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Two months into the Geldingadalir eruption, scientists are eager to decode its secrets COVER ART: Photographer: Art Bicnick

The photo was taken at Fagradalsfjall, Iceland's newest volcano, just weeks after it began erupting.

10: Believe #MeToo 12-13: Ragnar "Paints" 23: Magma Masters 06: Moderna Odds Be 14: New Spots! 27: Regn Teaches Us Ever In Your Favour 20: Kristín Þorkelsdóttir Non-Binary Realness 08: The x_Emo_God_x Talks Her Life's Work 28: Soul Tacos

First When the Grape- completely new. Everything from a EDITORIAL v i n e ’ s p h o t o lava tornado in the lava stream, to the editor Art Bicnick dramatic weather transforming the and I first visited area into something that even the best the Geldingadalir CGI in Hollywood could never recreate. volcano on March But the volcano also has some 2 0 t h w e w er e answers to provide and secrets to The Ever speechless. On unlock. In our feature about the scien- an Icelandic scale, the volcanic activ- tists researching the volcano on page ity was small and it was incredible how 10, it's evident that we have a scientific close we could safely get to the erup- goldmine on our hands, making this Changing tion. We realised instantly that this was eruption even more spectacular. If it’s a historic event. There hadn’t been an true, as scientists have considered, that eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula the eruption is a shield volcano, it's an for around 800 years and not a single event that hasn’t happened in Iceland Volcano volcano had erupted so close to the for thousands of years. What’s more, capital area in modern times. To add to that would mean it could go on erupt- the dramatics, history tells us we can ing for years to come, although scien- expect over 20 volcanoes to erupt on tists are not convinced that will be the the peninsula in the next two to four case. Nonetheless, this is an interest- centuries. ing re-beginning of volcanic activity on Our biggest surprise has been how the Reykjanes peninsula. Maybe it will diverse and ever changing the erup- even turn the economy around after the tion has been. At first there was a small shock of COVID-19, proving once again fissure that became quite big. Then we the power of Icelandic nature. had three different fissures at the same time. They grew to eight fissures that Valur Grettisson finally turned into a graceful, beauti- Editor-in-chief ful fire geyser with a lava fountain shooting up to 300 metres, reminding Icelanders of our famous Geysir. How can one not be in awe witness- ing such raw power? For me and Art, it has been an adventure every time we visit the volcano, just to see something

John Pearson is a Rey- Hannah Jane Cohen is Pollý is a hard-work- Alina Maurer is a Catharine Fulton is a Art Bicnick is an Andie Sophia Fontaine Brittnee Kiner is an Valur Grettisson is kjavík resident who based out of Iceland ing journalist by day media studies intern writer and editor who international man has lived in Iceland American political an award-winning combines writing with by way of New York. and an enthusiastic at the Grapevine. She has been involved of mystery. He since 1999 and has science student– journalist, author professional back- She's known for her ball-catcher by studied all things with the Grapevine moves like a shadow been reporting since turned temporary and playwright. He grounds in music, love of Willa Ford, night. A four-year-old Icelandic at HÍ and for many years, from through the subcul- 2003. They were the resident of Iceland, has been writing for broadcasting, scuba David Foster Wallace, dachshund mix with can finally distin- being our online tures and soirees first foreign-born seeking asylum from Icelandic media since diving, engineering and other such an IQ of a five-year- guish Marvel’s Thor news editor to sta% of Reykjavík, never member of the the quagmire of US 2005. He was also a and underwater "intellectuals." Her old human, Pollý has from the real Þór. journalist. She is still, o$en ghosting Icelandic Parliament, politics. Riding her theatre critic and photography. He loves visionary work is been the o"cial A$er a year’s break now our beloved the scene in a pu% an experience they horse-drawn wagon one of the hosts of puns, alliteration and known for expand- Chief Of Morale at in Germany she came copywriter. Outside of blue smoke—the recommend for from the Oklahoma the cultural program, lists that have three ing the definitions of the Grapevine for back to Iceland due of dealing with our exhaust fumes of the anyone who wants prairies, she found 'Djöflaeyjan' on RÚV. things in them. emotion, introspec- eight months and is to missing the ocean writers turning in elusive, well-travelled to experience a refuge on an Atlantic Valur is not to be tion, and above all a regular contribu- and Icelandic ice work late, she also Bicnick Mini. workplace where island. A rock climber confused with the else, taste. Hannah is tor to the Grape- cream. She loves has two extremely colleagues work tire- from the plains, she's dreadful football club also the current Drag vine Newscast on pretzels, clay art and cute kids. lessly to undermine got a serious so$ that bears the same King of Iceland, HANS. YouTube. Woof. boiling in hot tubs. each other. spot for ice cream. name.

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others, as has the legality of deport- ing anyone to Greece. ÚTL has been What Are Icelanders on the defensive over these actions, so it remains to be seen if sustained Talkin! About? public criticism and protests will have any effect on their policies. Whole lotta bannin! !oin’ on In brighter news, tourism is back! Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photos: Art Bicnick & AdobeStock Relaxed pandemic restrictions and THE HOME the massive vaccination rollout in the US and other countries—not to NEWS Infection rates for the tion. All that is moot now—just in mention here at home—has tour- coronavirus have been time for the start of Iceland’s tradi- ism operators very optimistic. It is OF ICELANDIC low and a recent easing of restric- tional tourist high season. predicted that some 700,000 tour- tions has allowed Icelanders to ists will visit Iceland this year. A far forgo wearing a mask in a great Any time the Directorate of Immi- cry from the 2 million who would SEAFOOD many situations, including visit- gration (ÚTL) makes the news, visit the country each year at the ing grocery stores, restaurants you can bet that it’s not going to peak of the tourism boom, but as a and cafés. This has prompted a be good. Such has been the case for country with an economy so heav- AND LAMB very obvious divide in the public the past couple weeks now, after it ily reliant on tourism, it’s certainly discourse, between people who are came to light that ÚTL was evict- better than nothing. thrilled to visit Bónus bare-faced ing refugees from shelters for not APOTEK Kitchen+Bar is a casual-smart and those who are still concerned taking a pre-deportation PCR test. about unintentionally spreading 14 refugees, most of them from restaurant located in one of Reykjavíks the virus to vulnerable and as-yet- Palestine, are currently homeless, most historical buildings. unvaccinated compatriots and will cut off from food stipends (asylum continue to mask up for the fore- seekers are not legally permitted to We specialize in fresh seafood seeable future. We certainly would work) and denied health care. The and local ingredients not take a position one way or the legality of this has been questioned other and wouldn’t dream of ques- by the Icelandic Red Cross, amongst prepared with a modern twist. tioning the wisdom of our health authorities, but it should go with- out saying that continuing to wear a mask, at the very least, certainly isn’t going to hurt anyone. Let no one mask-shame you. APOTEK KITCHEN+BAR Austurstræti 16 101 Reykjavík apotek.is Speaking of the pandemic, quar- antine hotels are now a thing of the past. No more will new or returning arrivals to Iceland have to sequester themselves at a hotel, barring special circumstances. Readers may recall the very public legal battle that arose around these hotels, replete with lawyers making grand statements that compared the scheme to North Korea, culmi- nating in a court battle that forced Parliament to review the legisla- It's ain't mask but it's honest work

PUBLISHER LISTINGS DIRECTOR PHOTOGRAPHERS CONTACT US: or in part without the Hilmar Steinn Hannah Jane Cohen Andrea Ludovice —» Editorial written permission of the publishers. The Grétarsson [email protected] Emilía Karen +354 540 3600 [email protected] Reykjavík Grapevine Published by [email protected] Ægisdóttir is distributed COPY EDITOR —» Advertising around Reykjavík, Fröken ehf. +354 540 3601 Ólöf Breiðfjörð [email protected] Catharine Fulton 354 540 3605 Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Hafnarstræti 15, [email protected] Seyðisfjörður, 101 Reykjavík SALES DIRECTORS —» Distribution Borgarnes, Keflavík, www.grapevine.is EDITOR!IN!CHIEF MULTIMEDIA Ísafjörður and JOURNALIST Aðalsteinn & Subscriptions at key locations [email protected] Valur Grettisson +354 540 3604 [email protected] John Pearson Jörundsson along road #1, and johnpearson@ [email protected] distribution@ all major tourist Member of the grapevine.is grapevine.is attractions and Icelandic Travel NEWS EDITOR Helgi Þór Harðarson tourist information [email protected] —» Press releases centres in the Industry Association Andie Sophia Fontaine INTERNS www.saf.is andiesophia@ [email protected] country. You may not like it, but at least grapevine.is Brittnee Kiner FOUNDERS —» General Inquiries brittnee@grapevine. it's not sponsored Printed by Landsprent is Hilmar Steinn [email protected] (no articles in the CULTURE EDITOR Grétarsson, Reykjavík Grapevine ehf. Alina Maurer Hannah Jane Cohen Hörður Kristbjörnsson, are pay-for articles. [email protected] [email protected] The Reykjavík The opinions Owen Tyrie Jón Trausti Grapevine is expressed are the Sigurðarson, published 21 times writers’ own, not the PHOTO EDITOR [email protected] Oddur Óskar a year by Fröken advertisers’). Art Bicnick Kjartansson, ltd. Monthly from [email protected] CONTRIBUTING WRITERS December through Valur Gunnarsson February, and Sam O'Donnell fortnightly from Shruthi Basappa March til October. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole NATURALLY PURE ICELANDIC LAMB – BEYOND COMPARE

Icelandic lamb roam free in the pristine wilderness of Iceland grazing on wild berries and herbs like red clover, Arctic thyme, sedge, willow, thrift and angelica resulting in it having an unrivaled !avor pro"le. Infused with the !avor of nature, Icelandic lamb is "ne-textured, tender and naturally rich in Omega-3 and iron. Icelandic lamb – an exceptionally pure taste experience.

Enjoy the best we have to offer, Icelandic food – naturally. 6 The Reykjavík Grapevine First Issue 06— 2021

questions is that of random selection, ASK A which begins this week. In case you were wondering whether this random selection was going to be done using some high-tech AI, or even Hiker an online random number generator, Q: How hard is it to hike Ragnheiður Ósk Erlendsdóttir, direc- to the volcano? tor of nursing at the Capital Area Health Care, told reporters that “we are going to put all the remaining cohorts in a certain hat or mug and then draw either men or women from the rele- vant cohort.”

