourists to Iceland in the cement. The ing at Mount Esja, I felt workmen yelled at it. It was the stillness experience the same each other while the I’d never felt before. I thing, but even if it’s engine roared. The si- became aware then my own personal con- lence was lost before for the first time that it was found. silence wasn’t the nection, I appreciate it What if I would absence of sound. It nonetheless, or maybe never experience it wasn’t the absence of again? What if Iceland anything. It was the even more. The si- had lost that singular presence of peace. lence was there and it quality? Since I’d been The world was calm lasted until I absorbed there before, there and I was, too, for the was considerably all of it, enjoyed it for first time in a long more construction Aðalstræti 10, Reykjavík September — May time. going on, and more Opening hours all that it was Museum of Design and Applied Art, Garðabær After that, I never noise. I mean, come 9:00 — 18:00 weekdays heard the silence again. Since 2009, I’d on, the place now even had a penis mu- (354) 517 7797 — [email protected] 10:00 — 17:00 saturdays travelled to Istanbul, Amsterdam, London seum! Find us on Facebook 12:00 — 17:00 sundays and Lisbon. I’d gone into the woods in That night, as I sat in my guesthouse the United States and sat by still ponds, room on Gunnarsbraut, which faced the but there was always that something—a garden in the back, I finally felt it. The cricket, a bird. There was the sound in my moment was full, of peace, serenity. I was mind of the phone calls unanswered as I calm. I would hope that other tourists to TVEIR HRAFNAR took time to walk in nature, or the voice Iceland experience the same thing, but listhús, Art Gallery of my relatives or friends. I needed that even if it’s my own personal connection, offers a range of artwork by silence. It completed something in me in I appreciate it nonetheless, or maybe contemporary Icelandic artists a way that I hadn’t felt before. even more. The silence was there and it represented by the gallery, Years went by, and it seems the world lasted until I absorbed all of it, enjoyed it selected works by acclaimed artists and past Icelandic became more stressful for everyone. As for all that it was. I smiled and continued masters. technology expanded, it made the world reading The Reykjavík Grapevine. Örvar Hallgrímur Helgason smaller, and brought us together while the cat was found! The Icelandic sense of Húbert Nói Jóhannesson pulling us apart. The phones and emails whimsy was strong as ever. The painting Jón Óskar flooded. Everyone’s lives became busier. of puffins and white horses stared at me Óli G. Jóhannsson Ragnar Þórisson The world became even more rushed. from the wall. Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir Just when I felt at the end of my rope, I may not have done anything wild Also works by: by fortune a stopover on a work trip in and wonderful like hike a mountain, get Guðbjörg Lind Jónsdóttir 2014 brought me back to Reykjavík. I lost on the North Atlantic or discover Hulda Hákon didn’t have time to go to the glaciers or elves, but I’d like to think I’ve discovered Sara Oskarsson Gullfoss. I wanted to visit the Goat Lady, something truly special about Iceland. Kristján Davíðsson Nína Tryggvadóttir but that took time I didn’t have. I was in And it’s more than I need to keep me – among others a hurry. I never did get to experience the coming back. geysers, or to ride a horse. At the Blue La- TVEIR HRAFNAR listhús, Art Gallery goon I was hardly a special tourist, more Go to www.touristoftheyear.is Baldursgata 12 101 Reykjavík (at the corner of Baldursgata and Nönnugata, facing Þrír Frakkar Restaurant) Phone: +354 552 8822 +354 863 6860 +354 863 6885 [email protected] www.tveirhrafnar.is of a cliché. I lost count of all the other Opening hours: Thu-Fri 12pm - 5pm, Sat 1pm - 4pm and by appointment +354 863 6860 through an alien but familiar landscape, accompanied by man-sized flies, their "2014 was the year of smiles made from crooked fishbones. the Excel spreadsheet. There is a hump on my back. I can- Not in business, where not walk upright anymore. It itches all Three Lessons it belongs, but in From 2014 the time. I tried scratching it, but quickly pulled my hand back in pain. It was bleed- politics. It‘s all about the Katrín Jakobsdóttir ing from tiny puncture marks, almost as if bottom line." I'd been bitten. I asked my friend to take a chair of the Left-Green Party look, but he said there was nothing there. I just had bad posture is all, I just needed I think of 2014 as the year in which we exercise, to have a positive attitude, to try I’m all for spending wisely, especially learned three important things about this new diet he was on. when politicians are portioning out our society and the world we live in. Every day I see more people walk- taxpayers’ hard-earned money. It’s the First, through new research into inequal- ing hunched over, pained expressions on “wisely” part I worry about. Politicians ity—such as Thomas Piketty’s ‘Capital in their faces, still sweating from whatever seem to actually think that you can some- the Twenty-First Century’ and various nightmare they have just woken up from. how divide everything into debit and studies on trickle-down economics and But there's nothing there. Nothing that I credit. the legacy of neoliberal polices—we have can see. But I know it's there. Most people know better. We certain- come to realize what we always suspect- There is something growing on my ly need to make sure that the taxpayers’ ed: Inequality will only get worse unless back. But there's no need to worry. It'll money used to run the state broadcaster we really decide to do something about it. work itself out. No need to worry. It'll be is used wisely, but in that case “wisely” And we have to, as its effects are proving fine. is not the same as “turning a profit.” Cul- detrimental to the general public. Unfor- It'll work itself out. It'll work itself out. ture is not profitable. But creative people tunately, we see a reverse development in It'll work itself out. tend to panic and start to fill in their own Iceland, with various government poli- cultural spreadsheets with all kinds of cies that will further increase the gap be- direct and indirect debit, hoping that tween the rich and the rest. the politicians will believe that culture pays in the one sense they understand, "These two phenom- because they seem to be utterly incapable ena, rapid environmen- of comprehending that something can be rewarding in any other sense. tal change and growing I worry that we won't stop at taxing inequality, are probably We Need A Revolution books, but will try to figure out a bottom the biggest sources of Lilja Rafney Magnúsdóttir line for literature, that we won't stop at nibbling at radio programmes, but will conflict in the modern MP, Left-Green Party put a price on culture as a whole, that we world. " will actually start to believe that we can Nature was generous to Icelanders in calculate the value of nature. I'm worried A second fact that we are confronted 2014: the ocean provided, the land was that we forget that most of us tolerate Ex- with is that of climate change. In 2014, fruitful and we were visited by an unprec- cel as a necessary evil while what makes the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate edented amount of tourists. If we weren’t us tick are other things. Change delivered its fifth assessment stuck with our godforsaken government, And we have to be able to throw a report on the issue, giving even more se- we would be doing well as a nation, over- lifeline to those who will never be able to rious warnings than ever before. As the coming the recession, strengthening show a healthy bottom line. panel makes clear, it is time for immedi- our foundations and infrastructure and ate and substantial action to reduce car- increasing general equality. We should bon emissions. We have seen a reverse have learned, from bitter experience, to development in Iceland, the current gov- steer clear of the policies that caused the ernment having undermined most of the collapse, we should have turned from the efforts to reduce emissions instated by its path of greed, inequality and the privati- predecessors. zation of our shared resources. These two phenomena, rapid envi- We are instead being lead back to Hope And Change ronmental change and growing inequal- the slaughter at Mammon’s altar, hav- Kristján Hrannar ity, are probably the biggest sources of ing climbed right back on the very same conflict in the modern world. It is a sad carousel that we crashed in the collapse, musician state of affairs that too many believe that with no end in sight. conflict and disagreement can only be re- At the beginning of the New Year, we The year that just passed was insane for solved through the use of force, a solution as a nation must shake off our slumber both me and my family. My battle with that rarely works, as history has repeat- and refuse to be seduced back into the alcoholism and (at the time unbeknownst edly demonstrated. swamp. We need to get rid of the cursed to me) co-dependency continued. I went And, finally: We have seen how pre- government as soon as possible—before it into rehab in February, only to relapse in cious and important real democracy and manages to lay even further waste to our April. I was subsequently admitted to a real protection of human rights is for the welfare and educational systems, our so- closed psychiatric ward after a suicide at- people of the world. At the same time, we ciety’s foundations—and instate one that tempt. My parents kicked me out, putting have witnessed how easy it is to erode and places an emphasis on equality, justice my pregnant wife in a very unexpected undermine these them, leaving those on and sustainability. and terrifying situation. the periphery to lead a life devoid of nec- What I am calling for is a revolution, It wasn't until June, when I started si- essary freedoms, opportunities and secu- a revolution that begins in the heart and multaneously battling my alcoholism and rity. mind of every individual. Together, we co-dependency, that I made some recov- can defeat the destructive course that’s ery. My wife didn't leave me, although the embodied in the latest state budget, relationship was hanging on a thread. I where heavy burdens are placed on the am so lucky to be a family man today. The least fortunate of us, and the wealthy and life I have now is better than I ever dared powerful are pampered and subsidized. hope for. So yes, 2014 was quite eventful! We as a nation are at a crossroads. We For the future: As a society, I think have every opportunity to make a good we're heading towards more transpar- Growth life for every Icelander from Kópasker to ency in the political field. It's easy to be Reykjavík; we can well afford to maintain pessimistic and go on about how populist Alexander Dan great healthcare and educational sys- movements are getting more shameless author tems, to and foster equality and to protect and power-hungry. But I think it's due our nature. It’s in our hands. to the fact that the internet and the new There is something growing on my back. I media aren’t letting them get away with can't see it, but I know it's there. as much bullshit as they used to. Bad de- At first I thought it was a zit, oozing cisions, ignorant politicians and blatant viscous fluid, troubling my back as I went corruption are now more visible than to sleep. As it grew it felt more like a boil, ever—but I sincerely hope that's not be- throbbing and seething with pain. My cause there's more of it going around. The sleep became more distraught, festered media's responsibility has never been so with murky visions of lumbering moun- vital in shaping the social discussion, and tains rising and falling with each breath, A Bottom Line For this will remain true throughout 2015. their lava-filled innards rotten and boil- Culture, Nature And ing out. Life Itself I tried piercing it with a red-hot needle, but I could not see where it was and Ragnhildur Sverrisdóttir every time I felt like I found its exact spot communications officer, I stabbed myself, just missing the ach- ing centre of the boil. I asked my wife to Novator pierce it for me, but when she looked she saw nothing there. 2014 was the year of the Excel spread- I could not lie on my back because sheet. Not in business, where it belongs, of the bump that had formed there. My but in politics. It‘s all about the bottom dreams were vivid, senseless journeys line. THETHE LOCALLOCAL BEERBEER WORLD’SWORLD’S BESTBEST STANDARDSTANDARD LAGERLAGER

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South Iceland The Glacier Tour Is Great (If You’re Not Paranoid) The entertainment value unravelled

Words Elín Rós

Photos Anna Domnick

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Distance from Reykjavík Langjökull: 97.3km

“Golden Circle! Langjökull gla- an impressive chimney, furi- beneath us spanned hundreds helmet that rendered me tem- we suck at this whole snowmo- cier!” Our enthusiastic driver ously spurting out steam from of metres. porarily deaf. I looked like a biling thing, we were also stalled Langjökull Hjörleifur Kristjánsson, “Hjölli” the earth. After a scenic stop The sun was slowly rising sofa. A cold smack of air hit my by having to stop and shoot pho- to us, calls out the day’s des- at Þingvellir, we had arrived at and its mango colour was strik- squashed face and the sound of tographs at regular intervals. Langjökull is the tinations as he presents the Gullfoss and Geysir—the lords of ing against the blue sky, pro- the cracking snow under my feet A few rounds on the glacier gigantic truck that will chauf- the Golden Circle—where new jecting an intense sunlight onto ran up my body like lightning. was “all” we had time for, but the second largest ice feur us around. His demean- arrivals to our group flocked to the snow that stung in my eyes. Our instructors showed us effort that it took us was embar- cap in Iceland after our indicated that the “ooohs,” the coach: an Icelandic couple I knew they would recover, but to the snowmobiles and quickly rassing. Indeed, an hour’s ride Vatnajökull, measuring “aaahs,” and “wows” emitted by and an English-speaking father I could only pray for my stom- briefed us on the proper safety makes for quite the workout, as the group in response came as with his two sons. Our journey ach to do the same. An intense precautions. “The ice is re- you employ basically every sin- at 953 m2, 50km long no surprise, as he pointed to the continued, our final destination sensation of motion sickness ally thin in some places, so you gle one of your muscles. The key and 15-20km wide. Its extended steps that appeared fast approaching. overtook us as we skated and want stay on the beaten path,” to a successful ride, I learned, is from underneath the coach like “Impassable,” read two signs bounced along the curvy road. they stressed. A reminder from balancing out the snowmobile last eruption was back a magic carpet. Photographer on each side of the road shortly We gasped and uttered sounds before—a deep crack in the ice when you make a turn. Keeping in 925 AD. Anna Domnick and I took our after Gullfoss, and a blanket of of terror as we raced down the right next to the road—made this up the speed is important too, Langjökull was the seats, wiggling with excitement snow loomed ahead. “Buckle up, steep slope and flew through the easy to believe. Each passen- but I can’t remember why. for the upcoming trip. you don’t know who I am,” Hjölli air before hitting the next one. ger got a personal snowmobile, At the end of the day, our en- setting of where the Hjölli, an energetic and infor- shouted as he hit the accelera- My travel companion became but those lacking in confidence tire group was blissfully high on pieces of the nuclear- mative man, is a member of the tor pedal, causing the decked so ill that she moved to the front could opt to ride with a buddy. adrenaline and glacial beauty, Icelandic rescue team, the ICE- coach to skate on the snowy where she sat right next to the Perhaps unsurprisingly, photog- with several members enquir- blasted Iron Giant fell SAR, and a true connoisseur of surface. The glacier received us driver. The skating and bouncing rapher Anna and I were the only ing about longer tours. Anna in the 1999 animated extreme sports—perfect for the with open arms, and there was was surely done to entertain and ones that went for the latter op- and I glanced knowingly at one science fiction film of job. He started bombarding us no going back. Civilisation was impress the guests, and every- tion. another, secretly relieved that with information as soon as we far behind. one else seemed to enjoy it very Of course, we soon found this ordeal was over. I took a last the same name. sped up Lækjargata, heading Crossing the glacier, we much. ourselves at the back of the look at the breath-taking scen- Scientists have out of the city. Anna and I sat spotted a few hunters carry- I , however, had to do my best chain, struggling to steer the ery: the mountain of ice, hidden at the back with our gear and ing rifles on their backs, quietly not to throw up in my seat. machine and trying hard not to lagoons and ice cracks that re- raised concern over equipment spread out all over searching for tasty ptarmigan fall off. Everyone, including an flected my helplessness. the melting of the the five-seat row, and listened for their Christmas dinners. Our On our own eleven-year-old boy, overtook us Finally, safe and sound on the glacier due to global attentively to every word. As our snowmobiling instructor would When I finally took my first step as we stalled the snowmobile a coach to Reykjavík, I told myself excitement intensified, we be- later tell us that those hunters on the glacier, it felt like what I number of times (this was usual- I must do it again one day. Then, warming, with some came slightly agitated. were seeking their prey in all the imagine being on the moon must ly caused by us driving off track, we all fell asleep like children fearing it may be com- wrong places: “They’re wasting feel like. Certainly, my appear- or our attempts to make sharp being driven home from the pletely gone in as little A high-level fun fair! their time trying to search for ance underscored the notion, turns). Quietly awaiting help as playground. “Those here are marshmallow ptarmigan here,” he noted, add- as I was wrapped up in ice gear: the others showed off in the hills as 150 years. fields and this, what do you ing that glaciers aren’t very hos- thick overalls and a 66° North and the talented instructor did think this is? A cloud factory!” pitable to living beings. He then down coat underneath, my head his tricks eventually saw us los- Hjölli announces as we pass informed us that the layers of ice engulfed in a black globular ing all confidence. Not only did