What if you’re not a man or woman? Ragnheiður explained that this method is simpler than some 21st century method of random selection and also that “there were so many tasks with our programmers” that they couldn’t get just one of them to code something on the fly. Pfizer gang! That said, since the National Regis- try allows people to register their Valur Grettisson, the editor-in-chief gender as non-binary (i.e. neither a at the Reykjavík Grapevine, has hiked woman nor a man) and there are an to the volcano over 20 times and re- Drawn From A Hat unknown number of people who are ported about the ever changing area currently registered as such, it was over the past months. Here, he gives Vaccinations, Hun%er Games style unclear how any of these people were you the honest answer on exactly how to be random selected. hard it is to hike to the volcano. At long last, health authorities Words: While daily infection rates for the coro- ing in mind that “fully vaccinated” issued a clarifying statement: every- "How hard is it to hike to the volcano? Andie Sophia navirus have been quite low lately, the means that a period of time—usually one, regardless of gender, would be The short answer is, not that hard. The long answer... well, it’s complicated. Fontaine big question on people’s minds is vacci- two weeks—have passed since a person eligible for random selection, and the nations. On February 15th, Minister has received both shots, we still have solitary concern was regarding Astra- The hike to the volcano in Geldingadalir Photo: of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir told our work cut out for us to reach that Zeneca and its possible effects on is, at the time I’m writing this, around 7 Adobe Stock reporters the government expected to number. those with high estrogen levels. Feels kilometres, meaning it is categorized have 190,000 people fully vaccinated by like they could have said that from as a medium hard hike. The town of the end of June, calling it “numbers we Bingo! the beginning and avoided any confu- Grindavík and the search and rescue can stand by”. sion, rather than insist on this weirdly teams have been laying proper paths As of June 1st, there are just under However, one of the vaccination strat- gendered selection system. to the volcano. But, there is a mountain 92,000 people fully vaccinated. Bear- egies that have raised the biggest to hike up to, namely Fagradals#all. You will have to ascend over 200 metres LOST IN GOOGLE TRANSLATION which is the hardest part of the hike. Fortunately you don’t have to hike the whole 200 metres in one go, but in two separate stretches. Right now, these Iceland Saves All Animals, Real or Not paths are pretty good, but they can be steep for those that are not in good According to Frét- we had wished humans most of parrot transformed physical shape — our only advice is to tablaðið, a wooden for—an audacious the time. Unfortu- when the verb “úr” walk slowly up these hills. Trust me, it parrot was coura- rescue of an actual, nately, this was no was introduced. will make it considerably easier. geously rescued living parrot. locally-made, hand- This is supposed by the Icelandic While it might cra"ed, artisanal to mean “out of” Now, that is only half of it. Icelandic fire brigade on May not be as wild as parrot carved from but when com- weather is notoriously unstable, mean- 17th. At first, the those in South the birch trees of bined with “tré,” or ing that checking the forecast before Grapevine was less America, a do- Iceland’s wilder- tree, the meaning the hike is vital. Keep in mind that the than impressed. It mestic parrot still ness—though, it’s evolves. Google weather in the city could be very di$er- wasn’t exactly the requires a focused definitely organic. sucks the life out ent from the weather at the eruption brazen, eye-catch- and methodical The headline of the parrot and site. The easiest way to find out the ing rescue we all rescue mission of reads, “Slökkvi liðið creates an illusion forecast, is to visit safetravel.is before crave, in a country the nation’s best, bjargaði páfa gauki that Iceland’s fire heading out. Another thing that cannot where reporters albeit only, fire úr tré,” but Google brigade is hope- be stressed enough is the importance dash to the first brigade. The parrot translates the title lessly devoted to all of proper footwear. Many have twisted sign of a runover was found perched to “The fire brigade animals, whether ankles or fallen and hurt themselves. sheep, falling vic- in a tree, naively rescued a wooden they’re locally-bred The best way to avoid this is to wear a tim to the ring-road assuming that he parrot.” “Slökkvi liðið or locally-made, good pair of hiking boots. If you want enthralled tourists. belonged out in bjargaði” accu- we don’t discrimi- to hike in the evening, bring a head Saving a wooden Icelandic nature— rately becomes nate—all animals lamp — it will start getting dark again parrot? Not exactly how wrong he was. “The fire brigade will be saved here. at the end of July. That’s it. Enjoy the heroic, until we This is no place rescued” but BK hike. It can be trying, but the reward realized this was for a parrot, heck, unfortunately, the is unbelievable." ° exactly everything it’s no place for composition of the

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shop.grapevine.is shop.grapevine.is* shop.grapevine.is shop.grapevine.is shop.grapevine.is shop.grapevine.isDon't Hesitate! Act Now! * You only need to type the URL in once 7 The Reykjavík Grapevine First Issue 06— 2021 GODS OF ICELAND apparently deemed not a threat. Tell that to the brokenhearted holiday lovebirds among us, eh? GRAPEVINE Then, one day, as Höður took a step out of his dark gaming den to yell, “It’s not a phase, Mom!” his mischievous PLAYLIST uncle Loki had the hilarious idea to ask him to shoot a mistletoe dart at his twin brother. Blind Höður, who had runs uncertainty, definitely had enough of his stuck-up though there are modulated moments, beloved brother always claiming to be of course, when more the first-born twin, went for it, using confidence shines through. Written in his matured gaming skills and tip- the early days of the top hand-eye coordination to lance pandemic, it speaks the mistletoe at Baldur. (In Höður’s of a quiet trepidation, with a sweeping 2/4 defense, according to the Sagas, shoot- Gudfinner - Light You have two choices beat that brings the ing stuff at the ‘unkillable’ Baldur was when it comes to listener on a visceral, one of the Gods’ favourite hobbies, recording a song methodical meander He didn't get tickets to the MCR reunion tour either that is acoustic into the unknown. whenever they were not on a Jötunn- guitar and voice: That said, it’s at all killing-spree, of course.) layers of tracks with times beautiful—just So Frigg messed up, the mistletoe complex, interwoven maybe don’t play it harmonies, or for the first dance at slayed Baldur and Höður’s goal of being Höður, The For#otten Emo Kid intimate simplicity, your wedding. HJC the favourite son was finally within accentuated by light reach, as he was now an only child. synth and piano. Always in the wron$ place at the wron$ time This track achieves That said, poor Höður had not intended the latter, with a to kill his brother and could not in his melody so sparse it Words: Who the Hel is Höður? ment. (Spoiler: He was preparing for wildest dreams see what consequences almost serves just as accents to the truly Alina Maurer his big moment!) But along with being awaited him. Pun intended. heart-rending vocals. Well, let’s not discriminate. ignored, forgotten and depressed, our Naked as a cloudy

Photo: Höður is the blind and forgotten dark Höður is also extraordinarily day, it’s the kind of Life sucks song that might Ásta - Ka" hjá Adobe Stock son of Óðinn and Frigg. He’s also Þór’s unlucky. Who could see that coming? make you nostalgic Salóme & Wikimedia brother—though you don’t see him Instead of grounding him back to his for a place you’ve This is a pleasant two- and-a-half-minutes Commons in any flashy Hollywood blockbust- In fact, Höður is so unlucky he is basi- smelly basement as a punishment never been to. The perfect complement in which Ásta shares ers. In the sagas, Þór is busy roaming cally only mentioned in the Sagas once for his fratricide, super dad Óðinn to a day at home ka" og köku and all over Yggdrasil with his sexy ginger for the time he killed his own womb- schemed something of a darker nature. sipping tea. ASF vocal duties with Superpowers: fellow songstress Being in the beard flowing in the wind and his mate. But what sounds like a family Presumably out of rage, Óðinn quickly Salóme Katrín. The wrong place at best hammer-companion Mjölnir in drama is rather a good ol’ prank by our procreated with a Giantess, birthing song’s spacious the wrong time. hand. Höður is not. But he has another master of trickery Loki. Höður’s new baby brother Váli, who arrangement and fluid vibe are brother, his twin Baldur, the darling of then grew to adulthood within a day. So Weaknesses: reminiscent of Kings Blind, naive, Ásgarður, who some might think arro- The tale of dark Höður poor Frigg—not only did she lose her Of Convenience—or gullible and, gant but was actually, in fact, pure of favourite son but her husband Óðinn even Harry Nilsson’s "Everybody's Talkin” again, naive. heart, brave, moral and, most impor- After needy Baldur had some frighten- also cheated on her. Rough day. at times—while tantly, hot as Hel. ing nightmares of being killed, Frigg— Óðinn’s new favourite son promptly Kaktus Einarsson - the predominance Modern So Höður was the “emo version” of the super mom—took an oath from slayed our favourite forgotten emo Kick The Ladder of strings shows Analogy: With a clear taste for Ásta playing to her That forgotten his twin brother Baldur, who was no every creature in the nine worlds to hero, Höður. So while Höður tried hard the experimental, strengths. This is a emo kid in the doubt the golden mama’s boy in Frigg’s not harm her favourite son. This made and got so far, in the end, his whole Kaktus is best known polished track that is basement, eyes. While his family went around Baldur practically unkillable—practi- scheme to be loved by his parents for his involvement polite enough not to always in the with the likes of outstay its welcome, fighting monsters and doing good cally. See, the only problem was that didn’t even matter. so it can drop in for wrong place at Ghostigital and deeds, Höður was probably busy play- Frigg found it too unimportant to take Fufanu. On “Kick the co#ee any time. JP the wrong time. ing FPS games in his pungent base- an oath from the Mistletoe, which she Ladder,” an eerie opening drone picks up with subtle JUST SAYINGS consistent strums of a guitar, developing a gentle, spacey beat that you can really sink into. While the track picks up ,,Að gera garðinn frægan” the pace with the addition of so! Kvikindi - Okei Do you want to be famous? Of course tional practices of arranging English vocals and a mellow "The psychologist says I'm okay. My you do. But here’s the real question: gardens, in reality, this has nothing to drum beat, Kaktus manages to maintain therapist says I'm Have you made your garden famous? do with rolling lawns, charming trees a subtle background okay. My sponsor Wait—you don’t have a garden? No or gothic castles. No, it just means that as the foreground says I'm okay. My friends say I'm worries. It’s not required. she sold a lot of albums there. evolves ominously but invigoratingly. BK okay." Fucking hell. The Icelandic saying “Að gera The phrase only becomes compli- Brynhildur, it’s 11:00 garðinn frægan” literally means “to cated when talking about people who are AM on a Friday right now. I can’t feel this make a garden famous”. Colloquially actually involved with gardens. As such, much. Yes, “Okei” is this means, more or less, that you’ve there’s been historical confusion when an intense, stark, already made it. discussing Samwise Gamgee’s success so-personal-it’s- heartbreaking look at The phrase is widely used in the in destroying the ring in Mordor. Many Brynhildur’s mental Icelandic language when mentioning a’hobbit thought that Sam had merely health. Send this to Icelanders who have found success grown some lovely tulips around Barad- any non-Icelandic Hjörtur Ingvi speaking music critic abroad, like Björk. One could say, “Wow! dûr when they heard that the good ole’ Jóhannsson - Aries abroad and they’d Björk has really made her garden in gardener had made his garden on the Based in A minor, definitely think this England!” While others might think plateau of Gorgoroth, when in reality “Aries” is a relatively was some sort of restrained, almost post-krútt dance love that the ethereal songstress has perhaps he had destroyed evil forever. But, you fearful track. song. Trust us, it’s taken up the very honourable and tradi- know, fame is overrated. VG Throughout every not. HJC A famous garden! delicate arpeggio 8 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 06— 2021 Murmurs From The Mantle

The Geldingadalir eruption site is growing—but where did it come from? Words: Hannah Jane Cohen Photos: Art Bicnick

On March 19th, 2021, the world’s gaze the geochemistry department has all but line of dots marking the Holuhraun samples the data points from Geldingadalir almost turned to Iceland as fissures opened in the dropped everything in order to study the in the various graphs. “Bear in mind that look like a logarithmic scale. Not that the Geldingadalir valley—the first eruption on new volcano. “In comparison to many other when Holuhraun formed, a landmass the word ‘logarithmic’ is applicable here—it’s the Reykjanes peninsula in over 800 years. Icelandic units, lava flows and things that size of Manhattan was generated. So in just to help you visualise the sharply curved Initially, scientists predicted the volcano I’ve studied, it’s pretty remarkable,” he trajectory of Geldingadalir’s data points in would erupt for a matter of days or weeks. smiles. comparison to the consistency of the other This was quickly proven wrong as its flow volcanoes. So unlike those of Holuhraun or grew stronger and stronger, starting as a Laki, the geochemical makeup of the rocks light trickle of lava and morphing into the at Iceland’s newest volcano has changed pulsating geysir-like monolith it is today. as the eruption has powered on—which is Now it’s expanding—daily and rapidly. In what shocked Sæmundur and his team. fact, by the time you are reading this, it’s “But what’s remarkable is not only the very likely the lava might have taken over degree of variance, it’s also systematics,” he the nearby road. continues, pulling up more graphs on the At the same time it has wreaked seismic composition and timescale of the eruption. havoc on southern Iceland, the volcano has “The onset of the eruption is the 19th or given scientists an unparalleled opportu- 20th of March and you move through March nity for research. An accessible erupting and not much happens. Then April kicks in volcano on the doorstep of a capital city is and you see the shift in compositions.” like winning the geological lottery and, in But what does a shift in composition actually mean? Well, it varies by element. Take something like magnesium, one of the major elements in a rock, typically making up around 5-10% of it, and these particular changes aren’t so meaningful. But when you look at more trace elements, especially six months, a new Manhattan was formed highly incompatible ones, more conclusive in central Iceland. It’s remarkable. But information can be extrapolated. There’s the months since the initial eruption, Geld- essentially you could go from one place to hardly any of these elements in the rocks ingadalir has become a pilgrimage site for Sæmundur pulls up a few graphs looking another—the Lower East Side to the Upper and they are extremely sensitive to the international scientists angling for a first at various chemical tracers and element East Side—and pick up any basement rock arrival of new melts, so if the melt is consis- hand reading on a new volcano. ratios in their samples from Geldingadalir and they’d be the same,” he explains. tent and from the same source, the ratio of While it’s clear big revelations surround- in comparison with other famous volcanic “Same with the 1783 Laki eruption. We these shouldn’t change. Therefore a notable ing the new eruption site are on the hori- units, such as the 2014-2015 Holuhraun often talk about Laki-size eruptions, mean- change in the ratio of these elements, such zon, the first news to emerge concerned eruption. For our purposes, the actual ing enormous, some say even flood basalt as what scientists are observing at Gelding- the unusual source of the magma in the things they are measuring aren’t particu- events, but it’s the same. The rocks are adalir, means something significant. volcano, so it’s here where we will begin larly important. It’s rather the comparison consistent. But our new fellow here does Looking at the ratio of radiogenic lead our exploration into the source of Geld- of other eruptions to Geldingadalir that this,” Sæmundur says, gesturing towards isotopes, which have extremely long half- ingadalir—with the geochemistry team is eye-catching. In fact, the differences the Geldingadalir data points, which are lifes, is even more damning. “Nothing that was first on the scene at the eruption. between the trajectories of the Gelding- anything but an ordinary line. should change this,” Sæmundur says, of adalir samples from the others are so the jump in these data points in the graph. stark that they actually prompt an audible “In order to change this ratio, you first need The uniform “Wow!” from me. A remarkable shift a long time, we’re talking about hundreds “It’s unique in many ways,” geochemist “The 2014-2015 Holuhraun composition While the geochemical data points within and millions of years, and secondary, you’re Sæmundur Ari Halldórsson explains. He is very uniform throughout,” Sæmundur the parameters Sæmundur is studying from talking about large scale chemical fraction- sits in his office at Háskóli Íslands, where says, pointing at the relatively consistent the other eruptions are remarkably uniform, ation events.” 9 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 06— 2021

“So to go from here to here over a few in the years preceding the Holuhraun the arrival or pulling of melts which are the name. Despite shield volcanoes being weeks in one eruption indicates [this] is eruption,” Sæmundur relays. “But again, extracted deeper,” Sæmundur explains. typical for divergent plate boundaries and driven by mantle processes,” he concludes. even though it was fed from a fairly deep So does that means more than one source hotspot locations, the majority of Iceland’s “And that’s the main message. For us, this crustal reservoir at about ten kilometres branching off? volcanoes are not of the shield variety— is remarkable.” or so, it’s still crustally located. It’s within “A heterogenous source clearly plays in fact, it’s been thousands of years since the crust.” He pauses. “You see the precur- a role. Essentially a mantle underneath Iceland experienced one. sor. The magma comes together, it mixes, that is undergoing melting is not a single It’s still those volcanoes we could look Mantle processes? it homogenises and ultimately there is the source. It’s a source that’s highly variable, to for more information on Geldingadalir’s The mantle makes up 84% of the Earth’s eruption of one liquid that has uniform that has lots of history,” he later continues. future. “So if we want to find a unit in the total volume. While it appears solid to us, composition.” “You’re pulling up melts. You’re extracting area close to the eruption site that best within the geological time scale, the mantle But Geldingadalir’s composition is melts. You’ve depleted one residue and so resembles it, it’d be the large shield volca- moves as a viscous fluid, with the rocks anything but uniform, which indicates that forth. It has a complex history that reflects noes. So then you can speculate, what does bringing heat from the Earth’s core to its it’s not from a stored homogenous crustal millions of years. So one of the things we this imply for the duration of the eruption?” surface via convection. A mantle plume is reservoir. “Here it’s different in every way,” are playing with is how do you bring this Sæmundur questions. an anomalously hot selection of material he smiles. together?” that rises from the core-mantle boundary And this is what the team is now working to the surface, which forms hotspot volca- on, Sæmundur explains, though any results A golden goose nic regions—places like Hawaii and Iceland. are far from ready. Regardless of how long the volcano erupts, Iceland, though, is unique, in that it’s also or whether it takes over the road or not, the located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a diver- eruption at Geldingadalir is still a golden gent plate boundary, which adds another goose for scientists. Seemingly safe and layer to its complex volcanism. easily accessible from the city, it’s the new So taking this all into account, just how Mecca for those who study the earth or unique is it to find a volcano that pulls up those that just want to get closer to the such deep magma in Iceland? Is Gelding- mantle than ever imagined. Already, scores adalir an anomaly? of researchers from Iceland—like Sæmun- “We’ve surely seen this before. There dur and his team—and from across the are a few localities outside of the Reyk- globe have arrived at Geldingadalir, eager janes peninsula where we have magmas to get closer and closer to the history of our planet. It’s unfathomable just what a wonder the information provided by Geld- ingadalir will be for science—both world- wide and on this little volcanic island. “Despite decades of studies looking at the eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula, we still know so little, so this is really an eye-opener,” Sæmundur smiles. “And jeez! It’s just here in our backyard.”

Hey! I’m back! In terms of predicting the next steps of the eruption, Sæmundur can’t give any concrete answers, but he does point out that the Reykjanes peninsula does have rift- "The geolog- ing episodes, and looking at the historical this primitive, very likely being extracted patterns, we are due for a new one. from Moho-located reservoirs,” he explains. He’s referring to the age of settlement, ical record 'Moho' refers to the boundary between the from 800 to 1,100 years ago, when Iceland crust and the mantle. “But again, regardless was a rather busy place, geologically speak- of from what angle you approach the prob- ing. In fact, there were around 20 eruptive lem—if it’s from a geophysical, geochemi- events similar to this one during that time really is cal, or volcanological perspective—it’s frame. “And we know from the geological the deeply derived character that’s really record that the Reykjanes peninsula repeats remarkable and unique here.” The realm of specula- itself. It repeats events of this magnitude,” Sæmundur chooses the Krafla volcano he explains. “So the geological record really screaming at as a point of comparison. “From 1975 to tion is screaming at us, ‘Hey! I’m back.’” 1984, there were repeated eruptions over a So what does this mean? Did one magma But it’s still hard to place Geldingadalir period of nine years at Krafla, but they were source dry up only to be replaced by an even within the historical context of the Reyk- largely derived from a fairly shallow crustal deeper magmatic source in the mantle? janes peninsula’s eruptions. It acts differ- us, ‘Hey! I’m magma reservoir,” he says. “Essentially you What exactly can we derive from the avail- ently from the surrounding systems, which had magma coming in from below—obvi- able information? is something Sæmundur and his team ously, it’s all formed by partial melting of Well, it’s only been a few months of noticed the moment they began studying the mantle—but they accumulated and collection and analysis, so it’s here that we the eruption. back.’" were stored in a crustal reservoir. For how enter the realm of speculation. The data “We realised very early on that this was long? We don’t know but probably for a fairly is coming in as fast as Sæmundur and the unique, that it stood out in comparison to short time and then were transported most rest of the geochemistry team at Háskóli other recent eruptions. It resembles the big likely laterally in the crust before erupting.” Íslands can handle it, but it’s too early to shield volcanoes,” he explains. Shield volca- The same occurred during the Holuhraun make concrete statements. noes are known for their fluid lavas, which eruption. “There was clear evidence for “Well, a first order interpretation of a aren’t particularly viscous, leading to large storing of magma for considerable time ratio change like this is consistent with volcanoes that resemble shields—hence 10 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 06— 2021

things from a historical perspective,” she says. “From that perspective, you “I think we, as can see throughout history people trying to regulate sexuality. To make a society in some sort of laws or rules around sexu- general, need ality. The people lowest in the hierarchy tend to suffer the most from these laws, to have these while people higher up in the hierar- chy tend to be able to use their social conversations position or the capital that they have to with each avoid sentencing or otherwise get out of the situation easily. With everything other; not just that has been going on ... it brought the teachers” these historical facts back to me." Change starts at home

For Íris, if we are to seek any kind of broad social changes we cannot rely on the police and the courts. "I think we, as a society in general, need to have these conversations with each other; not just the teachers,” she says. “To be able to recognise the power structures that are dominant in these conversations. So much depends on the power position of the people involved, if the people who have been trespassed upon are to get any justice. Sex educa- tion needs to take power structures into Íris explores the historical context account as well."

that have no comparison, as they have The education of each no sexual experience of their own. We other risk setting them off in a direction Iceland’s #MeToo where consent isn't as stated and as Þórdís sees education as crucial, believ- involved as it should be." ing that it should extend beyond the Where that is concerned, it was strik- walls of the school. This notion touches Movement: ing that the first public reaction that on so many aspects of parenting, the Icelandic police had to the latest including teaching that even some- resurgence of the MeToo movement thing like tickling needs to be consent- was to announce that they intended to based. Teaching these lessons to the Breakin! The go after content creators on OnlyFans, next generation of Icelanders would, by which was most likely due to the fact Þórdís’ estimation, have a great positive that one of Sölvi’s accusers met him impact. through the platform. "It's such an intimate relationship Cycle Íris Ellenberger, a historian and when you're raising kids,” she says. “It's assistant professor at the University important to always keep the onus on

How can we move from reaction to education? of Iceland School of Education, cites the person who's seeking to engage, the history of such legal approaches to whether it's sexual activity or physical Words: Last month, the greater Icelandic public says. “I do not have 100% insight into sex and porn and who is hit hardest by activity of any sort. If we have that, if we Andie Sophia was reminded that the MeToo move- the curricula, but I have children who them. just have that one thing down, it would ment never really went away. are preschool and elementary school "I'm a historian, so I come to these make a tremendous difference." Fontaine This was kicked off when two women age, and my gut feeling is that we're came forward on May 5th saying that not doing enough to teach healthy the well-known podcaster and media approaches to bodily integrity. I also personality Sölvi Tryggvason had sexu- think that we go about it a bit wrong.” Photos: ally assaulted them. Sölvi used his plat- Art Bicnick “It's important to always keep form to make a tearful denial of what Whose responsibility is it? and he termed slander aimed at ruining his the onus on the person who's Andrea Ludovice reputation. Another media personality, That said, there is also the question of Sigmar Vilhjálmsson, in turn posted a upon whom the onus of consent lies. seeking to engage, whether video of himself watching the video of For Þórdís, this distinction is crucial. Sölvi crying and exhorted the general “We still haven't shifted the empha- it's sexual activity or physical public to consider how Sölvi must be sis enough, so that we free the child activity of any sort.” feeling. This prompted untold many from that burden of having to be the Icelanders, most of them women but gatekeeper of their own bodies,” she including some men and nonbinary says. “That relates back to this victim- people, to take to social media and blaming culture, that if you are not the employ the #MeToo hashtag to talk one who is stating those boundaries about their own experiences with sexual entirely clearly, so that it is in accor- assault. There has also been an upswing dance with the law, then basically you in people reporting to the Stígamót have no rights and a crime against you crisis centre. Many of these testimo- is not a crime, according to these sets nials urged men to talk to other men of rules. That is, of course, why it was about consent and boundaries. Some great that our authorities passed a men seconded this sentiment, encour- new rape legislation three years ago. aging other men to examine their own That sent a clear message that we need behaviour. consent for something to be considered Considering that this is a cycle we sex and not abuse." re-visit, with or without hashtags, on a fairly regular basis, the main question Porn and more that arises is: how do we end for good? At the risk of being utopian, can we as a Another contributing factor to the society ever have a healthy understand- poor understanding of consent among ing of and relationship with consent? far too many, Þórdís believes, is the proliferation of porn and the effect this Different this time around has on young minds who have not yet developed a healthy relationship with For Þórdís Elva Þorvaldsdóttir, an sex and boundaries. author, playwright and gender equality “Given that we have such enormous activist, it’s something she’s thought access to porn, in so many cases it about—and spoken very frankly erases the distinction between what about—for years. She recently penned is sex and what is abuse,” she tells us. a column for Stundin, ‘An open letter to “With such material so readily available the good guys’, and told the Grapevine to children, I feel that we're definitely that she also noticed the familiar cycle. not doing enough to counter those "I would say that consent isn't blurred lines and undo the harm that being taught enough in schools,” she such material risks doing to children Þórdís Elva and child Find today's events in Iceland! Download our free listings app - APPENING on the Apple and Android stores