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thing one can support and identify with, own country; we thought we were kind We also witnessed the collapse of the a party with a vision for the future and a and tolerant and peaceful and welcom- Icelandic healthcare system as our gov- goal of making Iceland (even) better. The ing; we thought we had agreed to fight ernment diverted funds to a small group worst possible outcome is terminal sta- inequality and safeguard the communal; of homeowners, to enforce a so-called We Need 1,000,000 sis—and/or an eruption in Breiðholt. we even thought our politicians—also Hope In Dangerous “correction.” those we disagreed with—were mostly We are now learning that the our Humans, Stat intelligent and ultimately reasonable and Times the State Church will also get its very Dr. Gunni well-meaning people. María Lilja Þrastardóttir own “correction” from the state, while All of these conceptions were shat- thinly veiled nationalists (fascists?) try writer, musician tered. We have come to understand that a journalist/provocateur their best to stir up fear against Muslims, political system that allows for such rapid mosques, and anyone of foreign descent At the end of 2014, we find ourselves in- disintegration of our social structures The year 2014 has left me asking what it (along with “foreign food” (?!?)). habiting a Western welfare state, a pretty and values must be seriously flawed. really means to be Icelandic, and wheth- These are some dangerous times, for good one thank you very much. However, In 2015, the divide between the reac- er that might be something I should feel Iceland and for the rest of the world. I sin- we need about a million more people to tionary and the progressive margins of embarrassed about. Because looking cerely hope that the year 2015 will be the make things more interesting and fun. Shattered Conceptions Icelandic society will come into sharper back, I kinda do. year of public uprising, where we unite to The coming year will bring endless Atli Bollason focus, and the near-perfect image of the For Iceland, last year was marked by fight corruption, racism and inequality. nagging about our horrible government quirky, chipper, innovative and liberal a plethora of major scandals, especially May the force be with us! and the garbage Progressive Party. This DJ, writer, scholar, flâneur nation under the Arctic Circle that we in the fields of politics and law enforce- will ultimately prove inconsequential, like to recognize in the mirror will crack. ment. We witnessed our politicians because the bourgeoisie will inevitably In 2014, we saw that politicians are not Here's hoping we won't have another and oligarchs make sickening attempts fall for whatever new hocus pocus tricks afraid to attack institutions and ideals seven years of the bad luck we had in to shut down any and every attempt at our rulers will come up with for the next that some of us had—naïvely, I admit— 2014. investigative journalism. We were sub- elections. come to take for granted. We thought jected to the nature pass, attempts to The year’s optimal outcome—since we all agreed to keep public radio alive; militarise our police force, Biggi the cop, it’s not very realistic to imagine we’ll get we thought we all wanted lower taxes on Hanna Birna, livestock farmers’ system- an extra million people to Iceland by the culture and healthy foods and a higher atic mistreatment of animals, a corrupt end of 2015—is that some great new polit- asking price for natural resources; we dairy monopoly, the Progressive Party... ical party will make itself known. Some- thought we were forever free to roam our the list goes on. And on. And on.

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Festival Season Forever! Sónar Reykjavík is back! We talked to them! experience classical cuisine Words by John Rogers Photo Todd Terje After reading about all the SAD and darkness in this issue, are you now dreading the dark and icy stretch of February? Well don’t shit yourself quite yet, friend, because the Sónar festival has fixed that for you. Amtmannsstíg 1 • 101 Reykjavík • +354 561 3303 • www.torfan.is

After reading about all the SAD and dark- and as we enjoy the support of the local ness in this issue, are you now dreading music scene and our partners in develop- the dark and icy stretch of February? Well ing the festival, it’s kind of business as usu- don’t shit yourself quite yet, friend, be- al. We’re making sure the artists are tend- cause the Sónar festival has fixed that for ed to, arranging logistics such as flights, you. hotels, and technical riders. We’re talking Taste the best For the uninitiated, Sónar is an event to the media people that are coming over franchise that started in the balmy climes for the festival. In essence this is the time of Barcelona back in 1994. Over the years, where the promoter learns whether his it’s developed a mighty reputation for un- preparations have been good or bad, and earthing new electronic music, becoming I think we are in a good shape for our 2015 of Iceland ... a veteran festival brand—today, Sónar has edition. run festivals and events in over 50 international locations, from LA to Buenos Aires Are there any new surprises in the to Frankfurt to Tokyo. In 2015, it’ll once works for the lineup? more swap the shades and flip flops for The reception to the lineup has been bet- ... in one amazing meal some warm extra layers and head to Ice- ter than we could have hoped for. We can land, bringing with it a choice menu of cut- honestly say that we can’t find a 3,300-ca- ting-edge electronica music and all kinds pacity festival in Europe offering same of assorted cross-genre wonderment. kind of artists, in size and popularity. We ICELANDIC GOURMET FEAST The three-day party, which runs Feb- are thrilled and happy on behalf of our au- Starts with a shot of the infamous ruary 12th-14th, is once more housed in dience. Icelandic spirit Brennívín the various rooms of the Harpa concert hall. It has proved something of a hit with Are there challenges in bringing the Followed by 7 delicious tapas hard-partying techno-tourists over the last event to a comparatively small coun- Smoked puffin with blueberry “brennivín” sauce couple of years, eventually selling out in try like Iceland? 2014, and tickets are apparently going fast The Sónar brand has made all the differ- Icelandic sea-trout with peppers-salsa after the announcement of big names like ence—that, and us creating a history as Lobster tails baked in garlic Skrillex, TV On The Radio, Todd Terje and Sónar Reykjavík, creates an attraction that Jamie xx, along with a host of local talents makes most of the challenges seem insig- Pan-fried line caught blue ling including Ghostigital, Mugison, Samaris nificant. The support of Icelandair, City of with lobster-sauce and Sin Fang. Reykjavik and other of our partners has also been vital in getting the festival at the Grilled Icelandic lamb Samfaina Grapevine is on board place where it is now. Minke Whale with cranberry & malt-sauce Because of all this awesomeness, Your Friends At The Grapevine signed up to be Are you guys happy to be partnering And for dessert an official Sónar media partner for 2015. with Grapevine? White chocolate "Skyr" mousse with passion What does this entail? Well, we’ll be cov- It seemed like a natural thing—Grapevine fruit coulis ering it a bunch. We probably would have does a great job in covering music and anyway. To celebrate this, we caught up cultural activities in Iceland. We just hope with the festival manager Björn Steinbekk we can bring something interesting to the for a few words about what’s going on as paper and its online platform. 6.990 kr. the festival draws near. Keep an eye on www.sonarreykjavik.com How is the festival coming along? this week for more exciting news. late night dining What are you guys doing now in the Our kitchen is open preparations? As we are very fortunate to have a close until 23:30 on weekdays RESTAURANT- BAR group of people working now on Sónar and 01:00 on weekends Vesturgata 3B | 101 Reykjavík | Tel: 551 2344 | www.tapas.is Reykjavik for the third consecutive year, This is a poem by our friend and frequent contributor Snorri. The Reykjavík Grapevine FOOD This seems like the perfect time to print some poetry. Enjoy! POETRY 36 Issue 1 — 2015 GROUND ZERO

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Entrepreneurs of all progres- transferred—via clandestine labyrinths of square, surrounded by fishhook-like flag- sive Lebensraums, reunite! Artfully insert Nobel Prize plumbing—deep into the rav- poles and haunted crystal meth palaces, a your edgy index fingers into the generous ening nostrils of runaway marionettes. hole in the ice-covered ground draws 360 soil! May infinite amounts of holy bread degrees attention. Around it, a uniformed and healing circuses pompously flood the FIX brass band of malformed misfits plays farmsteads of your enemies' sacrilegious Strawberry Fields. A jet black and empty lands! Pray for a final solution—for a fulfill- Suddenly, seemingly unallied bus driv- faced, genderless mortal—its iron-coated ing end to their growths, to their gains, to ers mightily strike, staging an unforeseen neck garnished with endangered snakes— their plagues, to their poisonous breaths! coup as they abandon their means of pro- monotonously repeats a forbidden refrain duction en masse, leaving on the acridly from the forsaken innards of innocent SHRINE buzzing radios—the inevitably to-be-shot bystanders: “Love not the world, neither heralds of moderate etiquette: forcefully the things that are in the world.” BOOM! An over-voiced clergyman pauses, sneak- balanced neutrality. As unrestrained herds A geyser of distilled saliva kills infidels in ingly blowing his allergic nose. Below of four-legged humanimals flock to the thousands. him, the fireworked cult remains cata- mesmerizing flashmob, the in-between strophically silent as a Goliath worth of a voice shouts out the utterly greatest of FLU ping pong ball—electrified by heretofore last year's backbreaking news. A choir of unheard-of mass of convictions—me- soprano smartphones enlightens the sky. Raindrops travel upwards—the traffic thodically jumps between glittery heads heads backwards. Delicatessen enter breeding undisputed earth connections HIVE the rectum—exit the mouth undigested. par excellence. Eyes get shut, mouths Disliked letters leave the screen via can- mopped, tongues cut, ears chopped, chins A THIEF TOOK. A COP SERVED. A KILLER dle wax fingers, silently downwards the knocked, lips clinically sewed up. All the SHOCKED. A JUSTICE CUT. A POLITI- blossoming spinal cord, into the over- other cheeks are turned—deadly strokes CIAN DID. A COMMENTATOR SAID. nourished earth of original words. From returned. A VOTER CROSSED. AN ANARCHIST deserted rooftops, leftover filmmakers BROKE. AN ARTIST STRIKED. A POET turn their lenses to a carnivalesque bat- WEIGHT DOTTED. A CONVEYOR TRAVELLED. AN talion of semi-headless creatures, carried ENTERPRISE SOARED. A HUNTER SHOT. by bastards of angles and apes, ceremo- A cross fucks the crescent. A crescent A VESSEL SUNK. A HERO SAVED. A VAG- niously marching towards an omniabsent All you need sucks the cross. In the basement of an ABOND LOST. A LETTER EXPLODED. A tomorrow of unwritten territories, atonally in one place abandoned monastery, at the top of a LOVER BETRAYED. AN ANIMAL ATE. A trumpeting a radically realistic demand: steep mental hill crowned with thorns of CREATOR MADE. A BELIEVER DOUBLED. “NO MORE REALITY!” woven thunders, a foamy muzzled vet- A TERRORIST DROPPED. A DIRECTOR eran monk spanks a praying crowd of HEADED. A SAVAGE BEHEADED. A NO- GONE freshly captured mujahideen. Tied up and BODY WAS. A NATION WAS NOT. 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www.isafoldbistro.is - Þingholtsstræti 5, 101 Reyk javík - +354 595 8535 - [email protected] The Reykjavík Grapevine Lemúrinn is an Icelandic web magazine (Icelandic for the native primate of Mad- Oh. 38 Issue 1 — 2015 LEMÚRINN agascar). A winner of the 2012 Web Awards, Lemúrinn.is covers all things strange and interesting. Go check it out at www.lemurinn.is The Cost of Cancer In The Year 2000, Month 1: Ants Will Have Con- A diagnosis quered The World Icelanders in 1971 predict the future

Words by Catharine Fulton

In the wake of the holidays one year ago, • Three visits to my after far too many baked good, choco- general practitioner. lates, wine, assorted festive meats and • One ultrasound. accompanying sauces, and just about ev- • One Fine Needle Words erything else one might binge on during Aspiration (a biopsy). Helgi Hrafn Guðmundsson & Vera Illugadóttir the merriest of seasons, my husband and I had a running gag. One of us would ask, As I’m new to this cancer rodeo, I can’t Photo “So, what did you get for Christmas?” To say that I know what lies ahead of me. Lemúrinn which the other would deadpan, “Fat. I As with most institutions, it seems that got fat for Christmas.” Say what you will, each piece of the puzzle is only aware of In 1971, the magazine Samvinnan gathered a panel of Ice- but it cracked us up. what is happening within its own bor- This year I got cancer. ders thus far and cannot hint at what its landers to predict the state of the nation and the wider How’s that for a punch line? adjacent piece may look like. I do know world in the year 2000, 29 years into the future. The fifteen- On New Year’s Eve there is a one-hour that surgery is in my near future, mean- pause in the pre-midnight explosions ing time off work, and— skipping over person panel was made up of respected scholars, sci- of fireworks and the country falls silent any other treatments I may undergo entists and politicians—including several MPs and future as a staggering majority of Icelanders before I get the stamp of “cancer-free”— Prime Minister Steingrímur Hermannsson. gathers in front of their television sets to prescription medications to be taken ev- watch the Áramótaskaup, a sketch com- ery single day for the rest of my life. edy show that serves to summarize and I have thyroid cancer, so while it is pre- make light of the top news and political sumed at this point that my treatment Over three nights of lively discussions, “Cosmic awareness will be highly de- events of the previous year. will be straightforward—at least accord- the panellists covered a wide range In the year veloped, and a 'cosmic council' will be This year’s “Skaup” was heavy on ref- ing to the pieces of the puzzle I’ve been of topics. One panellist surmised, for established for the entire universe.” erences to the country’s failing health- given thus far—it also means a lifetime example, that by the year 2000, Ice- 2000, there will care system and the lengthy (though of hormone replacement therapy. An ex- land would be reduced to a Japanese be no more “They will have started building habi- very recently resolved) doctor’s strike pensive lifetime. fishing station. Another managed to tats on the ocean floor, or at least sum- that has created a backlog of 700 surger- Doesn’t Iceland have a universal predict the coming of the internet, death. mer cottages. If people start settling ies, 800 CT scans and x-rays, and some healthcare system? It does, indeed, and imagining a TV screen in every home there, a separate mankind will develop, 3000 outpatient treatments. that healthcare system subsidizes the where one could view any page from “They will have started shrinking hu- and then we will see a great war be- In one scene, a nurse is working her full cost of hospital stays, and partial any book. mans, to make room for everyone on tween landlubbers and the seapeople.” way down a waiting list of patients to in- costs of visits to general practitioners Many panellists were pessimistic Earth.” form them that they are next in line for and specialists. There is also a prescrip- for the future, harbouring rather out- “At the turn of the century, no one will treatment. But, oh, they’ve all died in the tion drug payment system in place—re- landish and dystopian ideas of the “In the year 2000, male humans have be allowed to pass away in peace and meanwhile. vamped in May 2013—that sees patients world in the year 2000: been abolished, as they will have be- quiet. There will be kine-biological In another skit, a woman sits across paying for their prescription in three come as useless as the males of some fights over each dying man between a desk from two doctors and is told she stages. In a cycle that resets each year, “They will have managed to transfer bird species.” various institutions which cut up our has cancer. The treatment will be too patients are required to pay the full price learned knowledge between animals, bodies into a thousand pieces.” expensive, so she opts to just die. But it’s of their prescriptions until a certain cap by moving certain brain-acids from “By then, ants will have conquered the not all bad news… the doctors are might- is met, at which point the prescriptions one animal to another. This, of course, world.” “It is thought that it is possible to ily thrilled to be moving on to new, high- are subsidized 85% and, finally, 92.5%. is highly dangerous.” transfer humans electronically from paid jobs in Norway the next day! For patients like those with cancer, or “In the year 2000, every Icelandic fam- one place to another, by dissolving the Is the situation really so dire? Just how other long-term or chronic illness, this “Recently scientists invented a special ily will consist of husband, wife, one body and re-assembling it, but on the costly is it to have cancer in Iceland? equates to a prohibitively high annual hormone which can cure dwarfism. I child and a foreign ethnologist.” other hand it is said to be more difficult Just two and a half weeks (as of print expense in addition to ongoing special- can imagine that in the year 2000, or in to transfer the soul using this method.” date) into my experience with the C- ist costs. the first decades of the next century, “The death penalty of the future might word and my running tally is 22,742 With my own cancer putting me just humans will be standardised, so that involve being sent to some kind of a “In the year 2000, there will be no more krónur. That brings me up to the point 20K in the hole to date, it hasn’t been every male is 1.71 meters tall, everyone galactic Siberia. Political prisoners will death.” when I was told, “You have cancer.” too hard a financial punch. But I’m still wears the same type of clothes and be sent to space, as well as others who The exorbitant services I’ve sought waiting for the punchline. has the same shoe-size.” do not conform to the prevailing politi- for this cost? cal system.”

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“We have set the course for the abolishment of cur- with a story rency restrictions and the settlement of the collapsed banks’ estates. If done right, these acts will completely worth telling! transform the Icelandic nation’s standing.“

Progressive Party MP Vigdís Hauksdóttir sure is optimistic about the coming year!

P.34

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“We are now learning that the State Church will also get its very own “correction” from the state, while thinly veiled nationalists (fascists?) try their best to stir up fear against Muslims, mosques, and anyone of foreign descent (along with “foreign food” (?!?)).“

Journalist María Lilja Þrastardóttir sure is pessimistic about the coming year…

P.14

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In our feature, we explain SAD and the effects of darkness. We like to complain a lot about the lack of sunlight in Reykjavík, but Svalbard is an even rougher place.

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Issue 1 - 2015 www.grapevine.is Your essential guide to life, travel and entertainment in Iceland

29-1 Jan Feb

Dark

Music

Days

Harpa hosts an annual glimpse into the world of Iceland's contemporary and experimental composers.

see inside for details

Photo by Nanna Dís Happy Table Reservations: Hour 517 1800 MUSIC forrettabarinn@ CONCERTS & NIGHTLIFE forrettabarinn.is Nýlendugata 14. Reykjavík 16.00 – 20.00 Jan 8 – Feb 5 Ranked #1 of 315 Restaurants in Reykjavik How to use the listings: Venues are Certificate of Excellence 2014 listed alphabetically by day. Events 11 listed are all live performances, with January troubadours and DJs specifically highlighted. For complete listings and Tasty detailed information on venues visit listings.grapevine.is. Send us your Icelandic listings to: [email protected]. tapas and drinks by Friday January 9 the old Bravó harbour 22:00 DJ Ísar Logi Dillon 21:00 Mercy Buckets / Conflictions / Icarus Dubliner 20:00 Troubadour Andri Gaukurinn 22:30 Severed / Blood Feud / Aeterna Harpa 19:30 Iceland Symphony Orchestra: I Am What Lamb New Year's Concert Slam Poet Buddy Wakefield Húrra 21:00 DJ KGB Kaffibarinn Mengi 21:00 Lagaffe Tales DJ Night | | 2,000 ISK Mengi Óðinsgata 2 (F5) 21:00 21:00 Splashgirl Prikið Is there anything more Icelandic than listening to verse at a BYOB 21:00 DJ Danny Ledon & Moonshine venue? Surely. For instance, this event takes place in English, Stúdentakjallarinn 21:00 DJ Matti and secondly, the poet hails from Seattle, WA. That said, Buddy Wakefield is here to share his unique voice: a comedic romp of Saturday January 10 lyrical language coupled with heartfelt rumination on the human Bravó spirit. Think Bob Dylan rodeo clown crossed with a staccato 22:00 DJ Einar Sonic barber shop quartet where the three other members got too drunk Dillon to show up. Basically, he is a world champion spoken word artist, 21:00 302’s Rockabilly Party With DJ Smutty Smiff and he’s not to be missed. YOU Dubliner 20:00 Troubadours Garðar / Ingvar English Pub 21:00 Troubadours Biggi / Hjálmar & Dagur Harpa 9 16:00 Iceland Symphony Orchestra: January OPEN EVERY NIGHT UNTIL CHRISTMAS — WWW.FORRETTABARINN.IS New Year's Concert 19:30 Iceland Symphony Orchestra: Monday – Friday 16.00 – 00.00 Saturday – Sunday 12.00 – 00.00 New Year's Concert 20:00 Camerata Øresund: Händel’s Messiah Húrra 23:00 DJ Óli Dóri. Kaffibarinn 21:00 DJ Alfons X Mengi 21:00 Kira Kira Nordic House 20:00 Jazz Duo 23/8: Tribute To Jazz Singer Monica Zetterlund Prikið 21:00 DJ Logi Pedro Sunday January 11 Bravó Hardcore Histrionics 21:00 DJ Atli Bollason Dubliner Icarus / Mercy Buckets / Conflictions 22:00 Troubadour Andri English Pub Dillon 21:00 Troubadour Danni The concept of the restaurant is " casual fun Hressó Laugavegur 30 (E5) | 22:00 | Free! 19:00 Jazz Jam Session dining" and we prepare what we would call a Húrra 20:00 Lowercase Nights Dust off your wax wings and get ready to fly too close to the sun. simple honest, "feel good", comfort food, Kaffibarinn Or, more likely, feel the burn as you mosh to this hardcore line-up. 21:00 DJ Krystal Carma You may spend all night ‘Ascending//Descending’ to have a smoke where we take on the classics with Mengi a modern twist. 21:00 Buddy Wakefield when the balcony gets crowded. Don’t feel conflicted and show Nordic House no mercy drinking buckets of beer. This will be a show, a hardcore 15:15 Hlín Pétursdóttir Behrens, Pamela de Sensi & Eva Þyri Hilmarsdóttir: show—something worthy to perch slightly above Chuck Norris, but Songs in the Blossom of the Flute not too high. We all know how that ends. YOU

SKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍGUR 40 · 101 REYKJAVÍK · TEL.+354 517 7474 · KOLRESTAURANT.IS MUSIC CONCERTS & NIGHTLIFE

Monday January 12 Bravó 16 21:00 DJ Madame Mélancolique January English Pub 21:00 Troudabour Tryggvi Húrra 20:00 Monday Night Jazz Kaffibarinn 21:00 DJ Pabbi Tuesday January 13 Bravó 21:00 DJ Intro Beats Dubliner 22:00 Troubadour Andri Húrra 21:00 DJ Ísar Logi KEX Hostel And You Thought Rapping In English Was Hard 20:30 KexJazz Prikið Emmsjé Gauti 21:00 Berndsen Prikið Wednesday January 14 Bankastræti 12 (E4) | 22:00 | Free Bravó 21:00 DJ Davíð Roach Gunnarsson Dubliner Emmsjé Gauti began his rap career when he was but thirteen 22:00 Troubadour Gísli years of age, and has been a feature of the Icelandic hip-hop English Pub 21:00 Troubadour Arnar scene since. Don’t be fooled by the image of a blond, Icelandic, Húrra pre-teen rapper: this guy is no joke. Much of his music has a base 20:00 Kría Brekkan / Just Another melodic hip-hop score that makes it enjoyable even for those of us Snake Cult / Katrín Helga / DJ Óli Dóri who are less enthusiastic about the genre. Also, Icelandic rap, a Prikið syllabic Rubik's Cube, is just neat in and of itself. AM 21:00 DJ Introbeats Stúdentakjallarinn Photo by Axel Sigurðarson 21:00 RAKI Harpa Mengi 19:30 The Chamber Music Society #3 21:00 Good Moon Deer Thursday January 15 Hressó Prikið 19:00 Jazz Jam Session 21:00 Vinyl Wednesday: DJ Petersen & Bravó Húrra White 22:00 DJ Ísar Logi 20:00 Lowercase Nights Café Rosenberg Kaffibarinn Thursday January 22 21:00 Helgi Júl & Band 21:00 DJ Pilsner Dillon Bravó 21:00 Fox Train Safari Monday January 19 22:00 DJ Atli Bollason English Pub Café Rosenberg 21:00 Troubadours Magnús & Ívar Bravó 21:00 Jóhanna & Band Harpa 21:00 DJ Styrmir Dansson Dubliner 19:30 Iceland Symphony Orchestra: Café Rosenberg 22:00 Troubadour Garðar Young Soloists English Pub Húrra 21:00 Reykjavík Blues Company English Pub 21:00 Troubadours Hjálmar & Dagur 20:00 Sindri Eldon & The Ways / Jón Harpa Þór / DJ Ernir 21:00 Troubadour Ingi Valur Prikið Húrra 19:30 Iceland Symphony Orchestra: 21:00 Monday Night Jazz Macbeth and Kullervo 21:00 DJ KGB Húrra 21:00 Fríyrkjan Poetry Night / Nolo DJ Friday January 16 Tuesday January 20 Set Bravó Prikið Bravó 21:00 DJ Vrong: Blæti Vol. 1 22:00 DJ Styrmir Dansson 21:00 DJ Snorri Helgason Café Rosenberg Café Rosenberg 22:00 Boldoir Singing Troupe 21:00 Yngvar Örn & Band Friday January 23 Dillon Dubliner 22:00 Troubadour Andri Bravó 21:00 VAR 22:00 DJ Óli Dóri Dubliner Húrra 21:00 DJ Andropov Café Rosenberg 20:00 Troubadours Kjartan / Garðar 22:00 Margrét Eir & Páll Rósinkranz English Pub KEX Hostel 20:30 KexJazz Dillon 21:00 Troubadours Ingi Valur / Biggi 21:00 Solar Gaukurinn Wednesday January 21 Dubliner 22:30 Alcoholia / Hemúllinn 20:00 Troubadour Garðar Harpa Bravó English Pub 20:00 Todmobile and Steve Hackett: 21:00 DJ AnDre 21:00 Troubadours Biggi / Eiki & Steini Genesis Gaukurinn Húrra Café Rosenberg 21:00 Elín Ey (blues) 22:00 Rythmatik 21:00 DJ Ívar Pétur Húrra Iðnó English Pub 21:00 Troubadour Ellert 21:00 DJ Styrmir Dansson 20:00 New Year Concert and Dance Kaffibarinn Kaffibarinn Háskólabíó 20:00 Tubular Bells for Two 21:00 DJ Símon FKNHNDSM 21:00 DJ Kári Prikið Prikið Húrra 21:00 DJ Stinnson Classics 21:00 Emmsjé Gauti 21:00 DJ Myth / Lazybones Kaffibarinn Stúdentakjallarinn Saturday January 17 21:00 DJ Alfons X 21:00 DJ Víðir og Dýrið Bravó 22:00 DJ Steindór Grétar Jónsson Café Rosenberg 22:00 Svavar Knútur & Guests Dubliner 20:00 Troubadours Gísli / Andri English Pub 21:00 Troubadours Hjálmar & Dagur / Eiki & Steini Gaukurinn 22:00 Bömbers: Motörhead Tribute Band Traditional Icelandic Lamb Soup Húrra 21:00 Vio Album Release Show / DJ A hangover remedy KGB Kaffibarinn 21:00 DJ Kári Prikið We are at Lækjartorg 21:00 DJ Árni Kocoon Sunday January 18 Bravó 21:00 DJ Björn Teitsson Dubliner 22:00 Troubadour Andri English Pub 21:00 Troubadour Danni Fridays & Saturdays: 23:00 - 05:00 MUSIC CONCERTS & NIGHTLIFE

Prikið 21:00 DJ Introbeats 15 Friday January 30 January Bravó 22:00 DJ KGB Dubliner 20:00 Troubadour Gísli Húrra 20:00 Stand-up comedy / DJ Simon FKNHNDSM Kaffibarinn 21:00 DJ Intro Beats Prikið GREAT 21:00 DJ Kocoon Saturday January 31 He Is The 10% Bravó Sindri Eldon & The Ways / Jón Þór / Bárujárn 22:00 DJ Simon FKNHNDSM Café Rosenberg Húrra 22:00 KK Band FOODGOOD Dubliner Naustin (D3) | 20:00 | 1,000 ISK 20:00 Troubadours Kjartan / Garðar English Pub 21:00 Troubadours Arnar & Ingunn Frontman of Sindri Eldon & The Ways says: “I’m a better / Biggi songwriter and lyricist than 90% of Icelandic musicians, my mother Húrra included.” Whoever his mother may be, Sindri Eldon plays a mean 21:00 Straumur DJ Set DRINKS Kaffibarinn brand of garage rock with his Waves. At this Húrra gig, they are 21:00 DJ KGB joined by Reykjavík's Best Kept Secret™ indie rocker Jón Þór and seldom-seen surf punk heroes Bárujárn. This will undoubtedly be Sunday February 1 a bizarre, wonderful rock night. You’ve been warned. Now go have English Pub