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Jono Duffy—western Europe’s best Australian comedian who lived in Iceland—is not about to let something as trivial as a global pandemic stand in the way of delivering laughs. Sign in to watch and enjoy all the dick/French fiancé/Icelandic language jokes your little heart desires. And, at only 5€, you can’t beat the price. Note: Jono is a TikTok star—follow him at @thejonoduffy for Tiktoks about Careful, you're going to put someone's eye out with that learning French and subsequently hating the French. HJC There are plans to expand their circuit and Swords & Friendship stage competitions with the HEMA group in Akureyri. They’ve even found humanitarian An unorthodox way to stay fit and make friends !ains goals for the fights. “The Akureyri tournament is a charity event,” Atli says. “It’s in honour of popularity in Reykjavík Szczepan Łakomy, who used to train with us.” Szczepan passed away in the downtown fire Words: Sam O’Donnell Photos: John Pearson that claimed several lives last year. The pro- ceeds will go towards measures to prevent Historical European Martial Arts, or HEMA, ‘wasn’t he a part of this group?’” So the five such a tragedy from occurring again. is more than just learning to fight with an- core members, who are active to this day, left The group also has a new youth program, The Monotonous Struggle cient weaponry. It is a community devoted to form Reykjavík HEMA Club. which started as a three-month summer camp to becoming better through discipline and But their work was far from finished. There in 2020, but due to its success, morphed into a Landscape With Human friendship. It’s also a great excuse to hit people was damage to control, so the group publicly long-term membership program. in the face with steel swords. denounced the actions of their former presi- Until June 29th - Þula “HEMA is the study of historical European dent on social media and in news outlets. “We weapons, wrestling, all the way down to bare did everything to make sure that the only Striving for the next level Sigurður Ámundason is all about knuckle boxing,” Rúnar Páll Benediktsson, the HEMA club in Reykjavík is not these guys.” As Despite appearing on the surface to be all looking at the small moments of life president of Reykjavík HEMA Club, explains. bad as the situation was, they fought to turn about fighting, the core of HEMA is commu- and presenting them in an epic and “It’s essentially different weapons systems,” the misfortune into something good. nity, friendship and self-improvement. “You magnificent way. You might have treasurer Atli Freyr Guðmundsson adds. There can never be too good,” Atli says. “There is seen him in our recent issue are different rules depending on the club or always a next level to strive for.” featuring the next generation of tournament one is participating in, but there The future of HEMA Rúnar adds that there is an element of in- Icelandic fine artists, but if not you are two consistent tenets you’ll find in every HEMA’s current practise space is under KSÍ’s timacy to it. “You truly get to know someone can now see his works live and in HEMA organization: Hit your opponent and stadium. The group trains with German long- when you’re fighting.” Friends are made fast person at Þula, a gallery that seems don’t get hit in return. swords on Tuesdays and Thursdays and experi- in this sport. to just get better and better. So if ments with different styles and weapons on Anyone who is interested in HEMA is en- you want to come revel in the Saturdays. A typical practice lasts two hours, couraged to come and try it out—it’s free for monotonous struggles of mankind, Humble beginnings with the first hour devoted to training and the first three practices. If you don’t live in Siggi is ya boi. HJC At first, the two were in a HEMA club called learning practical moves and the second hour Iceland, you can always go to hemaalliance. Væringar. In the beginning, it was less for- spent sparring. Matches last three minutes and com and find a club in your area. “No matter mal training and more friends playing with the goal is ultimately to best one’s opponent where you are, if you study HEMA, you are swords. Some members wanted to turn it into using everything one has learned thus far. welcome at almost any club.” a bigger, more formal thing, studying manu- scripts and learning proper fencing styles. Rúnar and Atli agreed. While they didn’t in- tend to become the de-facto leaders of the group, it just sort of all happened and they took their new roles seriously. But that group was not destined to last.

SORRY VÖK KV. US Falling out and forming anew Vök In September 2019, Atli received a link to a news story. “I checked the link and it said that June 18th - 20:00 - Gamla Bíó - 3,900- the president of our club Væringar, was the 4,900 ISK president of another club here in Iceland,” he says. That other club was the Icelandic chapter Note: Last issue, the Grapevine of the Nordic Resistance Movement, a neo-Nazi made a grave error when they group that has been described by many as a claimed that Vök had been former terrorist organisation. Grapevine cover stars. Apparently, “I woke up after a night shift, checked my despite being Vök superfans phone and was just like ‘Oh, no.’ We immedi- and having a shrine at our office ately called an emergency meeting of the core completely made of singer Margrét group,” Rúnar says. Of course, they did not Rán’s discarded masks, Vök has invite their racist leader. The group saw two never graced the cover of this options ahead of them. They could either kick magazine. To rectify this, we’d like him out of the group, or leave and form their you, dear reader, to attend their own group. “The easiest choice was just to show on the 18th, take a picture, leave.” write “THE REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE” “Even if we took over the club, it would still on the top and email it to us at have that toxic aura about it,” Atli continues. [email protected] HJC “People would remember and they would say These Mouseketeers are ready for a skirmish The Reykjavík Grapevine 12 Culture Issue 06— 2021 Get Grapevine Merch!

“These few hours of an Icelandic summer night VOLCANO are a bit like COLLECTION what it's like to be dead.”

You've got a bit on your jacket, Ragnar

ence to ask 'how can they run so fast around the stage?' It's a very Ra!nar Kjartansson simple trick. For this performa- tive happening, we had to write some songs, which was the four On A Summer’s Ni!ht of them. The joke became ‘it's like ABBA, but with twins’. You know, The artist’s latest video work is 'We're gonna make a million dol- lars! ABBA with twins!'" striking in its simplicity Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photos: Art Bicnick & Ragnar Kjartansson Sampling literature The impetus and the process for the piece is an adventure in itself. Exhibit Knowing the history of the set- "With this work, like with many ting, the contrast between what other works, many things come to- 'Death is Elsewhere’ by Ragnar appears to be two lovers singing gether and suddenly you wanna do Kjartansson will play at Listasafn a sweet song at the site of one of it. This collaboration between me Íslands until September 19th. Iceland’s most destructive natu- and Gyða and Kristín and Bryson ral disasters is striking. But even and Aaron started because I had Ragnar Kjartansson is a man of not knowing this context, the lon- worked with them separately on surprises, seeming to delight in ger you stand in the midst of this other projects. But then Aaron and surprising himself as much, or piece, the weirder it gets. You be- Justin Vernon [of Bon Iver] were even more, than surprising oth- gin to notice that the “couple” in doing this festival in Au Claire, ers. ‘Death Is Elsewhere’ (called question changes costumes as they Wisconsin. It was a fantastic fes- ‘Sumarnótt’ in Icelandic, which circle you. Sometimes, the guitar- tival, where he asked if I could do translates to ‘summer night’), a ist is playing the harmony, other a performance for it and he said I video installation of his that has times, the melody. Is this really could use any of the musicians or been getting praise and accolades just one couple? Or are you actually anyone involved. And I was just shop.grapevine.is across the art world and currently seeing two couples who look very like 'OK!' The people who were in- showing at the National Gallery much alike? volved were just open for anything, of Iceland until September 19th, which was a fantastic invitation." shop.grapevine.is is exemplary of this. "We wrote the music just across The concept is deceptively sim- The old twin trick the pond," Ragnar continues, ges- shop.grapevine.is ple. The viewer is invited to stand The answer, it turns out, is the lat- turing to Tjörnin, right across the in the middle of a ring of seven ter: the “lovers” in question are street from the National Gallery of shop.grapevine.is screens. Projected onto them, a two sets of twins, Gyða and Kristín Iceland. "At my home. All the lyrics couple is singing a lilting tune Valtýsdóttir and Bryson and Aaron are sampled from my bookshelves and playing guitar while walking Dessner. at home." This included random shop.grapevine.is in a circle around you. The set- "I've remembered for a long selections of poetry, translations ting takes place in the middle of time this kind of 'magic twin of ancient Greek and other texts. shop.grapevine.is* one of Iceland’s famed summer trick,'” Ragnar tells us. “The idea "It was a fun way to write music, nights, when the sun doesn’t set, was that it would be great to do because we knew how the perfor- Don't Hesitate! at Eldhraun in south Iceland, the a performance where this was a mance was going to be, we just had Act Now! current site of a lush meadow but stage and a couple always cross- to write music for a couple walking * You only need to type the URL in once in 1783, the site of the devastating ing the stage, leaving the stage, across the stage, some kind of love Laki eruption that killed roughly and then like two seconds later songs. A few years later it came to 25% of Iceland’s population. they come back, leaving the audi- me that I really wanted to do this The Reykjavík Grapevine 13 Issue 06— 2021

RÖNTGEN

fisgata r A still from 'Death Is Elsewhere' e 1 v 2 piece in the south of Iceland near then it's almost like, why bother the English and Icelandic titles go, H where Eldhraun is, where we had making it?" Ragnar says that he felt a direct this mega, gorgeous, panoramic translation didn’t work and was too nature, but also this violent nature. “oppressive,” so he took the sug- The frolicking, cliched lovers in this Painting is hard gestion of his wife Ingibjörg to just kind of landscape." Ragnar happily shares photos from call it “sumarnótt”. He is, however, the shooting of Death Is Elsewhere, considering changing the title to showing how the cameras were Sumarnótt/Death Is Elsewhere be- You don't have to get it set up, comparing it to a "techno cause, he explains, "’summer night’ Since the piece’s launch, many Stonehenge"—a ring of cameras, on its own is a little too ‘Grease.’" critics have had different takes on each equipped with three mics, "These few hours of an Icelandic ‘Death Is Elsewhere.’ It’s honestly their lenses facing outward. summer night are a bit like what it's not a piece that invites interpreta- "I really like the painterly quality like to be dead,” he says. “These few tion so much as just experience. of video,” he says. “Video is like a hours when the birds are asleep. It’s something to be felt; not un- painting and I really like painting." My dad used to take me for a night derstood. Fortunately so, as Rag- This naturally raised the question: walk around summer solstice up nar admits that not even he knows why not just just paint? Ragnar in Heiðmörk, to watch this thing what it means. responds immediately: "It's really when the birds stop singing and "I really like pieces that I don't hard to paint," and then laughs at then start singing again." understand myself,” he says. “It was length. "Also, I really like some- You can hear this in the piece as something that I wanted to do, in thing that's performative and nar- well, as the birds go silent, but then this nature, with these people and rative in its essence, turning it into later begin to sing again—perhaps this material and it just all came something that's just like a paint- underlining the idea that death together. When I watch this I'm ing. Where there's no beginning may always be with us, but for the Happy hour / 4–7pm still like 'What is this?' I really like and no ending—it's just there." moment, in a gorgeous Icelandic it when pieces are like that. When meadow where death once sprang Beer / Wine / Cocktails you're like 'what the hell is this forth, it is indeed elsewhere. piece?' When you can explain to Those summer nights yourself, as an artist, 'this is this', As far as the difference between

“The joke became ‘it's like ABBA, but with twins’.”

THE

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The twin takes it all... The Reykjavík Grapevine 14 Best of Reykjavík Issue 06— 2021 of simultaneous warmth and freshness? Check out Chickpea, a street-style restaurant that can satisfy all taste buds, introducing an “What sounds like a call unparalleled twist on the otherwise ordinary for battle is an urban falafel. Their vibrant pitas, wraps and bowls are layered with various greens and flavorful chíc, Vietnamese and aiolis, paying homage to nature and all that plant-based restaurant.” it deserves. BK

La Poblana

Laugavegur 2

Taking up the former residence of Sushibar- inn, La Poblana is the brainchild of Carlos Guaernos and has quickly garnered a reputa- tion ‘round town as the place for world-class Mutt Gallery tacos. There’s long been a dearth of Mexican food in this city, but finally you can stuff your- Laugavegur 48 self with all the carnitas you desire. We thank you, 2021. Our waistlines and wallets do not. Mutt Gallery goes hard. Their first three ex- HJC hibitions featured a powerhouse lineup of Úlfur Karlsson, Shu Yi and Grapevine favou- rite Almar Atlason and, if that’s anything to go by, we really can’t wait to see what they do next. That said, we are also waiting with bated breath to see what they do with their The one most important thing our society needs: Vegan... World Peace! urinals. HJC Post-Pandemic Relevance Sourdough and ‘Tiger King’ are still cool, right?

Words: Alina Maurer, Brittnee Kiner & Hannah Jane Cohen Photos: Art Bicnick Vegan World Peace COVID-19 might have killed our desire for hand- good news! Sæta húsið opened up shop in shakes, video chats and bats, but that doesn’t the heart of Reykjavík in May and is ready to Aðalstræti 2 mean the optimists at the Grapevine won’t find serve deliciously fresh rolled ice cream, mixed a silver lining in it. Yes, while the pandemic did with all sorts of candy and fruit. Our souls What sounds like a call for eco justice is ac- hit our local economy hard, there were still many are ready for more treats – especially if it’s tually an urban chíc plant-based Vietnam- Chikin exciting arrivals to the city over the past year. ice cream! AM ese restaurant. Creative, unusual and exotic Here, our writers Alina, Brittnee and Hannah dishes convince even the ardent meat lover. Ingólfsstræti 2 Jane—the official Grapevine welcome wagon— Everything, including the peking duck and pick their favourites. crispy prawns, is vegan. Not only impressive This ain’t your mama's KFC. No, Chikin— to one's taste buds but also candy for the eyes. Reykjavík’s first dedicated hot chicken and AM bao joint—manages to be at once both totally sophisticated foodie cuisine and also food that’ll definitely fill the hole in your soul you usually quench with a spicy Twister (and then hate yourself for). So grab some chicken with pickled daikon, shiitake mushrooms, miso mayo and lots of other delicacies. And then love yourself. HJC

Maika’i

Hafnartorg, Kolagata 1

Want to feel like you’re in the tropics while Sæta húsið absorbing the rare Icelandic sunshine? Stop by Maika’i near the Old Harbour for an Açaí Chickpea Laugavegur 6 bowl, covered in the toppings of your summer dreams. You can also grab a bowl at Smáralind Hallveigarstígur 1 If you’ve been drooling over that luscious on a rainy day while still taking a trip to the Thai-rolled ice cream on Instagram, we have southern hemisphere. BK Craving falafel that transports you to a place

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“Getting a hot dog with everything is traditional Iceland and just the way to go.”

Words: Elísabet Hulda Photo: Emilía Karen Ægisdóttir Elísabet Hulda Snorradóttir some of my friends for brunch or a to hate it but a!er working there, I Elísabet Hulda Snorradóttir is the late lunch. Right now, the places I really love it and getting a hot dog reigning Miss Universe Iceland frequent the most are Fjallkonan, with everything is traditional Iceland 2020 as well as a Chinese Studies Apótek and Duck & Rose. But any- and just the way to go. student at the University of Iceland. where you can sit outside and enjoy For ice cream, almost all the par- Along with being a pageant queen, the weather is good. lours are amazing. There’s Brynjuís she speaks Japanese, Korean and We usually stay for quite a while, in Kópavogur, Valdís by the harbour Chinese fluently. Here’s her perfect but a!erwards what I love to do is and Ísbúð Vesturbæjar in Vesturbær. day in the capital. head to a swimming pool, probably People usually get a bragðarefur and Laugardalslaug. If you visit Iceland, if I get one, I opt for fresh (not fro- Kick start the day! you have to go to a swimming pool— zen!) strawberries, Daim and a white shop.grapevine.is that’s just a necessity. Depending on lion bar. It’s an amazing combo. The moment I wake up, I always start whether I feel like it or not, I’ll swim every morning by drinking a ton of some laps but usually the hot tubs Treat yourself shop.grapevine.is water and making breakfast at home. are so nice I will just soak there. If Now in Iceland, life can sometimes the weather is really good, you’ll see Then it’s dinner! My favourite places shop.grapevine.is seem a bit boring, so you have to find everyone decked out on the edge of right now are Sushi Social, Fjallkonan Don't Hesitate! ways to make it interesting. For me, I the pool trying to get a tan, but those (ok, if I went there for brunch I’m not Act Now! like to kick start everything with an are quite rare in Iceland! going there for dinner) and Reykjavík shop.grapevine.is* outdoor run. I’m a really active per- Meat. The steaks at Reykjavík Meat * You only need to type the URL in once son! I live in Mosfellsbær, so I usually Iceland's #1 combo are really great. If you want to treat run there, but otherwise I love going yourself, that’s where you should go. to Elliðaárdalur and the harbour in Traditionally, after swimming you Now, usually, if I did not have an ice downtown Reykjavík. The path is long, need to get an ice cream or hot dog. cream before dinner, then it’s time to it’s a nice view and there’s very few There’s the Pylsuvagninn Laugardal go for an ice cream when we’ve fin- Venue Finder hills to get in the way of running far. right next to the pool, but I also love ished eating. But if not, I like driving Venues Museums & Galleries the classic Bæjarins Beztu. I actually down to Grótta, the lighthouse, and The numbers (i.e. E4) tell you the position ART67 The Penis Museum Kjarvalsstaðir Soak the afternoon away used to work there for four years and just sitting there with my friends and on the map on the next page. The letter Laugavegur 67 F7 Laugavegur 116 F8 Flókagata 24 H8 Open daily 9-21 Open daily 10-18 Open daily 10-17 is the row, the number is the column. you’re missing out if you don’t get the chatting away. Ásmundarsalur Kirsuberjatréð Ásmundarsafn A!er that, I’d head downtown to meet one with everything. Honestly, I used Austur Kiki Queer Bar Freyjugata 41 G6 Vesturgata 4 D3 Sigtún Austurstræti 7 D3 Laugavegur 22 E5 Open Tue-Sun 8-17 M-F 10-18, Sat-Sun Open daily 10-17 10-17 American Bar Loft Aurora Reykjavík Reykjavík City Library Austurstræti 8 D3 Bankastræti 7 E4 Grandagarður 2 B1 Kling & Bang Tryggvagata 15 D3 Open 09-21 Grandagarður 20 A4 Mon-Thu 10-19, Fri 11- B5 Mengi W-Sun 14-18, Th 12-21 18, Sat-Sun 13-17 Bankastræti 5 E4 Óðinsgata 2 F5 Ásgrímur Jónsson t Museum Listastofan Árbæjarsafn Bíó Paradís Nordic House Bergstaðastr. 74 G4 Hringbraut 119 Kistuhylur 4 Vital Info Hverfisgata 54 E5 Sturlagata 5 H2 July 8-Sep 1, Mon-Fri Open Wed-Sat 13-17 Open daily 13-17 Bravó Ölsmiðjan Berg Contemporary Living Art Museum The Settlement Laugavegur 22 E5 Lækjargata 10 E3 Klapparstígur 16 E5 Granadarður 20 A4 Exhibition Useful Numbers Opening Hours - Bars & Clubs Public Toilets Tu-F 11-17, Sat 13-17 T-Sun 12-18, Th 12-21 Aðalstræti 16 D3 Dillon Paloma Open daily 9-18 Emergency: 112 Bars can stay open until 23:00 on week- Public toilets in the centre can be found Laugavegur 30 E5 Naustin D3 The Culture House Mokka Kaffi Hverfisgata 15 E5 Skólavörðustíg. 3A E5 Reykjavík Museum On-call doctors: 1770 days and weekends until further notice. inside the green-poster covered towers Dubliner Prikið Open daily 10–17 Open daily 9-18:30 of Photography Naustin 1-3 D3 Bankastræti 12 E4 Tryggvagata 15 D3 Dental emergency: 575 0505 located at Hlemmur, Ingólfstorg, by The Einar Jónsson Museum of Design Mon-Thu 10-18, Fri 11- Opening Hours - Shops & Banks English Pub R6013 Museum and Applied Art 18, Sat-Sun 13-18 Taxi: Hreyfill: 588 5522 - BSR: 561 0000 Hallgrímskirkja, by Reykjavík Art Mu- Austurstræti 12 D3 Ingólfsstræti 20 E4 Eiriksgata G5 Garðatorg 1 Most shops: Mon–Fri 10–18, Sat 10–16, seum, Lækjargata and by Eymundsson Open Tue–Sun 10–17 Open Tu-Sun 12-17 Saga Museum Gaukurinn Röntgen Grandagarður 2 B2 Post Office Sun closed. Banks: Mon-Fri 09-16 on Skólavörðustígur. Toilets can also be Tryggvagata 22 D3 Hverfisgata 12 E5 Exxistenz The National Open daily 10-18 Bergstaðast. 25b F4 Gallery of Iceland The downtown post office has moved to found inside the Reykjavík City Hall and Hard Rock Café Reykjavík Roasters Fríkirkjuvegur 7 F3 Sigurjón Ólafsson Swimming Pools Lækjargata 2a D3 Kárastígur 1 F5 Gallerí List Open daily 10–17 Museum Hagatorgi 1, open Mon–Fri, 09:00–17:00. the Reykjavík Library. Skipholt 50A H10 Laugarnestangi 70 Sundhöllin, the downtown pool at Hressó Tjarnarbíó M-F 11-18, Sat 11-16 The National Open Tu-Sun 14-17 Austurstræti 20 D3 Tjarnargata 12 E3 Museum Pharmacies Barónsstígur, is an indoor swimming Public Transport Hafnarborg Suðurgata 41 G2 SÍM Iðnó Strandgata 34, 220 Open daily 10–17 Hafnarstræti 16 D3 Lyf og heilsa, Egilsgata 3, tel: 563 1020 pool with hot tubs and a diving board. Most buses run every 20–30 minutes Vonarstræti 3 E3 Open Wed-Mon 12-17 Open Mon-Fri 10-16 The Nordic House Lyfja, Laugavegur 16, tel: 552 4045 More pools: gpv.is/swim Fare: 480 ISK adults, 240 ISK children. Kex Hostel Hverfisgallerí Sturlugata 5 H2 Tveir Hrafnar Skúlagata 28 E7 Hverfisgata 4 D4 Thu-Tu 11-17, W 11-20 Baldursgata 12 G4 and Lágmúli 5, tel: 533 2300 Open: Mon-Thu from 06:30–22. Fri from Buses run from 07–24:00, and 10–04:30 Tu-Fri 13-17, Sat 14-17 Open Fri-Sat 13-16 Kaffibarinn Hafnarhús 06:30–20. Sat from 08–16. Sun from 10–18. on weekends. More info: www.bus.is. Bergstaðastræti 1 E4 i8 Gallery Tryggvagata 17 D3 Wind & Weather Tryggvagata 16 D3 Open 10-17, Thu 10-22 Window Gallery Tu-Fri 11-18, Sat 13-17 Hverfisgata 37 E5 A Downtown & to Þrír Frakkar. This restaurant has A not let anything sway them from Harbour DistrictÐ tradition—you’ll spot everything FISKISLÓ Get the bigger, moreThe detailed version of The ReykjavíkMap Grapevine from foal, to black bird, to cod City Map at your nearest hotel or guesthouse, with selections from our throats and plokkfiskur that are sure Best-Of awards, vital info, downtown bus stops and a wider view of the city. to remain long in your memory. A visit GRANDAGAR ELEGANT PREMISES to this place underlines that good IN THE HEART OF old-fashioned Icelandic cooking can B Maritime REYKJAVIK service and its mix of diners across be all kinds of memorable. Museum age groups. By focusing on flavour BREAKFAST and BRUNCH Dining profiles unique to the cuisines, it is a Saga Aurora LUNCH and DINNER MENU successful transplant from Beirut to Museum Reykjavik LOCAL and FOREIGN DISHES Reykjavík. For an indulgent spread, 1. Mandi Pizza Drinking ÁNANAUST HAPPY HOUR DAILY 15-18:00 we recommend getting all the dips NÝ Hafnarstræti 9 and a few flatbreads. LE 12. KEX Hostel ND HOLTSGATA U M C GATA Ý SELJAVEGUR RA RG Mandi Pizza is the answer to the 7. Borg29 Skúlagata 28 ATA question: what can I eat if I’ve had FRAMNESVEGUR BANKASTRÆTI 7A - 101 REYKJAVÍK - TEL. 562 3232 Mandi shawarma six days in a row, Borgartún 29 KEX is stronger than ever right now. ÍGUR VESTURGATA and I want something different? Try Out of the pandemic haze, they've BÁRUGATA ARST RÁNARGATA the kebab pizza, and make sure to Wait—a NEW food hall? Hurray! Yup, come out guns a'blazing with a HOLTSG. ÖLDUGATA cover it in sauce. And don't worry— Borgartún now has its own haunt, series of fantastic concerts andG ATA RABORG RIMANNASTÍGUR THE Ð Ý they also got their famous hummus and you can bet that we've already events that shows they are one to ST D BRÆ on stock so you can pick some up to tried it all. Our favourites so far compete with for the cool artistic MARARG. TÚNGATA ÆGISGATA quench your post-pizza health kick. include Pronto Pasta. We've been crowd in Reykjavík. So if you're one HÁ saying for years that Reykjavík of those people who enjoys Joyce as VALLAGATA S WAY ÓLVALLAGATA to plan your journey 2. Eriksson Brasserie needed a good ole' quick pasta well as Cardi B, this is probably the TÚNGATA stop and now we're there. We're place you'll meet your like-minded ÁS VALLAGATA Laugavegur 77 also obsessed with Hipstur, which peeps. (JK, no one has really read serves up that kind of healthy food Joyce.) It’s hard to categorise Eiriksson with that feels so unhealthy, which is very E HÓLAVALLAG. its Italian-French leaning menu. The much the vibe at the Grapevine. 13. Kaffibarinn SÓLVALLAGATA interiors and menu whisper nouveau riche indulgence, the ‘fancy’ 8. Makake Bergstaðastræti 1 ingredients are a giveaway. But all REYNIMELUR HRINGBRAUT URGATA these reservations aside, they dish Grandagarður 101 While many Reykjavík bars come Ð