NICE fun! STM 21:00 Troubadour Danni ATMO Hannesarholt 16:00 Poetry Songs (Ljóðasöngur) Saturday January 24 Tuesday January 27 Hressó 19:00 Jazz Jam Session HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY 17-19 Bravó Bravó 22:00 DJ MAD HOUSE 21:00 DJ Ríkharður Cuellar Monday February 2 Café Rosenberg Café Rosenberg 22:00 Magnús Einarsson & Band 21:00 Ginaldinn Café Rosenberg Dillon Dubliner 21:00 Reykjavík Blues Company 21:00 Rythmatik 22:00 Troubadour Andri Dubliner English Pub English Pub 22:00 Troubadour Andri 21:00 Troubadours Alexander & 21:00 Troubadour Ingi Valur English Pub Guðmann / Hjálmar & Dagur Húrra 21:00 Troubadour Ingi Valur Gaukurinn 21:00 DJ Madame Melancolique 22:00 HELLVAR KEX Hostel Tuesday February 3 Húrra 20:30 KexJazz 22:00 Boogie Trouble / DJ Óli Dóri Café Rosenberg Prikið Wednesday January 28 21:00 Næmi 21:00 DJ Egill Cali Dubliner Bravó 22:00 Troubadour Andri Sunday January 25 21:00 DJ Pilsner/2.5 English Pub Café Rosenberg 21:00 Troubadour Tryggvi Dubliner 21:00 Maríkó Harpa 22:00 Troubadour Andri Dubliner 17:00 Phantoms of the opera: Kristján English Pub 22:00 Troubadour Gísli Jóhannsson, Gissur Páll Gissurarson 21:00 Troubadour Danni English Pub & Garðar Thór Cortes Harpa 21:00 Troubadour Arnar 19:30 The Chamber Music Society #4: Mengi Wednesday February 4 Bach's Cello Suites 21:00 Foot in the door Hressó Prikið Café Rosenberg 19:00 Jazz Jam Session 21:00 Vinyl Wednesday: Lord Kincaid 21:00 Ari & Vala Húrra Dubliner 20:00 Lowercase Nights Thursday January 29 22:00 Troubadour Gísli Kaffibarinn English Pub 21:00 DJ Krystal Carma Bravó 21:00 Troubadour Ellert 21:00 Möller Records Heiladans Mengi Monday January 26 Showcase Night 21:00 Robert Black Café Rosenberg Bravó 21:00 Músakk Thursday February 5 21:00 DJ Baron Eyfjörð Dubliner Dubliner 22:00 Troubadour Garðar Café Rosenberg 22:00 Troubadour Andri English Pub 21:00 Eiki & Byltingarboltarnir English Pub 21:00 Troubadours Alexander & Harpa 21:00 Troubadour Tryggvi Guðmann 19:30 Osmo Vänskä & Symphonies Húrra Húrra no. 3 20:00 Monday Night Jazz 21:00 DJ Pabbi Kaffibarinn Kaffibarinn 21:00 DJ Yamaho 21:00 DJ Krystal Carma

KITCHEN IS OPEN Weekends 11.30–24 Other days 11.30–23

UNO at Ingólfstorg | Tel. 561 1313 | www.uno.is MUSIC CONCERTS & NIGHTLIFE Music For Dark Days Travel the A survival guide for the darkest months world of music Weekly concerts in Harpa Concert Hall. View our exciting 2014/15 season at sinfonia.is.

Words John Rogers

Photo Nanna Dís

As Reykjavík society withdraws from the bleak northern @icelandsymphony #sinfo14 winter into a post-Christmas domestic bubble, the city’s Box office » 528 5050 » www.sinfonia.is » www.harpa.is cultural calendar looks uncharacteristically bare. But fear not, because for four days in January, there’s an event housed in the warm and airy confines of Harpa, one that uses the darkness to shine the spotlight on the intriguing world of Iceland’s contemporary and experimental composers.

The festival runs January Dark Music Days darkmusicdays.is 29 - February 1

Dark Music Days (Myrkir Músíkdagar, in composers and musicians to come out of New School thinking Icelandic) has been running since 1980, the woodwork and start contacting Dark beginning as a biannual event. “When the Music Days about presenting their work. Kjartan is also uniquely positioned to see festival began,” says artistic “Of course, when they upcoming talents via his work as a profes- director Kjartan Ólafsson, "Darkness holds things asked, we said yes,” says sor of composition at the Icelandic Acade- sitting in the Harpa cafe, on the edge of vision. In Kjartan, “and so the festival my of the Arts, where he has taught for nine “there was nothing much the sagas, the darkness naturally started to feature years. “I’m seeing the same thing there,” happening in Reykjavík held a hidden, exciting more new work and first he says. “When the curriculum opens up from the end of November, world. Perhaps that’s like performances. As a result, and becomes more flexible, the students right through till March. music itself—it can never it’s more diverse now than immediately start to find a more personal It was just a very dark sea- tell you exactly what it ever before. All that started pathway, and then transition towards the son—much darker then with the inclusion of young means, but it can give festival. It’s an excellent platform to see than now. The lights of the people—both in the audi- their work coming to life. The younger you a clue or an idea." city have probably made a ence, and as composers and ones get involved with the festival—they difference. And maybe this performers. There were six join the society, and the board—they are building too; Harpa is certainly a beacon or seven concerts and for perhaps 500 peo- the ones that will take over, after all, when in the dark.” ple. Today, we have over twenty concerts we’re all in the old people’s home.” Kjartan took the reigns of the festival and around 3,500 people coming along.” Dark Music Days comes at a time of the when he became the chairman of the Soci- With the country under deep snow year when Reykjavík’s many cultural cre- ety of Icelandic Composers in 1989. At the and deeper darkness, it seems to follow ators and organisers are hibernating, and time, the festival—like many others across that most of the audience at this time of offers them a chance to emerge for a while. Europe—was suffering from dwindling at- year would be local. But winter tourism is “It’s a time for writing books and com- tendance. Kjartan decided to try a new ap- on the rise, and the niche that Dark Music posing, when you are sitting in a smaller proach. Days is carving out is piquing the interest world, and reading, thinking, creating,” of the outside world in its own right. “We says Kjartan. “People come out from that Young contemporaries have an increasing number people from bubble, and into the festival, for an inter- both Europe and America coming along,” esting and valuable conversation about “We started putting an emphasis on Ice- says Kjartan, “including the artistic direc- culture. So Dark Music Days has that qual- landic music,” he explains, “because as tors of other events. The festival has grown ity of meeting and exchange too.” well as this gap in the cultural calendar, a very strong identity over the years—it’s And darkness itself has long been there was also the need for a new platform around 70-80% Icelandic music, much of a muse for artists, representing things for contemporary and experimental mu- which has not been performed before. So if glimpsed or unknown. “Darkness holds sic. So, instead of me leading the festival as you come to this festival you can see some- things on the edge of vision,” Kjartan fin- a traditional artistic director, we decided to thing new, and specific to Iceland alone. ishes. “In the sagas, darkness held an excit- try to perform as many interesting pieces We don’t play contemporary music that’s ing hidden world. Perhaps that’s like music as we could. This is my way of directing— 50 years old—the music at Dark Music itself—it can never tell you exactly what it to have it open, let it breathe freely, and days represents the time we are living in means, but it can give you an idea.” keep these simple rules in place.” now.” This had an immediate effect, gal- vanising the city’s more ambitious young www.reykjavikcitymuseum.is

CHECK OUT THE NEW ART OPENINGS AND ONGOING REYKJAVÍK CITY MUSEUM The Living Art Museum ‘Crowd Show’ by Örn Alexander COMPRISING 5 TOP MUSEUMS: Ásmundason Multimedium artist Örn Alexander Ásmundason describes the show, possibly in jest, as having faced a lot of resistance from the board of the Living Art Museum, as he refused to conform to the standards set out by the art world. He adds that it’s composed of artworks that somehow ended cobbled up together. The show is a part of the Cyclorama series, and has a special opening party on January 10 from 17:00 to 19:00. Opens January 10 Runs until February 6 Árbær Open Air Musem The Settlement Exhibition The National Museum of Iceland 'Húsin í bænum' by Kristinn Guðmundsson This photography exhibit features pictures of houses from downtown Reykjavík ca. 1875-85 by photographer Kristinn. The photos are meant to show the spirit of the times, and the formation of contemporary Reykjavík. Opens January 17 Runs until May 17 'Where, Who, What?' Reykjavík Maritime Museum Viðey Island So That’s What You Do With An Art Degree In this exhibition, unlabelled works from ‘Cityscape’ by Snorri Þór Tryggvason, Pétur the archives of the Icelandic Photography Museum will be put on display in the Stefánsson and Snorri Eldjárn Snorrason hopes that visitors can identify them. Opens January 17 Spark Design Space, Klapparstígur 33 Runs until May 17 Reykjavik Art Museum Hafnarhús Klapparstígur 33 (E5) | Jan 15 - Mar 4 | 12:00 - 16:00| Free! 'All the Small Things' by Cory Arcangel After struggling to find work in their field in Iceland, architects The American artist Cory Arcangel is a Snorri Þór Tryggvason, Pétur Stefánsson and Snorri Eldjárn pioneer who combines digital technologies Snorrason put their Iceland Academy of the Arts degrees to use in with art. In this solo exhibition are creating a detailed watercolour map of the Reykjavík city centre. presented new works by Cory, as well as Reykjavík Museum of a selection of seminal early works which Photography The map took 3,000 hours to make, and is comprised of of 146 A3 he's re-configured specifically for the size watercolours drawings, which are now on display and for sale exhibition. at the gallery. This project has become the basis of their company, Opens January 31 Borgarmynd, where they specialise in illustrated maps, event Runs until April 12 More information in the Reykjavik Art Museum Museums & Galleries section. branding, infographics, web design, and 3D modelling. AM Kjarvalsstadir ‘The Pulse of Time’ by Einar Hákonarson Jan 8 - Feb 5 Hafnarborg Einar Hákonarson, one of Iceland's best ‘Development’ by Hekla Dögg known artists, is an expressionistic and How to use the listings: Venues are Jónsdóttir figurative painter. The works in this listed alphabetically by day. For com- ‘Development’ is a sculpture, a retrospective span the artist’s career for plete listings and detailed information performance piece, and it can involve over 50 years, from juvenilia and student on venues visit listings.grapevine.is. the participation of the viewers through works until 2014. There are special artist Send us your listings to: listings@ influence in the development of the piece. talks on January 25, February 15 and ALL IN ONE grapevine.is It is a completely independent world, March 15 at 15:00. where creation, mediation, processing Opens January 17 Opening and reception all take place at the same Runs until March 15 RESTAURANT space. Artist Hekla Dögg creates a ‘Poetic Colour Palette, from the Anarkía platform where all steps of filmmaking Kjarval collection’ ‘Anarkía Norr’ by Guðmundur Birkir are made visible in a live movie studio. A Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval occupies a Diverse menu, This is an exhibition of the abstract painter constantly changing movie is shot in said special place in the history of Icelandic Kitchen Guðmundur Birkir (Norr). For his work studio and then developed and shown to culture and art, as one of the country’s great value and he uses any materials available, such viewers in a simple film theater. most beloved artists. Kjarval’s subject a wide selection as wooden sticks, metal wires, brushes, Opens January 17 matter falls into three main groups: Bar scrapes or spatulas to create different of cocktails, beers Runs until February 15 landscapes, portraits, and fantasies or textures. There is a special opening party Mokka Kaffi works of imagination; a selection from all Café and wines. on January 9 at 17:00. ‘Fall of the Wall and the Velvet three groups will be on display. Opens January 9 revolution’ by Snorri Hilmarsson Opens January 17 Runs until February 1 This photographic exhibition honors the 25th Runs until March 15 ART67 anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in 'RASSAR Í SVEIT' by Jóhanna Bára Prague - a peaceful student manifestation Þórisdóttir and protest against communist regime Jóhanna is the guest artist of the month on 17 November 1989 and the fall of at ART67, where she shows her new the Berlin Wall. Snorri created the piece exhibit which translates as "butts in the while studying in Prague and used an old countryside." There is a special opening Russian camera the original LOMO. party on January 10 from 14:00 to 16:00. Opens January 9 Opens January 10 Runs until February 5 Runs until January 31 ASÍ Art Gallery ‘Komasvo’ Six Icelandic artists collaborate on an The National exhibit that examines in great detail the intersection of art, sports and the free market through an experiment, in which Museum of pieces that don’t get enough attention Laugavegur will get the red card and be removed. Iceland Opens January 31 Skólavörðustígur Runs until March 1

s Borgarleikhúsið r Along with the permanent exhibition

p ‘Mrozek. Life Is Worth Living’ by Vegamót

Bergstaðastr. a l that features Iceland’s history from

K Paweł Chara Grettisgata Paweł followed the Polish poet Sławomir settlement to present day the Mrozek 2010-2013 and took pictures of museum offers a variety of exhibitions him living his everyday life. Sławomir was during the year, e.g. on Icelandic slated to visit Reykjavík last year, but fell ill and then passed away. To celebrate silver and photography. his life, Paweł's photographs were put together for a special photography exhibit in Warsaw last year, which has now been brought to Reykjavík. Opens January 10 Runs until January 18

www.thjodminjasafn.is Vegamótastíg | 101 Reykjavík | tel. 511 3040 | www.vegamot.is Suðurgata 41 / 101 Reykjavík CR AVING

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Reykjavík January 8 - February 5 Keep it in your pocket Four Weeks The Grapevine picks the events, places and what to experience in the next four weeks

Food & Drink 14 Music 23-25 January January Great Chieftain ‘O The Strange Musical Fantasy Puddin’-Race! SOUVENIR SHOP

SHOP OF THE YEAR 2012

Kría Brekkan / Just Another Snake Cult / Katrín Helga Robbie Burns Supper Húrra | Naustin (D5) | 1,500 ISK KEX Hostel | Skúlagata 28 (E7) | 5,900 ISK

This January concert of multi-instrument musical Celebrate the Scottish national bard with the sages takes place one month before Cupid comes Edinburgh Society in Iceland! Go for the haggis to make a fool of you. Kría Brekkan takes time and whisky, and stay for the music and poetry. off from sheep mid-wifery and chicken welfare to After the bagpipes’ drones die, and the haggis is serenade willing listeners. Just Another Snake no more, enjoy performances by musical acts Two Cult—self-described existential fantasists—will Wings and Hanna Tuulikki. There is limited seating bring you to a happy place and then question for this event, so if you are interested make sure to your right to be there. And Katrín Helga sign up. Dust off your kilt, pull up you socks, but Andrésdóttir’s sweet, soothing voice and killer don’t bother brushing your hair; it’s time to party, lyrics will bring a smile to your face. This will be a Bob Cluness-style. YOU night where your dreams and nightmares meet for a drink and you won’t want to wake up. YOU Art 10-19 January 17 January Insight Into A Master

DEAD MAN'S HAND So where can you find a Lemmy approved Motörhead tribute band featuring a Norwegian metal veteran—where Doom is his middle name? Gaukurinn is your place! Head bang with Abbath Doom Occulta: lead singer of the Bömbers, a, Motörhead tribute band. There is nothing more badass than grown men donning leather, yelling quarter-century-old songs at you. Don’t fret. It will probably be a great time. You might see your dad there. Admission: 3,000 ISK. YOU ‘Mrozek. Life Is Worth Living’ by Paweł Chara January 17 The viking:info Reykjavík City Theatre | Listabraut 3 | Free! Laugavegur 1 · Reykjavík Akureyri LULLING ME SOFTLY Vio is a very young Hafnarstræti 1 - 3 · Reykjavík Hafnarstræti 104 · Akureyri band—formed in 2014, they won the annual Paweł Chara’s photographic exhibition, ‘Mrozek. Icelandic battle of the bands (Músíktilraunir) last Life is worth living’ opens on January 10. The im- [email protected] Reykjavík year, and are now releasing their debut album, ages were shot between 2010-2013 and feature www.theviking.is with an album release show at Húrra. These four the Polish poet Sławomir Mrozek, whose works strapping boys from Mosfellsbær play slow and have been performed in Iceland in the past. mellow guitar-driven indie rock that is perhaps less Sławomir passed away in August 2013, but this TAX FREE than suited for mad party antics, but might just exhibition offers the opportunity to get an insight be great for calm and cosy winter days. Don’t be into the daily life of a master who had a big heart surprised if it lulls you to sleep, though… STM and loved life. AM HÓ

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Viðey ÓÐ ferry SL KI KLETTAGARÐAR MAPMAP FIS GrandiUR Places We Like A GARÐ DA AN Eating GR Maritime 1 Museum Sigurjón KL Grillmarkaðurinn Art ET TAG Lækjargata 2a Saga Museum AR Grillmarkaðurinn (The Grill Market) is Museum ÐA A R renowned chef Hrefna Rósa Sætran’s latest ST VESTURG culinary venture (you might recognise her AU from Fish Market). With a specially crafted AN B ARÐ ÁN AR grill made to withstand extreme heat, Hrefna MÝ RA and team serve up juicy Icelandic dishes to RG the carnivore’s delight. Since opening for NÝL AT A S business in the summer of 2011, GrillMarket END ÆBRA A Viking museum that UGA UT has continually enhanced the quality of life EGUR TA 2 4 KL gives a compelling view DI HO SV EPPSV ANfor Reykjavík foodies... NE EGUR into Icelandic history R LT AM SG FR ÍGUR EIÐ SG RÁNAR VEST GE SU GRANDAGARÐUR 2, 101 REYKJAVÍK 2 Forréttabarinn ATA ARST GATA URG IR ND GR B SG A TEL.: 511 1517 C ÁR ATA AT BO WWW.SAGAMUSEUM.IS NýlendugataA 14 BORG UG A RG ND AT TA Harpa RA A I Reykjavík ForréttabarinnAV literally meansHR “the bar of Concert KI ÖLD T RK KLEPP starters.” It is situatedEG close to the harbour in ÆÐ U Art Museum Hall JU NDI INGBRA GA SV A U BR TA RÆ S RA ÆGISGA A E anAG abandoned warehouseR of some sort. The T Main TR ND GU ÁL Tourist YGG UR R decor is rugged, yet stylish; spacious with AS The Ð Info VA UT high ceilings and big windows. UTSimilar to SÓ HÁ GA Central SÖ RA VA AR TI T the tapas approach to dining, the restaurant LV A LV B G Bank L HÓ L L ÁS AL L HAFN G LSGA A serves small simple courses with few, but well A RÆ A SK S U L TÚNGATA 8 RST The Æ DA VA R V A GA 13 RÆTI TA ÚL B GA chosen, ingredients. A G T I AG R TN ELLI L AT A A Culture A LÆ AV L ALST UST AT U A R A D A E UR House T G A G Austur D ST A KU AR ST AT AÐ RÆ MEI völlur TI National EGUR R Ð K T. 3 Hraðlestin A IRK H V A JU S VE Theatre LI S ST 1 B B TÍGUR R RÆ A AN RF ND E AVEGUR Hverfisgata 64a TI KA ISGA AR LAUGAVEGUR BRÚN AT ST TA RS GA RN SUND Icelandic STH. EGUR 12 RÆ TA A S RG I PA SÆ SV Ó Ó G L Parliament A TI The fasterJÓL and more affordable cousin to VA P U V TI B SK LL ON KJ ÆT AP T. R A AG LA ÚN one of the top restaurants in the country, AR Æ R A PL Ta xi I R A AT TA S KL SS U Laugardals UT K A T LÆ B Austurindíafélagið, flavour is never compro-TA RÆ LA AUNTEIGUR GA SSTR ÆT UG TN HR Swimming GA ATA TI 11 EIG R UR mised by promptness að Hraðlestin. Their SSTR AV 6 RE HR U EGUR VA ARTÚN AT Pool ALLA RG City BORG ÍS short selection of authentic Indian cuisine is Y IN RSTR R N UÐ HOLT ÓLF

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Icelandic cuisine with a twist L U ÐU GR 4 Kopar AM UR J SG E SKÚL AL ÐA TÚN IR T J HO ME KK TISG K V N F HOFT EL LA I S AG EG H Icelandic music and nightlife ÍK A Y GUR T AT ÓA Geirsgata 3 MELHAG Í ÍGUR T AT EIGU NG UR ESPI Í A T A SUND LO G FR HÖ N UR Hlemmur RE FR ÓÐ S R A Mix with the locals UT UR National UR AU LA Þ SST This restaurant offers a terrific setting with K Bus Terminal A EL Ó TA ST Gallery N M AST R LA ...and all the Icelandic beers in one awsome place! I R BR Ta xi IÐ truly tempting menu featuring a diverse and M VI Ó T U H EF UR S Ú GAT Ó R N L GA RA RB EI SV imaginative selection of land and sea-based SKOTH A ÍGUR NJ G EG N F ÚSVE A UR U ES FURU MEL GU AT TA Á BA R ingredients. ExpectHA to have to book well in R LSG H R GI A ÁT Ý RKI B TA SNOR ÚN SI advance, though, as the place is too packed C E M GT BI RGÞ ÚN ÚN National BALDURSG Ó ÁT for walk-ins to be a reliably option. Hallgríms R LU A UG ÍGUR H library A L G DY AT kirkja A T A KV S AT T BRAUT UG N A ARHOLT N GJ Ó AG RG Church S AV UV

RI EG ISTH LE AG ÐA EG F ÁR UR U R K R B AR R Y NJ National JA E 5A Yummi Yummi YJ AR GI museum R U G GA Sundhöllin UÐ Hlemmur, Hverfisgata 123 AT FJÖLNI S ENGJAVEGUR GI TA ÍGUR Swimming RA KI A T SU After long years of lamentingHA the lack of SS P ENGJATEIGUR NN RN TA BERG EI Pool H FO G ÓN N UV INGÓLFSSTRÆTI 1A 101 REYKJAVÍK SV RÍ R OL quick, greasy and satisfying Asian fast-food EG Ú EG GA Hljómskáli KSGA BA T T ÆGISÍÐ HJ I S E UR WWW.ISLENSKIBARINN.IS TEL: 517 6767 GU IL T Zoo and in town, the owners of Thai super-restaurant AR HR Park TA SK AR AG SG ÓA IPHO ÐA R AU HA family park Ban Thai have graced us with this pan-friedH University IN TA N ÐA AT UT LT N of Iceland GB LA RS Laugardalshöll B saviour! The dishes are super cheap atU 1000 A BR LL A RH D MUND R U T RA SK A AR Sports hall ISK each, the service is superfast but totally F R RA R AG Æ UT ÁSVE Æ SB I GU P S M TI LI VE ASU fresh and what seems likeI a small dish will AR HÁ TE Ú Ú TA GU SNOR IGS LI EF stuff you full. They now do home delivery as VE M HOL R G ND UR ST well! Oh, happy day. ÁG L GUNN ÍGUR TÓ L A A Nordic House T MÚLI H ST ÁR N SUND MA UR Culture Center FL GHOL LU VA RS ÓKAG AG Á TNSMÝR AT EN DrinkingSARH F AT R A ÁL A A ARVE G TS KAG A GA J 7 Mengi 8 AT 9 GUR ML AV VE 6 Tíu Dropar AT TA A Loftið Dillon Whiskey Bar A UÐ AG T HR T A RG Ð EG GA A Taxi INGBR Í GUR BSÍ RA Kjarvalsstaðir Laugavegur 27 I Óðinsgata 2 G AusturstrætiÐA 9 Laugavegur 30 A AU U UT HL R RA AR Coach National Mengi (“Set”)A wasDA born as a place to host in- BR SU Located in a small, cozy basement on Loftið offersNJ some of the best cocktails to be A flawlessTerminal mix between grungy and classy, Museum KA R ÐU OD ÍÐ ÚT timate shows where artists get to perform in HLÍÐ A Laugavegur, Tíu Dropar is one of Iceland’s had in the city. On a typical weekend you will Dillon Whiskey Bar dominates their little AK RL HL ÝR oldest cafés. During the day it serves a EGGEfront of small crowds. Hosting anything from find this place filled with older Icelandic yuppies stretch of Laugavegur. Crammed most ST AN R RTSG UM ÁR selection of coffee, tea andLYN food (including art performances, lectures and workshops to or older yuppie foreigners swallowing old and nights with rockers, metalheads, and tour- D A L SB G A ANGA I MÚLI H music gigs,TA Mengi snugly seats 50 people. BÓ IM grandma-style pancakes), and Aduring the expensive alcohol dressed like the prosper- ists looking for a place to mumble AC/DC L LS RA G TA NG SÍ E AR I ÐA HÁ H night it turns into a French-styled wine bar. Admission is generally 2,000 ISK, but guests ity period of 2006 never ended. This vibe is songs into their beer, Dillon boasts a wide MI RI ÐUMÚ UT HRINGBRAUT KL RH F IM A LÍÐ K AL L E ST are free to bring their own drinks. BR AMÝR A achieved with a super strict entry policy and a selection of over 100 whiskies and hosts AUT Á R RH E ÐH SK FT ITI A dress code that makes very few exceptions. If some of Iceland's better hard rock bands on AF L L GI TA I MA you have the money, this is the place to go! the weekends. HLÍ Á SB GO N Ð Ð RA

AU LÍ Useful Numbers The Icelandic Travel Market, Bankastræti 2, Shops: Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00, Sat 10:00–16:00, SA UT Public Transport SÓLHEI T E AH F H S J A tel: 522 4979 Sun closed. The shopping centres Kringlan and SK KI BA Emergency number: 112 ÓL B RM MÝ The only public transport available in Reykjavík ÚS Trip, Laugavegur 54, tel: 433 8747 Smáralind as well as most supermarkets and ÓG HLÍ YK AH Medical help: 1770 S LÍÐ R is the bus. Most buses run every 20–30 minutes V TA RE tourist shops have longer opening hours. AR Ð MI I Pharmacies EG KL Dental emergency: 575 0505 (the wait may be longer on weekends) and the Ð HLÍ MÁ A Swimming pools: Weekdays 06:30–22:00 and AV V BRA U AH Lyf og heilsa, Egilsgata 3, tel: 563 1020 price per fare is 350 ISK for adults and children. LÍ UT LJÓ Information: 118 R Ð Ð weekends 09:00–17:00, although each pool EGUR Ð ST ÞOR IGAH Taxi: Hreyfill-Bæjarleiðir: 588 5522 Lyfja, Laugavegur 16, tel: 552 4045 and Lág- Multiple day passes are available for purchase at LÍ S R varies plus or minus a few hours. HLÍ Ð HEIM AG select locations. Complete route map available DR BSR: 561 0000 múlaAT 5, tel: 533 2300 Banks in the centre are open Mon-Fri 09:00- ÁP GNOÐ A Reykjavík UHLÍ KA at: www.bus.is. Tel: 540 2700. Buses run from UR Coach Terminal 16:00. Ð AR Tax-Free Refund Domestic AK G 07:00–24:00 on weekdays and 10:00–24:00 on E SK AR Airport BL ST GR BSÍ, Vatnsmýrarvegur 10, Post Offices ÖND EI Iceland Refund, Aðalstræti 2, tel: 564 6400 Æ SV VO weekends. Main terminals are: Hlemmur and UH NA F tel: 562 1011, www.bsi.is Taxi LÍ HLÍÐ AN GU Tourist Information Lækjartorg. Post offices are located around the city. The GUR Ð VE MI R Domestic Airlines Opening Hours downtown post office is at Pósthússtræti 3–5, LLAR KL ENSÁ Arctic Adventures, Laugavegur 11, GVA ABRA FELL open Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00. Stamps are also FLU U SM GR tel: 562 7000 Air Iceland, Reykjavíkurflugvöllur, Bars and clubs: According to regulations, T Ú sold at bookstores, gas stations, tourist shops LI tel: 570 3030, www.flugfelag.is bars can stay open until 01:00 on weekdays and City Centre, Aðalstræti 2, tel: 590 1550 and some grocery stores. Kringlan HAM Iceland Excursions – Grayline Iceland, Eagle Air, Hótel Loftleiðir, tel: 562 4200 04:30 on weekends. RAHLÍÐ Shopping C Mall Hafnarstræti 20, tel: 540 1313 HÖRGSHLÍÐ HLÍÐ A EIN AR HÁ

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B AHLÍ Ú ST IG All the games and all the action! AÐ ST Hótel Loftleiðir AV BAU GA Perlan EGUR SK NE Live music! LIS IL S TAB DI RAU NG T AN