SU out a mean veal, good steaks and a and go and redecorate and renameÐ IMELUR Strætó smattering of pasta and pizzas. Named after the hot tub loving and put on bells and whistles, F LJÓSVALLAGATA The o!cial Icelandic meditative monkeys, Makake Kaffibarinn has stayed the course Hólavalla- public transport app 3. Hornið throws down the gauntlet for casual for almost three decades—because garður Asian dining. They've got dimsum it’s just a really good, reliable place. Cemetary Hafnarstræti 15 brunches, pop-ups with guest chefs, It plays host to Reykjavík’s artistic ESPIMELUR and vegan tasting menus in addition intellectuals, creative talents, B Appropriately named “The Corner” to their staple fare of a selection and, well, downtown characters from its position on the street, this of dumplings, small plates like the and consistently puts on a show. G FURUMELUR Reykjavík institution is one of the braised pork belly, an interesting Basically, you’ll never have a boring National BIRKIMELUR library oldest dining establishments in assortment of vegetable-forward night at KB. It’s no ordinary watering the city. Opened in 1979, the family plates and desserts like mochi and hole. business has been serving fantastic anko. National museum Italian fare in a remarkably unique 14. Gaukurinn atmosphere. It is truly a stand-alone 9. Chickpea restaurant in town and hands down Tryggvagata 22 URGATA one of the best. Hallveigarstígur 1 H Ð SU With dim lights, leather sofas, University of Iceland 4. IÐA Zimsen Tucked in next to downtown’s and gender-neutral bathrooms, !" Kronan supermarket lies Chickpea, Gaukurinn is the preferred hangout Vesturgata 2a a new bijoux vegetarian eatery. The for the unorthodox Reykvíkingar, restaurant is based around falafel, so if you’re looking for like-minded This peaceful spot is equal parts which is delicious, bringing to mind peeps, here you go. The venue hosts café and bookstore, so you can get the fresh bites you’d find on the everything from metal to drag STURLUAGATA SÆMUNDARGATA I a coffee and a snack while you leaf carts of the Middle East—and the extravaganzas, so you never really Nordic House Culture Center Laugavegur 60A, 101 Reykjavík through your purchases. Everything salad is equally as visceral. Many of know what you’re gonna getFÁLKAGATA on any 1 2 himalayanspiceiceland.com in there is interesting, and if the the ingredients are locally sourced given night. That said, you know it’ll magazines fail, people-watching and seriously—try the kim chi. It's a be something you can only get at

never does. family secret and positively to die for. Gaukurinn. location, ARAGATAthis one has a better vibe C than most; whileODDAGATA it is undeniably 5. Sandholt 10. Búllan 15. Skúli Craft Bar cheesy,like a tiny, cartoonishly Dublin-themed Disney World located Laugavegur 36 Geirsgata 1 Aðalstræti 9 on Klapparstígur. Most importantly— Wine bar they have KARAOKE ROOMS to rent! So & food Well-known for its sourdough bread, An oldie but a goodie, Búllan slings For a quiet drink, the real beer nerds when you need to get drunk and sing Sandholt has consistently delivered a solid burger that seals Iceland’s hole up in Skúli. The cosy drinking Aqua to your crush, there you go. great baked goods since its reputation as a worthy burger hole offers a great selection of local inception. The laminated pastries are destination. It was the winner of our and guest craft brews, with the 17. Mál og Menning hands down the best in Iceland; try Best Of Reykjavík 2020 Best Burger option of a flight of beers for the the buttery croissants or seasonal award and man, does it deserve that. indecisive or curious. Make sure to Laugavegur 18b Danish pastries, locally known as Go for a nice greasy hangover meal stop by in the summer, they’ve also “vinarbrauð” with rhubarb and or go on a date—either will be, as got some great outdoor tables. Wait, a new bar/music venue? Yup! raspberries, or the classic, vanilla Chandler would say, perfection. And you thought the pandemic had custard. 16. The Irishman destroyed all culture in this town. 11. Þrír Frakkar But never fear—Bókabúðir Máls og 6. Sumac Grill + Drinks Klapparstígur 27 Menningar is here. There's live music Baldursgata 14 most nights, from DJs to jazz, and Laugavegur 28 If your idea of fun involves pints of during the day, the legendary Bókin VÍNSTÚKAN To get a sense of Icelandic food Guinness and Kilkenny, have we got a is operating from the basement. Sumac’s vibrancy seeps into culture from a time before it was place for you! With a spacious wrap- Seriously—we anticipate this place everything—the food, ambience, fashionably New Nordic, pay a visit around bar and a great downtown will be a game-changer in the local E HÓLMASLÓ

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LANGAHL BÓLSTA Laugavegur 21 of all, a plethora of screens. Make luckily, they've got a shop downtown Valda is by far the most obscure SÍ ÐARHLÍ HÁALEITISBRAUT HRI MIKLABRAUT RI Ð sure to yell loudlyN GandBRA UberateT Gylfi where you can check the whole shop in the city. ÐYou’ll find things UMÚLI STARHAGI 21. Aurum KRINGLUM ÁLFHEIMAR HEIMAR Located right smack in the centre of Sigurðsson when he misses his operation out. in thisSKAFTA store that you won’t find Ð NAUTHÓLSVEGUR HLÍ town so you can easily pop in for a penalty—you wanted an authentic Bankastræti 4 anywhere elseÐ in the world, from ÁLFTAMÝ GO quick one on your way, or stay and pub experience, right? Ð black metal cassettes to Japanese 23. Bóksala Stúdenta SAFAM drink the evening away, it’s just a Aurum is a wild and woodsy brandESKIHLÍ bootlegs. It's a true gem. SÓLHEIMAR SKÓGARHLÍ BARMAHLÍ BÚSTA Ý cool, casual, calm place with friendly that still seems chic and modern. Sæmundargata 4 Ð RI REYKJAHLÍ Ð staff, good beers and tasty snacks. The store, which occupies one of the 25. Húrra ReykjavíkMIKLABRAUT Ð MÁVAHLÍ Their happy hour is one of the biggest best spots on Laugavegur,AVEGUR servesÐ up Located within the main building Shopping Ð STIGAHLÍ LJÓSHEIMAR ÞORRAGATA secrets—you can't get much cheaper finely-crafted pieces firmly based of Háskóli Íslands, the university Hverfisgata 18A Ð Ð for a beer, and you probably can't find in Icelandic nature. We're longtime bookstore runsDRÁPUHLÍ the gamut from 20. Memoria Collective GNO Ð SKEIFAN a better atmosphere to drink it in. fans of the store, and were we to win speciality academic texts to classics, This minimalist streetwear/ Ð ARVOGUR Hverfisgata 52 the lotter, we'd go there more. new fiction, BLÖNDUHLÍnotebooks and much athleisure store GRÆNAHLÍserves up a mixed STAKKAHLÍ 19. English Pub more. Another plus?Ð The on-site selection of classic items Ðand trendy A tattoo parlour that does most coffee shop serves up what are cuts. They were massively hyped FLUGVALLARVEGUR22. Nordic Wasabi MIKLABRAUT FELLSMÚLI Austurstræti 12 styles and does them f$%&-ing potentially the fairest priced coffees when they opened years ago and Reykjavík GRENSÁSVEGUR Domestic well. That said, Ballí's got some Skólavörðustígur 40 in town, as does the Háskóli Íslands have stayed hyped because they If it’s football you’re hankering for, particularly stellar neotraditional cafeteria next door. know what theyHAMRAHLÍ are doing and are Airport Ð Terminal Kringlan go to those that know it best: the and we must also shout out the You thought just because we're in Ðdamn good at it. Shopping HÖRGSHLÍÐ EINARSNES Mall F HÁAHLÍ Party Every Night. Cocktails! Ð