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University of Reykjavík

Nauthólsvík HÓ

6 7 8 9 New In Town Venue Finder Music & Entertainment Viðey Austur Gaukurinn ÓÐ ferry SL Austurstræti 7 | D3 Tryggvagata 22 | D3 KI KLETTAGARÐAR FIS B5 Hressó GrandiUR Bankastræti 5 | E4 Austurstræti 20 | D3 GARÐ Bar 11 Húrra DA Hverfisgötu 18 | E5 Naustin | D3 AN GR Bíó Paradís Kaffibarinn Maritime Hverfisgata 54 | E5 Bergstaðastræti 1 | E4 Museum Bjarni Fel Kaldi Bar / Café Sigurjón KL Art ET Austurstræti 20 | E4 Laugavegur 20b | E5 TAG Saga Museum AR Museum Boston Kigali Ð AR Laugavegur 28b | E5 Ingólfsstræti 8 | E4 ST 13 Skúli Craft Bar Brikk Kofinn VESTURG AU Hafnarstræti 18 | D4 Laugavegur 2 | E5 AN ARÐ ÁN Aðalstræti 9 AR MÝ Bunk Lavabarinn RA As one can witness every single weekend, Laugavegur 28 | E5 Lækjargata 6 | E4 RG AT Icelandic people have a propensity for binge Café Rósenberg Loft Hostel NÝL A END drinking. This is perhaps unsurprising, given Klapparstígur 25 | E5 Bankastræti 7 | E4 SÆB U RAU GA that beer has only been available to the Coocoo's Nest Paloma K T HO EGUR TA LE DI SV nation for the last quarter century. In recent Grandagarður 23 | B2 Naustin | D3 PPSV AN NE EGUR R LT AM SG FR ÍGUR years, however, we have enjoyed quite Den Danske Kro Prikið Ð SG RÁNAR EI VEST the renaissance in our beer culture, with Ingólfsstræti 3 | E4 Bankastræti 12 | E4 SU ATA ARST GE GATA URG IR specialist beer bars popping up all over the ND GR B SG Dillon Reykjavík Roasters A ÁR ATA AT BO A BORG UG A place, offering a previously unfathomable Laugavegur 30 | E5 Kárastígur 1 | F5 RG ND AT TA Harpa RA A variety. On it goes, and there’s a hip new I Reykjavík Dolly Stofan Café AV HR Concert KI ÖLD T RK KLEPP EG ÆÐ U Art Museum Hall kid on the block: his name is Skúli Craft Bar. Hafnarstræti 4 | D3 Vesturgata 3 | D3 JU NDI INGBRA GA SV U BR TA RÆ S RA ÆGISGA And you should pay him a visit. Named after A T Dubliner Thorvaldsen E AG R Main TR ND GU ÁL Tourist YGG Skúli “Fógeti” Magnússon, often dubbed Hafnarstræti 1-3 | D3 Austurstræti 8 | D3 H UR R AS The Ð Info VA “the father of Reykjavík,” the bar offers no UT UT SÓ HÁ GA Central English Pub Ölsmiðjan SÖ RA AR TI T fewer than twelve different craft beers on LV VA A LV I Austurstræti 12 | D3 Lækjargata 10 | E3 B G Bank L HÓ L L ÁS AL L HAFN LSGA tap! In case that makes your head spin, no A A RÆ A SK S Frederiksen Ale House Ölstofan U L TÚNGATA RST The Æ DA VA R V A GA RÆTI TA ÚL B worries, they have a menu with a detailed GA A G T AG R Hafnarstræti 5 | D3 Vegamótastígur 4 | E5 TN ELLI L AT A A Culture A LÆ AV L ALST UST AT U description of each and every one, and the A R A A UR House T G A G Austur ST A KU AR ST AT AÐ RÆ bartenders allow patrons to taste their wares MEI völlur TI National EGUR R Ð K T. A IRK H before purchase. It may not be the cheapest Museums & Galleries V A JU S VE Theatre LI S R ST B TÍGUR N ART67 Reykjavík Art Gallery RÆ A AN RFISGA DAR place in the city, but it’s well worth a gander. E BRÚNAVEGUR TI KA Laugavegur 67 | F7 Skúlagata 30 | E7 LAUGAVEGUR AT ST TA RS GA RN SUND Icelandic STH. EGUR RÆ TA A S RG I PA Mon-Fri 12-18 / Sat Tue-Sun 14–18 SÆ SV Ó Ó G L Parliament A TI JÓL VA P U V TI 12-16 B SK LL ON KJ ÆT AP T. Reykjavík Art R A AG LA ÚN AR Æ R A PL Ta xi I R A AT TA S KL SS Ásgrimur Jónsson Museum - U Laugardals UT K A T LÆ B TA RÆ LA AUNTEIGUR GA SSTR ÆT UG TN Museum Hafnarhús HR Swimming GA ATA TI EIG R AV UR SSTR Bergstaðastræti 74 | G4 Tryggvagata 17 | D3 RE HR U EGUR VA ARTÚN AT Pool

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RI EG ISTH LE AG ÐA EG www.hitthusid.is Daily tours at 13 F ÁR UR U R K R B AR R Y NJ The Settlement Exhibi- National JA E Hverfisgallerí A YJ AR tion GI museum R U Hverfisgata 4 | D4 G GA Sundhöllin UÐ www.hverfisgalleri.is Aðalstræti 17 | D3 AT FJÖLNI S ENGJAVEGUR TA ÍGUR Swimming RA KI Open daily 10–17 GI A T i8 Gallery S HA SS P Reykjavík Maritime ENGJATEIGUR UNN RN TA BERG EI Pool H FO ÓN N Tryggvagata 16 | D3 UV SV RÍ R OL EG Ú Museum EG GA Hljómskáli KSGA BA T T Tue–Fri 11–17 / Sat ÆGISÍÐ HJ I S E UR GU IL T Grandagarður 8 | B2 Zoo and AR HR Park TA SK 13–17 and by appoint- AR AG SG ÓA IPHO Open daily 10-17 ÐA R AU G HA family park H University IN TA N ment. www.i8.is ÐA AT UT LT N of Iceland GB LA RS Reykjavík Museum of Laugardalshöll U A BR LL A RH R RA The Icelandic Phal- D MUND U T Photography Sports hall SK A F R RA AR R AG Æ UT ÁSVE Æ SB lological Museum Tryggvagata 15 | D3 I GU P S M TI LI VE ASUND I AR HÁ Laugavegur 116 | F8 Mon-Thur 12–19 / Fri 12- TE Ú Ú TA GU SNOR IGS www.phallus.is 18 / Sat–Sun 13–17 LI HOL EF VE M R GU R Viðey Island ST Kirsuberjatréð ÁG L GUNN ÍGUR TÓ L A A Nordic House T Ferry from Skarfabakki MÚLI ST Vesturgata 4 | D3 ÁR N SUND MA UR Culture Center FL Harbour, Sat-Sun only GHOL RS ÓK LU VA AG www.kirs.is AG T Á AT www.videy.com SARH NSMÝR EN F AT R A Kling & Bang ÁL A A ARVE Saga Museum G TS K A GA Hverfisgata 42 | E5 J AG AT GUR ML Shopping 11 Hrím 12 Icewear AV AT TA A A UÐ Grandagarður 2 | B2 VE AG T HR Thurs–Sun from 14–18 T A RG Ð EG GA A Taxi INGBR Í www.sagamuseum.is GUR BSÍ RA LaugavegurKjar 25valsstaðir Þingholtsstræti 2-4 www.this.is/klingogbang I G ÐA A 10 AU U UT 12 Tónar HL R RA AR Coach National Sigurjón Ólafsson A DA Unlike other design shops in town, this one Knitting Iceland BR SU NJ Whether you are afterKA something functional R Terminal Museum Laugavegur 25 | E5 Museum ÐU OD Skólavörðustígur 15 goes beyond the local borders to bring someÍÐ ÚT A or aestheticallyHLÍÐ pleasing, Icewear offers Laugarnestangi 70 AK www.knittingiceland.is RL of the most innovative and stylish creationsHL ÝR www.lso.is EGGE Both a record label and a store, 12 Tónar a full collection of STboth clothing for the AN from designers around the world. They are Kunstschlager R RTSG have been bringing sweet sounds to UM ÁR LYN outdoor enthusiast such as sophisticated SÍM D A Rauðarárstígur 1 | G8L SB G A also the official sales point of LomographyANGA in I MÚLI H TA Reykjavík for the past 15 years. They stock all high-techBÓ jackets, and locally made Icelan- Hafnarstræti 16 | D3 IM A L LS Mon-Sat from 15-18 RA G Iceland, so get yourself a Diana camera and TA NG SÍ E AR I of the best new Icelandic music on CDs and Mon-Fri 10-16 HÁ H MI dic wool sweatersÐA and other apparel. www.kunstschlager.comRI ÐUMÚ UT HRINGBRAUT KL RH F IM start snapping.A LÍÐ K www.sim.is AL L E ST some vinyl. Also, check out their Facebook BR AMÝR A AUT Living Art Museum Á R RH E ÐH page for information about in-store gigs. SK SparkFT Design Space ITI A AF Skúlagata 28 | E7 L L GI TA I MA HLÍ Tue-Sun 12-17 KlapparstígurÁ 33 | E5 SB GO N Ð Ð M-Fri 12-18, Sat 12-16 RA AU www.nylo.is LÍ The National and University Library, www.sparkdesign- SA UT Public Toilets SÓLHEI T Public Phones Mengi E AH space.com F H S J A SK KI Arngrímsgata 3 BA ÓL Óðinsgata 2 | F5 There aren’t manyB public payphones in the RM Public toilets in the centre can be found MÝ ÚS ÓG HLÍ TouristYK Information Centre, AðalstrætiAH 2 Tveir Hrafnar S city centre. The tourist information centre LÍÐ inside the green-poster covered tow- Mokka Kaffi R TA RE Baldursgata 12 | G4 V AR Ð MI I EG Icelandic Travel Market, Bankastræti 2 Skólavörðustígur 3A | E5 at Aðalstræti 2, CityÐ Hall, Kolaportið, ers located, for example, at KLHlemmur, HLÍ MÁ A Thu-Fri 12-17, Sat 13-16 AV V BRA www.mokka.is U Reykjavík Backpackers, LaugavegurAH 28 Ingólfstortorg, by Hallgrímskirkja, by www.tveirhrafnar.is entrance at Landsbankinn and in Lækjar- LÍ UT LJÓ R Ð Ð EGUR Ð ST ÞOR gata. Prepaid international phone cards Swimming Pools Reykjavík Art Museum, LækjargataIGAH and by The National Gallery Wind & Weather LÍ S R HLÍ Ð of Iceland HEIM AG are recommended for int’l callers. DR Eymundsson on Skólavörðustígur. Toilets Gallery AT There are several swimmingÁP pools in Fríkirkjuvegur 7 | F3 GNOÐ A Reykjavík UHLÍ canKA also be found inside the Reykjavík Hverfisgata 37 | E5 Internet Access Reykjavík. The one in 101 Reykjavík,Ð Tue–Sun 11–17 UR AR www.windandweather.is G Domestic CityAK Hall and the Reykjavík Library. Sundhöll Reykjavíkur, is an indoor one, www.listasafn.is E SK AR Airport Most cafés offer free wireless internet BL ST GR ÖND Æ ÞOKA EI VO located at Barónsstígur. It features a NA SV Taxi access. Computers with internet connec- UH HLÍÐ The National Museum F LÍÐ Laugavegur 25 | E5 AN GU tions are availableGUR to use at: nice sunbathing area and some outdoor Suðurgata 41 | G2 VE www.thoka.is MI R LLAR hot tubs. Opening hours: Mon-Thu from Open daily 10–17 KL ENSÁ GVARáðhúskaffi City Hall, Tjarnargata 11 ABRA FELL FLU 06:30–22:00, Fri from 06:30–20:00, www.natmus.is UT SM GR Ground Zero, Frakkastígur 8, near ÚLI The Nordic House Laugavegur 45, Sat from 08:00–16:00 and Sun from Kringlan H Sturlugata 5 10:00–18:00. AMRA Shopping The Reykjavík City Library, Tryggvagata 15 HLÍÐ Tue–Sun 12–17 F www.nordice.is Mall

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University of Reykjavík

Nauthólsvík Best Of Reykjavík Every year around the beginning of July, we make a BEST OF REYKJAVÍK ISSUE celebrating some of what makes Reykjavík-life worthwhile, posting some good entries into a hopefully never-ending discussion. The primary purpose of BEST OF REYKJAVÍK is celebration! It’s about big-upping stuff, giving mad props to it and patting it on the shoulder. The following are some nice tips we pulled from BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2014 which you can read in full at www.grapevine.is.

BEST PLACE TO GET TEA: BEST MUSEUM: BEST BOOKSTORE: CAFE BABALÚ THE NATIONAL MUSEUM NEXUS

Skólavörðustíg 22 Suðurgata 41 Nóatúni 17

With its shiny yellow exterior, quirky, This is the best place to go to soak up This award has bounced back and cluttered décor and the strong, exotic knowledge of the Icelandic nation. forth between Mál og Menning and 230 kr. aromas emanating from its kitchen, Educate yourself on folk customs, look Eymundsson, but the moment that Nexus Babalú is a beacon of good, relaxing at old photographs and prints, see was mentioned, all of our panellists were vibes and nurtures that nostalgic, artefacts such as the first Icelandic Bible onboard. Not only is Nexus well-stocked carefree part of your soul. And better and the chess board used by Bobby in contemporary fiction, but they have yet, Babalú has an endless tea list hip Fischer and Boris Spassky in the 1972 an amazing selection of fantasy and sci- enough for all the Ramona Flowers out World Chess Championship, hang in the fi novels, as well as teen fiction, comic there. They’ve also developed a delicious library, and explore the dense collection books, graphic novels and manga. mutant tea/coffee offspring in their which spans over 1000 years of Icelandic The place also avoids the negative ‘chamomile soya latté.’ It’s easy to spend history and culture. We promise it’s not a stereotype about comic book stores, 290 kr. the better part of a day curled up on the boring place to go. putting a lot of effort into making sure sofa, talking to the friendly staff and it has a very female-positive attitude. If visitors, or taking to the comfy balcony they don’t have the book you want, they to soak up those rays during the summer can hunt it down and order it for no extra months. charge. Osushi is a unique rest aurant in Iceland. The met hod of dining involves 315 kr. snatching small plates from Húrra a conveyor belt. Pricing is A GUIDE Every day from 18:00 to 22:00. Beer 500 ISK, Wine 700 ISK. distinguished by the color Iða Zimsen THAT FUCKS Coffee happy hour weekdays 8:00 to 10:00, and pattern of the plate – weekends 10:00-12:00 All coffee 300 ISK. YOU UP Every day from 19:00 to 22:00. Beer 445 ISK. most range between Kaldi Bar Every day from 16:00 to 19:00. 350 kr. 230 - 440 ISK. A list of every Beer for 650 ISK, Wine for 650 ISK. Kiki Queer Bar Happy Hour in Thursday from 21:00 to 01:00. Beer 500 ISK, Shots 500 ISK. Everything off the convey or 101 Reykjavík Kolabrautin Monday from 16:00 to 18:00. Beer 450 ISK, belt is tasty and if you don´t Wine 500 ISK, Cocktails 1,000 ISK. 101 Hótel really fancy sushi, you can Every day from 16:00 to 18:00. Beer 600 ISK, Jörundur Öl- og Matstofa Wine 840 ISK, Cocktails 1,500 ISK. Every day from 14:00 to 19:00. Beer for 650 ISK, Wine for 750 ISK, Beer and snaps for Austur instead choose for ex ample 990 ISK. 400 kr. Thursday to Saturday from 20:00 to 00:00. teriyaki chicken, noodle Beer 800 ISK, Wine 800 ISK. Lebowski Bar Every day from 16:00 to 19:00. B5 2 for 1 Beer and Wine 1,100 ISK. salad, tempura and desserts. Every day from 16:00 to 22:00. Beer 550 ISK, Cider 700 ISK, Wine 700 ISK. Loft Hostel Bar Every day from 16:00 to 20:00. Bar 7 Beer 600 ISK, Wine 700 ISK. Every day from 16:00 to 20:00. Beer 350 ISK, The vibe in Osushi is friendly Shot 450 ISK Download the FREE Micro Bar Every day from 17:00 to 19:00. Beer 700 ISK. Bar 11 and relaxed. The restaurant is Thursday from 21:00 to 1:00. Beer 450 ISK Grapevine Appy Nora Magasin Friday to Saturday from 21:00 to 00:00. Beer Every day from 16:00 to 19:00. 420 kr. located almost next door to Hour app! Beer 650 ISK, House Wine 600 ISK. 500 ISK Althingi (the parliament) which Barber Bar Park Monday to Sunday from 17:00 to 20:00. Beer Every happy hour in Friday to Saturday from 22:00 to 04:30. is in the heart of the city. 500 ISK, Wine 500 ISK, selected cocktails town in your pocket. Beer 500 ISK, Shot 400 ISK. 1,000 ISK Prikið Bíó Paradís Available in the App Monday to Friday from 16:00 to 20:00. Monday to Sunday from 17:00 to 19:30. 500 Store and on the Beer 500 ISK. osushi.is ISK all beers, 500 ISK selected wines. Rio Sport Bar Bjarni Fel Android Market. Monday to Sunday from 12:00 to 19:00. Beer Monday to Friday from 21:00 to 23:00. 2 for 1 Dolly 500 ISK, Wine 700 ISK. 440 kr. Beer 990 ISK, single with mixer 1,300 ISK. Wednesday to Thursday from 20:00 to 22:00, Slippbarinn Boston Friday to Saturday from 20:00 to 23:00. Beer Every day from 15:00 to 18:00. Beer 500 ISK, 600 ISK, Wine 600 ISK. Every day from 16:00 to 20:00. Wine 450 ISK, selected Cocktails 1,000 ISK. Beer 600 ISK, Wine 650 ISK. Dubliner Solon Bistro Bravó Every day from 16:00 until 22:00. Beer 600 Weekdays from 15:00 to 18:00. ISK, 2 for 1 Wine 1,000 ISK. Every day from 17:00 to 21:00. Beer 500 ISK, Beer 650 ISK, Wine 700 ISK. Wine 750 ISK. Einar Ben Every day from 17:30 to 20:00. Stofan Bunk Bar Beer 500 ISK , Wine 800 ISK Every day from 17:00 to 20:00. Beer 750 ISK, Every day from 16:00 to 20:00. Frederiksen Ale House Wine 950 ISK Beer 500 ISK, Wine 750 ISK. Every day from 16:00 to 19:00. Thorvaldsen Bar 480 kr. Cafe Haiti 2 for 1 Beer 1,000 ISK and Wine 1,100 ISK Monday to Saturday from 16:00 to 20:00. Beer Every day from 16:00 to 19:00. Beer 650 ISK, Gaukurinn 500 ISK, Wine 600 ISK. Wine 800 ISK. Every day from 20:00 to 22:00. Tíu Dropar Den Danske Kro Beer 500 ISK, Wine 700 ISK. Every day from 18:00 to 21:00. 2 for 1 Wine for Every day from 16:00 to 19:00. 2 for 1 Beer Glaumbar 1,000 ISK and Beer 1,000 ISK. 1,000 ISK and 2 for 1 Guiness and Wine Thursday to Saturday from 20:00 to 00:00. Vínsmakkarinn 1,200 ISK. Beer 500 ISK, Shot 390 ISK. Monday to Sunday from 17:00 to 20:00. Dillon Hótel 1919 Beer 600 ISK, Wine 700 ISK. Pósthússtræti 13 / Borgartúni 29 / Reykjavíkurvegur 60 HF. Every day from 16:00 to 20:00. Beer 550 ISK, Every day from 16:00 to 19:00. Beer 600 ISK, Wine 575 ISK, Cocktail 1,050 ISK. Tel: 561 0562 / www.osushi.is Wine for 700 ISK, Whiskey 550 ISK. ART ONGOING Route 40 takes you to

Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum ‘An Artist at the Saga Sites’ by Experience Jóhanness Larsen The Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum is presenting 25 drawings by the Danish painter Johannes Larsen from his Icelandic Art journeys to Iceland in 1927 and 1930 in the upper hall. Opens January 31 Runs until March 29 and Design ‘Selected Works' by Sigurjón Ólafsson Selected works by the namesake of the on your way to the Blue Lagoon museum will be on display. Opens January 31 Runs until March 29 Spark Design Space ‘Cityscape’ by Snorri Þór Route 40 Tryggvason, Pétur Stefánsson and Snorri Eldjárn Snorrason At a time when there were no job opportunities for architects in Iceland, three graduates from the Iceland Academy of the Arts decided to hand Zephyr Kópavogur Art Museum draw and watercolor a detailed map of / Gerðarsafn Valgerður Hafstað the city center of Reykjavík. The map took Hamraborg 4, Kópavogur 3,000 hours to draw, paint and assemble Gerdur's Studio Open 11–17 / Closed on Mondays and is without a doubt one of the most www.gerdarsafn.is charming city maps you will find. The project was to become the base for their PRÝÐI company, Borgarmynd, which specializes The Skin Of A House Crawls Into Its Own Skeleton Hönnunarsafn Íslands in illustrated maps, event branding, Icelandic Jewellery / Museum of Design ‘Between Persistence and Cessation’ by Claudia infographics, and more. Are You Ready and Applied Art Opens January 15 Hausfeld Madam President? Garðatorg 1, Garðabær Runs until March 4 Open 12–17 / Closed on Mondays Better Weather Window Gallery Gowns and accessorizes www.honnunarsafn.is Ongoing Laugavegur 41 (F6) | Jan 1 - 29 All Day | Free! of Mme Finnbogadottir Development Better Weather Window Gallery In her work, artist Claudia Hausfeld employs a variety of mediums Hafnarborg Hekla Dögg Jónsdóttir ‘Between Persistence and to raise questions about the representation of images, the value of / The Hafnarfjordur Centre Cessation’ by Claudia Hausfeld of Culture and Fine Art Claudia’s work often features the house objects, memory and the loss of it, and our understanding of what Strandgata 34, Hafnarfjörður as a symbol. In this piece, the house we see. A recurring image in her work is the house. The frame of Open 12–17 / Thursdays 12–21 that is constructed onto the mountain is the hut, which serves as a symbol for shelter and home, is made Closed on Tuesdays unfinished. It is partly rock, partly man www.hafnarborg.is made structure, oscillating between a of wood and bears its own outer layer, which serves to absorb building and its opposite. elements that belong outside, on its inside. Claudia studied Runs until January 29 photography at the Zürich University of the Arts, and received her Arion Bank BFA from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2012. Since then, she 'Speglað landslag' by Hrafnkell Sigurðsson has presented her work at exhibitions in Switzerland, Denmark, In this exhibition (which translates and Iceland. AM as "Flipped Landscape"), Hrafnkell Sigurðsson examines the relationship The Einar Jónsson Museum The work dwells in the gray area between between man and nature, showing man- The museum contains close to 300 beauty and ugliness, challenging and made structures that resemble nature, artworks including a beautiful garden questioning our pre-conceived ideas of and natural phenomena that look human. with 26 bronze casts of the artist’s beauty and art. Runs until February 20 sculptures. Runs until January 31 City Library, Spöng On permanent view i8 ‘Washed Up’ by Gunnhildur Gallery Verkstæði ‘Snið / Transects’ by Eggert Þórðardóttir Artist Helgi Þorgils Friðjónsson has an Pétursson & Friederike Von Rauch Gunnhildur’s 2D and 3D works consist exhibition from his early years (1977- The two person show features works of numerous items that have been 1980) that were described by reviewers by Icelandic painter Eggert Pétursson discarded and washed up on the shore, at the time as being “the last paintings and German photographer Friederike or extra materials that she puts to good made in Iceland” because of how bad Von Rauch. Their works share certain use. The works are, in a way, transformed they were. Undaunted, or perhaps similarities such as the reduction from junk and litter into pieces of art. encouraged by such words, Helgi has in material content, stillness and Sustainability is the name of the game brought those very same works back and concentration. in this exhibit, and its title is a reference is putting them on display. Runs until January 31 to a poem Gunnhildur wrote about Runs until January 11 The Icelandic Phallological sustainability and our consumer-fuelled Hverfisgallerí Museum society. ‘Nonsicles and New Fur-lings’ By The museum contains a collection of Runs until April 12 Shoplifter more than 215 penises and penile parts The Coocoo’s Nest The Fur-lings are a continuation of belonging to almost all the land and sea ‘Reykjavík Los Angeles’ by Sigurður Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir aka Shoplifter’s mammals that can be found in Iceland. Páll Pálsson interest in using human and synthetic hair There's also a penis sculpture honoring This solo photography exhibition features that make up her new furry “paintings” the Icelandic men's handball team, a selection of black and white works by and the so-called Nonsicle sculptures though, confusingly, it does not feature Sigurður Páll Pálsson, which draws on made with a combination of found their actual penises. surrealism through photography. materials the artist obsessively collects. On permanent view Runs until February 7 An absolute must-try! Saegreifinn restaurant (Sea Baron) is like none other in Iceland; a world famous lobster soup and a diverse fish selection. Open 11:30 -22:00

saegreifinn.is

Geirsgata 8 • 101 Reykjavík • Tel. 553 1500 • [email protected] ART ONGOING

The National Gallery ‘New Works’ by Jón Óskar Jón Óskar is one of Iceland’s better known artists who has displayed with numerous exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world. In his photographs, drawings, and prints, he explores the conflict between the surface of the picture plane and the subjects he portrays, whether they are portraits, historical themes, or personal references. Runs until February 8 The National Museum The Making Of A Nation This exhibition is intended to provide insight into the history of the Icelandic nation from the Settlement to the present day. On permanent view Nordic House ‘Forest Embrace and Home’ by Yvonne Larsson The title consists of two themes that Yvonne Larsson has been working with in the form of fourteen big paintings. According to many, Yvonne’s work glides between memory and the present, between the mundane and the existentially ambiguous. With her paintings, Yvonne is trying to see beyond and to make the intangible things visible. Runs until January 11 The Old Harbour Iceland Expo Pavillion Every day from 10:00 to 22:00, Saga Films projects a film of Icelandic scenery inside their Iceland Expo Pavillion which provides a unique 360 degree movie experience. Art School For All On permanent view Performing Arts Workshop Tailored For Immigrants Reykjavík Art Museum - Ásmundarsafn | Listabraut 3 'A posteriori: House, Sculpture' Reykjavík City Theatre A posteriori, or “from what comes after,” Jan 7 - April 15 | Wed 18:00 - 21:00 | 15,000 ISK for 15 lessons is a selection of artworks with original references to buildings or houses. The artists involved in the exhibition have Art collective “Við og við," in conjunction with the Reykjavík used existing or fabricated architecture to City Theatre, are running a series of performing arts workshops create new works. for anyone interested in learning more about performance art. Runs until February 1 Reykjavík Art Museum - Especially tailored to suit immigrants and expats, the workshops Hafnarhús take place in English and are suited folks of all experience levels. ‘Flatland’ by Sirra Sigrún Bonus: Participants will enjoy the opportunity to take the stage In her exhibition, Sirra Sigrún juxtaposes and perform for an audience.. structural stasis with movement by integrating video with text, movement and “Við og við” aims to explore social, political and philosophical sculpture. The exhibit's title is a reference, questions through theatre, performance and dance. The first among other things, to a book of the same session is free, so there is no reason not to give it a go. Do title published in 1884 which is a satirical portrayal of the social hierarchy using the note, however, that there is limited space, so you better sign up language of mathematics and geometry. already!! AM There is a special artist talk on January 10 at 15:00. by the sea Knitting Iceland Museum of Design and Applied Runs until January 25 Whether you are a beginner or pro, you can Art Synthesis come knit at Laugavegur 25, 3rd floor, Are you ready, Madam President? and a delicious lobster This international exhibition comprises every Thursday, 14:00 - 18:00. The exhibition displays clothing and other works by seven artists. The artists make On permanent view accessories from the wardrobe of former three-dimensional installations which Icelandic President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. at Fjörubordid in Stokkseyri Mokka Kaffi share the qualities of reflecting a certain 'Grjótaþorpið' by Gylfi Gíslason The exhibition gives visitors a glimpse perception, thinking and rhythm, which Following the re-release of a book from into Vigdís's preferences in choosing her may be seen as an echo of life itself, of 1980 about Grjótaþorpið, a small wardrobe and style, and also the personal primal forces, the structure of the fabric of neighbourhood in the heart of 101 lives and habits of heads of state. the world and the ongoing genesis of the Reykjavík, an art exhibit with works from Runs until February 22 universe. the late Gylfi Gíslason will be on display Prýði Runs until January 15 at Mokka Kaffi. In addition to writing To celebrate 90 years of the Goldsmith’s said book about Grjótaþorpið, Gylfi was a Association of Iceland, 40 Icelandic multi-talented artist who had numerous goldsmiths will exhibit their works. Expect exhibits, and taught drawing classes. a diverse variety of jewellery and other Runs until January 9 pieces, with inspiration spanning from over the century. Runs until January 25

At the seashore the giant lobster makes appointments with mermaids and landlubbers. Spör ehf. He waves his large claws, attracting those desiring to be in the company of starfish and lumpfish. ART HOUSE CINEMA & CAFÉ ON SHOW—JANUARY: ICELANDIC MOVIES 20,000 DAYS ON EARTH, WITH WHIPLASH, BOLSHOI ENGLISH Reykjavík BALLET & MANY MORE SUBTITLES Stokkseyri Eyrarbakki - The Seashore restaurant HAPPY HOUR AT THE BAR FROM 17:00-20:00 > Only 45 minutes drive from Reykjavík Eyrarbraut 3, 825 Stokkseyri, Iceland · Tel. +354 483 1550 CHECK OUT OUR SCHEDULE AT BIOPARADIS.IS Fax. +354 483 1545 · [email protected] · www.fjorubordid.is Summer opening hours: Mon - Sun 12:00 to 22:00 HVERFISGATA 54 101 REYKJAVÍK +354 412 7711 [email protected] ART ONGOING