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Nauthólsvík Beach The Reykjavík Grapevine 18 Music Issue 06— 2021 songs—will be observable, with Foreign from the whole visuals and written prose describ- world ing the origin of the track. Possimiste calls her listeners Being a foreigner in Iceland has “secondary dreamers” and believes also coloured her experience as this more interactive experience an artist. “I think Iceland is such will allow them to decode her a great place for artists. There is messages, or dreams, more easily. a cultural scene, there is funding She hopes that her album will be and there is support,” she explains. a conversation starter about what “I feel like music is such an inter- music means to people. “It makes national thing, but more like an us feel shivers, it makes us cry, it intergalactic thing. So, let’s not just has so much power,” she says. classify!” That said, while she calls “It's the closest thing to magic that Iceland her home, it’s more a tem- humans can ever experience.” porary one—or rather, a temporal one. “I'm not connected to being foreign here,” she smiles. “But rath- er [foreign] from the whole world.” Even though Possimiste might be, as she explains it, a foreigner to the world, she hopes to change it for the better. ‘Youniverse’, she em- phasises, should inspire kindness. “Visualize the songs and get lost,” Possimiste concludes. “[...] Then I want the audience to do something good.” Alongside wanting to bring good Beam me up, Possie! to the world, Possimiste also hopes that with her dreams, she can in- spire listeners to be more childlike. To be astonished by the wonders of life again—just like when they were young. The Possessed “You need to take care of the in- Flowerchild ner kid,” Possimiste beams. Possimiste shares her ethereal space creations with our earthly world Words: Alina Maurer Photos: John Pearson gpv.is/music Share this + Archives Album Sirius, which is also the name of the first—and the artist’s person- Check out ‘Youniverse’ online at al favourite—song on the album. possimiste.com/youniverse. It'll be “Sirius is the home that everybody available on all streaming platforms wants to reach.” at June 25th. “[I hear] melodies, even some of the lyrics, [in my dreams],” she Taste the "I have always felt that it was my smiles; her eyes twinkling. “Some- destiny to channel music to this times it's some kind of gibberish world from the ethereal space and then you start decoding. If I around us that words cannot hear a flute, I really need to put yet explain,” Possimiste — also a freaking flute there! I cannot best of Iceland known under her terrestrial name change it.” Leeni Laasfeld — explains in a vel- The song “Freefall” exemplifies vety voice. The 28-year old artist, the fusion of Possimiste’s unusu- originally from Estonia, is on the al sounds. The song begins with cusp of releasing her debut album a wave of slow melancholic 80s ‘Youniverse’ on June 25th, follow- synths underlined by bird calls. It ing a slew of galactic electro-pop all feels very mysterious—like a singles over the foggy valley wait- last few years. ing for Possimiste ICELANDIC GOURMET FEAST While other art- to wander through. ists simply write “[Music] is By the middle, it Starts with a shot of the infamous Icelandic their songs, Possi- coalesces into an spirit Brennívín miste channels her the closest explosion of upbeat Followed by 7 delicious tapas creations from an- thing to magic drums fitting of a • Smoked puffin with blueberry “brennivín” sauce other space outside that humans joyous carnival. It’s of our imaginable a sharp contrast • Icelandic Arctic Charr with peppers-salsa world. Her title is, can ever that leads to her therefore, fitting. chanting the words • Lobster tails baked in garlic experience.” The word Possi- “Freefall” over and • Pan-fried line caught blue ling with lobster sauce miste comes from over like a mantra being possessed by at the end—and • Icelandic lamb with beer-butterscotch sauce some kind of magical spirit, which you can tell she’s just ecstatic to be • Minke Whale with cranberry & malt sauce then accesses an extraterrestrial in the midst of it. space where her music origi- At all points, ‘Youniverse’ has And for dessert nates—one that, as she details, is an ethereal tone, with the tracks out of this world. varying from blissful to dark and • White chocolate "Skyr" mousse with passion coulis gloomy. A certain otherworldly, powerful mood prevails, making Seriously, she's from Possimiste’s creations unique and Sirius electrifying. It’s easy to let yourself Possimiste finds her inspiration be carried away to Sirius with her. 8.990 kr. in visions and dreams, and ‘Youni- verse’ is a compilation of her most meaningful ones. “I feel all the Decoding dreams & time that I'm not from [this Earth]; unlocking magic I never feel 100% home,” she eluci- The album will come out along- Book your table dates. In fact, she contends that side an online experience avail- TAPASBARINN her alter-ego Possimiste is actu- able on Possimiste’s website. Ev- ally from the bright star system ery “dream”— as she refers to her Vesturgata 3B | Tel: 551 2344 | tapas.is The Reykjavík Grapevine 19 Music Issue 06— 2021 Event Picks

they call themselves, “xenobots, ready made organisms, with human roots,” play the kind of music they’d play in the seediest goth nights in the far reaches of the galaxy. Seriously—it’s 80s Berlin sci-fi mixed MUSIC Sigur Rós won its controver- with Giallo all wrapped NEWS sial court case against the up in a mannequin like KARÍTAS Album Release Show Úlfúð Icelandic Tax Office in the mask. The aliens are juridical court at the end of May. The joined by the earthling June 10th - 20:00 - Kex Hostel - Free! June 5th - 20:00 - Gaukurinn - Free! band members were accused of evad- MSEA, another Grapevine ing 151 million ISK in taxes between favourite, who is known When I think KARÍTAS, I think of Fed up with happy summer vibes and 2011-2014 and have been fighting off for her delicate, gentle cryin" really beautifully over a lost feeling up for an intense Saturday lawsuits since 2018. It’s been a brutal MSEA x Hold!ervlar vocals and striking, love until my mascara has forever night? Úlfúð, an extreme metal band story. In fact, at one point, the tax dissonant tones. The ruined my pillow. Seriously—the "irl from Reykjavík, is ready to serve. office even froze the band members’ June 10th - 20:30 - Mengi - 2,000 ISK end result will be an knows how to perfect a slow burn. With their dark and deathly sound, assets for a total of a little under ethereal, everlasting Luckily, I now have an excuse to cry they are a guarantee for a haunting one billion ISK. The band has always Name a better duo. First Watch’ award at the 2021 experience that’ll be as in public. Thx for the concert, K. HJC night. HJC maintained that they trusted that their up? Holdgervlar, the Grapevine Music Awards. good as a vaccine. HJC accountanting office was handling winner of the ‘One To The cyber beings, or as Photo by Eva Alexandra their taxes, but it turns out that they photography. did not. When the missing tax reports came to light, each member instantly Our events and music listin"s will resume the moment the entire Grapevine staff is vaccinated. paid the amounts owed. It turned out that was the key detail in the court case—the boys had already paid the a bit “Rites of Spring”—albeit more fine and can’t be tried twice for the relaxed—until a droning men’s same offense. It was therefore thrown choir appears, pulling the listen- out of the court, as it should have. The er into the depths of meditation. tax office has been criticized harshly Slow and intense on the surface, the for how heavily they sought the court song is underscored at all times by case. Some have said as a joke that a visceral sense of restlessness, of perhaps the tax office will try to hunt searching, or unease. Apparently down Amnesty International next. VG living forever doesn’t sound par- ticularly upbeat. “The goal was to create a space where you would feel lost,” Viktor explains. “To create a sense that you could lose yourself in time.” And to do this, Viktor actual- ly did lose himself in time. When composing each track, Viktor used tape-based time manipulation to warp discordant sounds together. “[This] was very important to me in the process of making this music,” he continues. “These are tools that allow me to mix together Who wants to live forever? Viktor Orri things that were originally recorded in different tempos or keys, to slow Icelandic sweetheart Árný Fjóla Sig- them down or speed them up to get mundsdóttir—member of Gagnamag- them to play together. The whole nið and pregnant wife of Daði Freyr— Man In The A!e Of Immortality album is a display of a distorted re- was diagnosed with COVID-19 the day ality, of time being irrelevant.” after Daði and Gagnamagnið ended Viktor Orri Árnason composes a future with eternal life up snatching the fourth place at the Would you do it? 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. Daði Words: Hannah Jane Cohen Photo: John Pearson & co. were the only group that could But the question remains, were not perform onstage at the finals, as these medical advances available, another member of the band tested Album of life’s simple pleasures. that drove so much of their hap- would Viktor embrace them? Will positive for the virus only days before. Fast forward almost 2000 years piness. “Today, people imagine he be uploading his brain in 2045? All in all, three members of the band ‘Eilífur’ by Viktor Orri Árnason will be and Oscar Wilde pens ‘The Picture themselves living 60-90 years and “I would do it, but I’d want to stay ended up contracting the coronavirus released on June 18th, 2021 of Dorian Grey’. Add another hun- this gives you a timeline to engage optimistic,” he laughs. “Everyone at the hotel they stayed at, and it’s sus- dred years and physicist Max Teg- with life with the knowledge that I’ve talked to, though, are fright- pected that this was due to the Polish The Epic of Gilgamesh, written mark introduces the thought ex- you will die,” he says. “If that is gone ened by this. So yes, I would defi- group—who also tested positive—that around 2100 BCE and one of the ear- periment of Quantum Immortality. suddenly, it’s going to be difficult to nitely do it, but it saddens me to was staying at the same hotel. Luckily, liest examples of human literature, Flash to 2005, when noted futurist stay optimistic and easier to just be know that many of my friends and everyone in Iceland’s Eurovision del- tells the tale of a thwarted search Ray Kurzweil, the Director of Engi- bored and depressed.” family would not want to.” egation had already been vaccinated, for immortality. In it, the raucous neering at Google, gives a concrete As a whole though, Viktor’s al- so no one got seriously ill. VG King Gilgamesh travels to the end date for the Singularity: 2045. bum urges us to seize the day, re- of the world in order to solve the Now, just 24 years before Kur- Manipulating time gardless of immortality. only problem he in his kingliness zweil’s predictions come to pass, To showcase this progression, Vik- “My question was, in the end, is powerless against—death. There, neo-classical composer Viktor Orri tor’s nine-track album bases itself what do we need to do to enjoy life? he meets a brewess named Siduri, Árnason throws his own hat into around three songs, entitled “Var”, And it became about the simple who urges Gilgamesh to be happy the ring with ‘Eilífur’—his debut “Er” and “Var-Er”. things in life,” Viktor concludes. with what he has, telling the des- album, which continues the thou- “Var-Er”—the last song on the “We need to learn to appreciate perate man: sands of years of exploration of album and finale of Viktor’s adven- the moment. Allow yourself to be a mankind’s inevitable future sans ture into the future—begins with a child and look up at the sky and en- “When the gods created mankind, death. smooth horn progression peppered joy how wonderful it is. Enjoy every Death they dispensed to mankind, with spurts of twinkling trills. It’s breath you take.” Life they kept for themselves.” What is our purpose? Thousands of years later, in 23 BC, “The idea really grabbed me that it Horace pens ‘Odes’, whose 11th is possible—that not too far in the poem in the first book ends with future we will have such technical Teen band Ólafur Kram took first prize the infamous phrase: “carpe diem, advances that we may be able to re- at Músíktilraunir 2021. The infamous quam minimum credula postero” or generate ourselves and choose to competition has catapulted many “Seize the day, put very little trust in live as long as we want,” Viktor ex- huge Icelandic bands into the spotlight tomorrow.” At the same time, Epi- plains. “My thoughts then became: (and even world fame) including Of cureanism has its revival in Rome, What does that mean for us as hu- Monsters & Man, Vök, Agent Fresco whose inhabitants find wisdom man beings? What is the purpose and Mammút. If you want to know why and guidance in the Greek’s philos- of life? How can we even enjoy it?” we’re so obsessed with our new win- opher’s primal tenet of a fearless In Viktor’s view, it was man’s ners, Ólafur Kram, then read this article gpv.is/music embrace of death and celebration own knowledge of their mortality backwards. hsams kluH. VG "Allow yourself to be a child and look up to the skyShare and enjoy this how + Archiveswonderful it is." i8 Gallery Tryggvagata 16 101 Reykjavík [email protected]