‘Worlds And Ways’ by Gunter Damisch This exhibition features a selection of works by Gunter Damisch from the 1980s to 2013. On display are both graphic works which Gunter has given Reykjavík Art Museum and a selection of other works by him. The works are highly individual iconography and mythology oscillates between figuration and abstraction. Runs until January 25 'Erró and Art History' The exhibition provides an insight into the work of the Icelandic painter Erró. He maintains a style that varies between surrealism and pop art and also integrates elements of comics and science fiction. In this exhibition are presented works in which he has borrowed images and fragments of pictures by some of the leading artists in history, such as Picasso and Léger. Runs until September 27 The Reykjavík City Library The collection centres around new Nordic literature, both fiction and nonfiction. The library lends out novels, academic publications, audiobooks and more. On permanent view 'The Plant In The Hallway' by Elísabet Rún and Elín Edda Sisters Elísabet Rún and Elín Edda have an exhibition which displays art from their first graphic novel 'The Plant In The Hallway.' They have been working on the graphic novel for two years, and its story is about how the protagonist's life changes when she puts a plant out in her hallway. #LIKEAGIRL Runs until January 15 Reykjavík City Museum ‘Girl Culture’ by Lauren Greenfield LÆKJARGATA 4 Reykjavík 871 +/- 2: The Settlement 101 R E Y K JAV Í K Exhibition Reykjavík Museum of Photography Archaeological findings from ruins of one TEL. 551 0100 of the first houses in Iceland and other Tryggvagata 15 (D3) | Jan 9 – Jan 11 | 13:00-17:00 | Free admission! excavations in the city centre, open daily w w w.jomfruin.is 10:00-17:00 On permanent view Lauren Greenfield is a documentary photographer and filmmaker Reykjavík Maritime Museum whose work explores societal issues such as youth, gender and From Poverty to Abundance consumerism in America. ‘Girl Culture’ takes a powerful look Photos documenting Icelandic fishermen at at how womanhood is interpreted by girls of various ages. The the turn of the 20th century. On permanent view images and accompanying text purvey a sense of pity for girls who The History of Sailing are struggling with the double standards of femininity, whether Iceland's maritime history that showcases through eating disorders or dress-up games. But, at the same time, the growth of the Reykjavík Harbour. On permanent view Greenfield creates aesthetically beautiful pictures through use of The Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn colour and perspective. AM This vessel sailed through all three Cod Wars and has also served as a rescue ship to over 200 ships. Tveir Hrafnar Volcano House On permanent view ‘X-mas’ The exhibition gives a brief overview of Reykjavík Museum Of In a continuation of their special holiday Iceland’s geological history and volcanic Photography show, the artists and affiliates of Tveir systems with superb photographs of ‘Flat 5’ by María Kristín Steinsson Hrafnar band together to offer a diverse volcanic eruptions and other magnificent María’s exhibit features a series of 15 long exhibition. aspects of Icelandic nature. exposure photographs that that capture Runs until February 6 On permanent view the entire duration of a performed activity Týsgallerí Wind And Weather Gallery unfolding in front of the camera. Through ‘Homecourt’ by Guðmundur ‘In Between’ by Amy Tavern repetitive, mundane tasks carried out Thoroddsen The Veður og Vindur- Wind and Weather within the boundaries of her home, she Guðmundur is known for his work with Window Gallery presents a mixed media attempts to reveal how traces of our wooden sculptures and on paper—using installation by Amy Tavern, entitled ‘In existence appear as time passes by. As a variety of materials, including ink, Between’. It explores decision-making a result the photographs contains both collage, marble, excrement, ceramic, through the five senses as well as time and movement condensed within a and gold leaf. His work emphasises observation, logic, instinct, intuition, and still image. the combination of the sacred with the collective experience . Runs until February 3 profane. Runs until February 27 ‘Girl Culture’ by Lauren Greenfield Runs until January 31 Lauren’s exhibit focuses on the central role occupied by popular culture in the construction or deconstruction of female identity. The exhibition consists of portrait images and interviews that cast a light on the experiences and expressions of women today. Runs until January 11 ‘Iceland’ by Beth Yarnelle Edwards Fascinated with the relations between people, their living spaces and possessions, the San Francisco based photographer Beth Yarnelle Edwards collaborates with her subjects to recreate scenes from their daily lives. The Iceland series was created when she spent a summer month in Iceland. Her aim is to seek out intersections of the mythic and mundane. Runs until December 9 SÍM (CIA) ‘Exitus (Kleine Welt III )’ by Soffía Sæmundsdóttir This exhibition presents paintings, small objects and drawings by artist Soffía Sæmundsdóttir. They are the third part of the exhibition series ‘Kleine Welt,’ which means "Small World." The exhibit was borne from a stay at Künstlerhaus Lukas in Ahrenshoop in Germany 2012. Runs until January 26 FOOD FOR YOUR MIND BODY AND SOUL

STEP INTO THE LIGHT: 2014 Iceland's latest food trends!

A Shit Sandwich Of Gloom before doling out the rest to Caruso’s pro- but thankfully a grassroots movement Lorded over by the most bumblingly in- prietor, José Garcia. José was less than formed on social media with the sole pur- efficient government in recent memory, pleased with this arrangement, which led pose of helping out the farm, staging fund- people found it increasingly harder to to Jón taking action that was at best primo drives and promoting her goat products. feed themselves. For instance: at the start douchebaggery and likely in breach of sev- This resulted in the farm being saved. It of 2015, Icelanders saw rising food prices, eral tenants’ rights regulations. Employ- was super heart-warming. I like my heart along with a tiny drop in the cost of ciga- ees were locked out of the restaurant and warm, let’s do more stuff like this. rettes and flat-screen TVs. However, the unable to access their properties, and the Iceland’s heritage poultry breed has government does win points for eliminat- kitchen staff had to suffer a spoiling inven- also enjoyed success, thanks to those Vi- ing that stupid sugar tax, which was meant tory before the authorities finally stepped king cluckers and their eggs becoming a to guide the population towards healthier in. Beautiful. symbol of quality, hipness and financial lifestyles. I celebrated by eating a heaping status. bowl of sugar because it was all I had in the Collectives & Pop-Up house. Food Markets The New Faux-Retro 2014 saw a rise in self-organizing food In New York City, 2014 was apparently a Dairy Behemoth Gets collectives and social media based foodie record year for new restaurant openings. I A Boo-Boo groups. Chef Ólafur Örn launched his haven’t seen the numbers, but I wouldn’t The Icelandic Competition Authority pop-up food market series Krás this sum- be surprised if the same was the case in fined dairy monopoly Mjólkursamsalan mer, drafting in many of Reykjavík’s most Reykjavík, where restaurants bred like (MS) 370 million ISK for abusing its domi- prominent restaurateurs, simplifying their never before. In line with the times, trends nant market position by selling milk at a signature dishes into street food. Matarg- leaned heavily towards artificially-aged in- 17% higher price to its competitors than jafir gave Facebookers a way to make food teriors and retro nomenclature. to its own associates. Following the ver- donations to struggling families in ex- dict, MS and Iceland’s ruling party have change for likes and an express lane into Reykjavík Annexed Into changed their relationship status to “it’s heaven. Brooklyn complicated,” but we all know they’re to- The SUMAR food collective gave food- Speaking of New York, The Brooklynifi- tally still into each other. ies a place to seek out rare ingredients and cation of Reykjavík bars and restaurants play a game of endless culinary showboat- seems to be as unstoppable as a cigarette WE DON’T SELL Douchelords ing, as well as staging pop-up food markets vendor chilling out on a Staten Island In October, the owners of Thai restau- of their own. street corner. This Instagram-filtered pre- rant Krua Thai purchased the building Facebook group “Ég ann Chili” ser- sentation of the Brooklyn spirit has been at Skólavörðustígur 21. They then an- viced the chilli geeks a spicy place to get imported to most European capitals, and WHALE MEAT nounced that they would not be renewing lost in macho one-upmanship and “Úta in that spirit Icelandic social media over- the rent agreements with beloved noodle borða” gave Reykjavík’s most elitist food flowed with snaps of pulled pork, ribs, cro- hut Noodle Station, local design store In- elites a place to discuss which restaurants nuts and artisanal burgers, just like in the Restaurants that have this logo promise not to sell sula, and tailored shirt store Skyrta. Krua sucked and which didn’t. rest of the damn world. whale meat. We kindly ask you to choose Thai will be taking over the bottom floor Farmer’s market Búrið deserves spe- The gang now includes Roadhouse, to offer their selection of pre-cooked sugar cial mention for blazing the trail for their Lebowski Bar, Kex, Chuck Norris Grill, a whale friendly restaurant and to recommend goop, and have voiced plans to turn the seasonal food markets, as well as staging Bunk Bar, Kol, The Coocoo’s Nest, Don’s others to do the same. upper floor of the property into a hostel. some wonderful events of their own last Donuts, Kaffihús Vesturbæjar, Dirty Because we really need some more of that. year. Nice job! Burger & Ribs, American Bar, Brooklyn Still, entrepreneur Jón Ragnars- Bar—with the last three opening on the Whaling is cruel and unnecessary son made the most convincing case for Goat Saviours same 100 metre stretch of Austurstræti. Douchelord Of 2014 by kicking out long- Farmer Jóhanna Þorvaldsdóttir at Háafell The name of the game is upscale fast food, standing restaurant Caruso and changing has been selflessly breeding and main- brunch, or bistro dining. This trend seems the locks a couple of weeks before Christ- taining a heritage strain of Viking goats, to be going nowhere (in every sense of the mas. Prior to this, Jón had instituted the which is at risk of extinction—her farm word). Sigh. alone constitutes a third of Iceland’s total 2014–2 interesting new system of keeping all of 015 the restaurant's profits and subtracting goat population. Háafell has been battling what he thought he had coming to him money problems for a couple of years now,

#109 Dill is a Nordic restaurant with its focus on Iceland, the pure nature and all the good things coming from it.

It does not matter if it’s the

WELFARE ingredients or the old traditions, we D FOR ANI MAL INTE RNATIONAL F UN try to hold firmly on to both.

There are not many things that make Don’t let your visit to ICELAND us happier than giving life to old traditions and forgotten ingredients leave a bad taste in your mouth with modern technique and our creative Choose a whale friendly restaurant mind as a weapon. Information about whale friendly restaurants can be found at www.icewhale.is

Lífið er saltfiskur Hverfisgata 12 · 101 Reykjavík Tel. +354 552 15 22 · www.dillrestaurant.is INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE icewhale.is FOOD FOR YOUR MIND BODY AND SOUL

buns—three things Reykjavík has been started investing in lukewarm water and missing all bundled together in one abomi- plastic bags. Some people rolled their eyes Sushi Shake-Up nable snowman. at this, but there are worse things in life SuZushi, generally considered to be the After word got out that a renowned than amateur chefs making better steaks. best sushi bar in Iceland, was sold to Michelin chef was opening up a drive-thru the owners of Hressingarskálinn which in Reykjavík, Dirty Burger & Ribs proved This Time Only! caused some foodies to cry out in despair a massive let-down. As uninspired as the Limited edition marketing rose dramati- and having to comfort eat themselves with concept is, the ribs are still damn excellent. cally, with beer companies expanding their a big bowl of raw fish like a squadron of de- BarAnanas opened around Airwaves selection of seasonal beers (and the selec- pressed seals. time, and gave a welcome break from the tion of seasons), with even old and un- usual trends. A entertainingly tacky Tiki changed brands like Brennivín jumping on The Tacked-On, The Weird, bar, which is just going to get better with the bandwagon with their own Christmas And The Nameless age and party-wear. Since it’s located in a Brennivín. We also saw a lot of new sea- In 2014 we got a nameless secret pizza perennially doomed location, let’s all cross sonal and limited edition candies, such as place on Hverfisgata, which did no formal our fingers that it survives caramel-infused Nóa Kropp and In that spirit Ice- marketing. The word still got out and those winter and keeps going gingerbread Nizza chocolate bars. who found the entrance got to enjoy some stronger. landic social media of the city’s best pizzas. Húrra is where the overflowed with THE LIZARD Chase Steffens and his Taco Fyrir wild things are these days. snaps of pulled pork, Finally there’s the bizarre trend Mig pop-up taco place found a semi-per- Taking Harlem’s place ribs, cronuts and of Eðlan (“The Lizard”), which is manent home running Taco Tuesdays at (which in turn took Bak- artisanal burgers, the name popular local comedian the restaurant CooCoo’s Nest, serving up kus’s place), Húrra hosts just like in the rest of Steindi Jr. gave to a bog-standard some tasty tacos from the host restaurant’s the same art-school kid the damn world. dip that has been popular with trunk. crowd, but with a much housewife sewing circles for ages. Last but not least was Puffin Coffee, better use of space, and The dip consists of cream cheese the impromptu coffee stand operated out with a nice facelift. spread at the bottom of a baking tray, of Sverrir Rolf Sander’s kitchen window. Kaffihús Vesturbæjar was a necessary covered with salsa dip and topped with Originally, Sverrir’s aim was to raise the addition to the west side of Reykjavík, grated cheese and baked into a dip. This minimum donation to be able to partici- which had been experiencing a massive has become ludicrously popular with the pate in a charity cycling race, “Ambitious rise in the number of cool young profes- young’uns, and has apparently led to a no- For Autism.” He wound up raising nearly sionals, in contradiction to its total lack of ticeable spike in cream cheese sales. $5,000 for the cause, after Puffin Coffee decent coffee houses. became a social media sensation. It’s been an interesting year, I’ll give you The Big Cs that. Many of the trends we saw in Iceland in Taco Rising The key health food words in Iceland last 2014 were things that other cultures picked Icelanders came late to the party, but 2014 year were chilli, chia seeds, lo-carb, and clean in 2013 or earlier. That said, Reykjavík marked an awakening to the glory of well- cauliflower cous-cous. Kale and kimchi is definitely catching up with the rest of the made tacos. People couldn’t stop talking made a minor appearance in foodie circles, world at a faster pace—all that’s missing about them. They crept into menus around but not much beyond that. Pomegranate now is some fresh ideas and local textures. town, with Bunk Bar a notable example. seeds were a popular salad topping after I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we There are rumours of a new taco place some health columnist praised their life- need more crazy up in here. Our heritage is opening early this year, but so far that’s it. saving qualities, and gluten continued to be rams’ testicles and rotten fish, we have noth- God willing, the good people of Reykjavík the worst thing since Hitler. Meanwhile, ing to lose. will get their first fish taco restaurant this the anti-health brigade enjoyed the other So, to the dreamers and schemers out year. Cs—cronuts and cognac cocktails. there harbouring big ideas: it’s time for you to step into the light! Great New Bars & Restaurants Getting Turnt With Sous-Vide Ramen Momo is a great and welcome ad- Sous-vide hit the mainstream after a cou- dition to the food scene, serving authentic ple of years of slow simmer. Suddenly, ev- RAGNAR EGILSSON Tibetan ramen, dumplings, and steamed ery ambitious amateur gourmet in Iceland ALÍSA KALYANOVA

NEW AWARDS

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theBanThai finest thai restaurant in Iceland w w w . b a n t h a i . i s 101 ÓÐINSTORG REYKJAVÍK ÍSLAND SNAPSBISTRO.IS Laugavegur 130, ofan við Hlemm Laugavegur m a n y f a m o u s p e o p l e a r e r e g u l a r s h e r e banthai @ banthai . is Open 18.00-22.00, 18.00-23.30 weekend [email protected] +354 5116677 Our food is made fresh from scratch, it‘s not pre-made. not pre-made. it‘s scratch, from is made fresh Our food

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