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

Kristín Þorkelsdóttir showcasing the progression of the Icelandic banknote

explains, gesturing to the 1,000 ISK bill featuring the bishop. “So To Know Is To Desi!n I asked a friend of mine. He is a photographer, but I took his place Kristín Þorkelsdóttir on a lifetime of desi"nin" and he posed for me.” Kristín then Iceland took the photo of her friend and altered it slightly for the finalised 10 June - 31 July 2021 Words: Hannah Jane Cohen Photos: Ólöf Breiðfjörð sketch. “I changed his face a little. I used the mouth of my oldest son,” RAGNA RÓBERTSDÓTTIR she laughs. Exhibit mentalist work ‘Silent Spring’. The most curious note in the But it’s Mosfellsbær’s logo that collection though is one that many Kristín Þorkelsdóttir’s exhibition Kristín is quick to point out as a newcomers to Iceland might not runs until January 30th, 2022 at the favourite. “Egill Skallagrímsson even know exists—the 2,000 ISK Museum of Design and Applied Art. was a painter for the King of Den- bill, which features famed painter 13.05.–03.10.2021 mark and the story goes that he Jóhannes Kjarval. “The 2,000 ISK “You could say this is my lifetime got a silver treasure for his great bill was never programmed into Sirra Sigrún Sigurðardóttir work,” says product designer defeats. He supposedly buried it the ATMs, so not a lot of people Kristín Þorkelsdóttir, gesturing in Mosfellsbær,” Kristín explains. use it. You have to specifically Ásmundur Sveinsson to the large, airy exhibition hall So when given the challenge of de- ask in the bank to get it,” Kristín of the Museum of Design and Ap- signing the town’s coat of arms, explains. “I’m actually quite sad As If to plied Art. She’s standing in front Kristín contacted then-president it didn’t get a lot of attention — I of what appears to be a corner of Kristján Eldjárn, who was the think it’s the most beautiful one.” logos, with the Icelandic Nature guardian of the relics, to see the Demonstrate Conservation Council, the town treasure. He showed her the coins of Mosfellsbær and even BYKO’s Egill got from the king and voilá— That's a secret an Eclipse symbol on display. Yes, all around the core was found. While the current banknotes are Kristín are the icons of Iceland— here to stay, there has been talk her life’s work. once again about removing two Even if you’ve never heard the Hidden gems zeros off the króna to reorganise name Kristín Þorkelsdóttir, if The króna get their own corner and stabilise the currency. If so, you’ve spent more than a minute of the exhibition. Of course, the does Kristín have any ideas of who in Iceland, you’re no doubt famil- banknotes are present but along she’d choose to feature from the iar with her work. From Icelandic side them are sketches from the modern era? butter to the Icelandic banknotes, design process that Krístin has “My husband and I were talk- the history of this country is writ- kept over her lifetime and other ing about it yesterday evening, and ten with Kristín’s product designs. gems—such as the reference pho- we have some ideas, but we will And now, it’s all gathered in one tos Krístin used to draw those of never say,” she says cheekily. “But room as part of the Museum of which she had few visual refer- I think there might not be more Design and Applied Art’s special ences. banknotes. I think the world is us- retrospective on her work. “There were no pictures of ing cards.” She pulls out her card, Brynjólfur Sveinsson,” Kristín laughing. “That’s a secret!” Found treasure “If you’re working on something, you have to know it,” Kristín ex- plains, when asked about her ap- proach to product design. “When I was designing a book jacket, I never did it without reading the book first, and then my subcon- scious would work on it without me knowing. You have to find the core of what you’re working on.” And it’s clear that Kristín has found many cores, as the room is filled to the brim with works of all forms. There’s floral pack- ages of Nýmjólk, which, as Kristín explains, were inspired by the works of Eggert Pétursson. And Ásmundarsafn Open daily across from that is a special glass S i g t ú n i 10 h 0 0 – 17 h 0 0 case featuring the progression of 1 0 5 Reykjavík artmuseum.is Kristín’s book jackets for Rachel Carson’s game-changing environ- +354 411 6430 #reykjavikartmuseum Butter! The Reykjavík Grapevine 21 Our Picks Issue 06— 2021

Ýmir Grönvold flowers and bulg- has been busy. ing with colours, The pandemic patterns and didn’t dampen soul, his paintings his stride and the bring comfort— young artist has much like a toasty now returned fire on a foggy with a selection day. The title of of drawings and the exhibition paintings made refers to a book Object of Desire Dreamfields Pillow Talk - Reload over the past year. about conscious- While the works ness—something Until August 26th ( i.e. the desire, Until July 4th - landscapes that June 10th-24th emergency beds are diverse in Ýmir is extremely - Gerðarsafn distribution, Kling og Bang are both miniature - Reykjavík City are hooked up content and sub- interested and reproduc- and monumen- Library: Grófin to speakers that ject matter, his in—and it’s this A collaboration be- tion of “things”). This collaborative tal in scale. The broadcast stories pieces are always pervasive fascina- tween Singapore Anti-consumerists exhibition aims artwork inspires a Sonja Kovačević’s told directly from characterised by tion with life and and Iceland, ‘Ob- rejoice. Gathering to take view- feeling of desola- newest immersive those trying to The incredible reality of an overwhelm- being present ject of Desire’ will “things” will never ers through an tion through the installation dives find a new, safer you ing sense of that has captured travel between make you happy— “otherworldly scenery, blending deep into the lives life in Iceland. Lie playfulness. Full of many towards both countries unless they are vista” by playing each artist’s of asylum seekers down, listen, and Until June 12th - Gallery Port natural elements Ýmir’s art. HJC with an explora- free newspapers. with textural ex- unique palette. and refugees learn. HJC like leaves and tion of “things” HJC periments against HJC in Iceland. In it,

June 4th-July 1st

document everyday Icelandic REYKJAVÍK ART MUSEUM " Sveinsson's world and heritage. society just a$er the creation of the KJARVALSSTAÐIR • Runs until October 17th, 2021 Art Listin!s Republic of Iceland in 1944—a chris- Eternal Recurrence tening, labourers at work, people Jóhannes S. Kjarval—a$er whom HIÐ ÍSLENSKA BÓKMENNTAFÉLAG skating, the occupation of Iceland the museum is named—is put in Abstract Reality Events are listed by venue. For complete during World War II by British troops, dialogue with a number of promi- The ground floor of the Hotel Saga listin!s and detailed information on venues, a beauty pageant, a birthday party, a nent contemporary Iceland artists will play host to a series of abstract wigmaker… and so on. including Ólafur Elíasson, Ragnar art works by Valtýr Pétursson. He visit !rapevine.is/happenin!. • Runs until September 19th, 2021 Kjartansson, Steina and Eggert used abstraction to express sudden Send your listin!s to: listin!s@!rapevine.is Pétursson. Now that's a lineup. cultural, social and political shi$s • Runs until September 19th, 2021 in Iceland, so his pieces are the perfect thing to stare at and reflect Opening recordings, mostly of Icelandic HAFNARBORG on our own relatively abstract times. nature—either the surface of Discotheque But don't worry: it's an upli$ing and REYKJAVÍK ART MUSEUM " HAFNARHÚS the earth, or microscopic views: Arnfinnur Amazeen‘s exhibition pres- colourful exhibition, so no need to Iðavöllur: Icelandic Art in the 21st microbes, as well as crashing waves ents new works that draw inspira- bring the tissues. Century and melting ice, landslips and an tion from the ambiguous imagery of • Runs until August 31st, 2021 In 2021, Reykjavík Art Museum array of natural phenomena relating Icelandic night club culture in the focuses on the microenvironment, to the formation and destruction of seventies and eighties. While the ti- NORDIC HOUSE with an aim of displaying the growth our planet. tle is a reference to revelry, what we Nature in Transition: of the Icelandic art scene. The whole • Runs until January 9th, 2022 have here is nonetheless a rather Shi$ing Identities Hafnarhús becomes the setting HELLO UNIVERSE dreary discotheque. There is no glitz The North is changing. Man-made for a powerful exhibition of new It's 2021 and we're over Earth. Enter and glamour to be found here, only climate change is pushing our works by young artists who may Finnur Jónsson. The avant-garde art the subtle indication of something climates into new territory and be considered to be in the lead for of Finnur—the first Icelandic artist that has already happened. things are moving more rapidly than their generation, and assumptions to address outer space in his works, • Runs until August 15th, 2021 we could have ever imagined. This can also be made about the larger in the first half of the 20th cen- special exhibition dissects the na- context of Icelandic and interna- tury—presents the artist's unfet- The Border Between Nature And The REYKJAVÍK ART MUSEUM " ture of that instability in the light of tional contemporary art. tered interpretation of the marvels Scene ÁSMUNDARSAFN the four Nordic countries and their • Opens on June 10th, 2021 of the celestial bodies, which are “In my art, I explore the limits of pho- Sirra Sigrún Sigurðardóttir & history and future. It’s an important • Runs until October 17th, 2021 the theme of this exhibition. Always tography by fragmentarily excluding Ásmundur Sveinsson: As If To Demon- topic—and one that we cannot af- remember: We are but matter expe- the concept of time for scenes that strate An Eclipse ford to ignore. I8 riencing itself on a pale blue dot. testify to the human encounter with Sirra’s work is cosmic in nature, • Runs until August 1st, 2021 Ragna Róbertsdóttir • Runs until January 9th, 2022 life. The photographic scenes are o$en connected to speculation Rockscramblers No information is currently available Death Is Elsewhere set in scenographies where I have about our position within the inner Rockscramblers is inspired by the on this particular exhibition, but Ragnar Kjartansson’s opus “Death is worked to show perspectives that workings of nature, physics and illustrated poetry of poet Mats if it's anything like Ragna's previ- Elsewhere” made its debut in 2019 make visible the fictional environ- the forces that drive the world. Her Söderlund and illustrator Kathrina ous work, you can bet it'll be full of at the Metropolitan Museum of Art ment and illusion within the sceno- works o$en display our position as Skarðsá. On view are the illustrations strong forms and made of natural in New York City. Now, it’s back in graphic image.” – Peter Stridsberg individuals, our significance and and poetry in their original forms materials found freely in the Icelan- the artists hometown for a sum- • Runs until August 8th, 2021 insignificance. As an existentialist and one can also interact with a dic landscape. If it's not... well... we mer long residency at the National paper, who ruminated on our own mysterious recording of Söderlund tried. Gallery. Featuring ya fav musician REYKJAVÍK MARITIME MUSEUM obscurity, we can't agree more. himself, a cave where young visitors • Opens on June 10th, 2021 twins GYÐA, Kristín Anna, and (ran- Fish & Folk • Runs until October 17th, 2021 can have a cozy time and (!!!) a new • Runs until July 31st, 2021 domly) those two brothers from Name a better duo than fish and Design for sculptor Ásmundur climbing wall. the National, the seven-channel Iceland. You can’t. So come learn Sveinsson • Runs until September 5th, 2021 MUTT GALLERY video installation sees a single song about the history of Icelandic fisher- Five product designers take over 21 Artists played without end in a continuous ies from row boats to monstrous the museum shop at Ásmundarsafn It's 2021, baby, which means 21 loop. Filmed around the summer sol- trawlers. with objects inspired by Ásmundur artists are showcasing works at stice in southern Iceland, “Death Is Melckmeyt 1659 Mutt to open the summer season. Elsewhere” is a referential work that Melckmeyt was a Dutch merchant Many Grapevine favourites including turns romantic clichés on their head ship that crashed near Flatey Island MUSEUM OF DESIGN GARÐATORG 1 Freyja Eilíf and Almar Atlason will be with irony, nihilism and absurdity to in 1659. Explore the wreck here. AND APPLIED ART 210 GARÐABÆR present. spare with two images of di%erent origins • Opens on June 6th, 2021 • Runs until September 19th, 2021 against each other. • Runs until August 8th, 2021 EINAR JÓNSSON MUSEUM MUSEUM OF DESIGN AND APPLIED ART HVERFISGALLERÍ Permanent Exhibition Kristín Þorkelsdóttir Abyss The museum contains close to You've probably seen Kristín Þorkels- Hildur Bjarnadóttir presents her 300 artworks including a beautiful dóttir's work before though you EXHIBITIONS third solo show at Hverfisgallerí. garden with 26 bronze casts of the might not know it. She's designed Exact information hasn't yet been artist’s sculptures. the packaging of countless foods KRISTÍN ÞORKELSDÓTTIR released, but Hildur is known for as well as the banknotes in Iceland, works that investigate issues of REYKJAVÍK CITY MUSEUM among other famous items. Come UNTIL 30.12. belonging, ecology, place and co- Settlement Exhibition see her progression as an artist.

habitation with animals and plants As Viking ruins meet digital technol- • Runs until January 30th, 2022 BEHIND THE SCENES in the south of Iceland. ogy, this exhibition provides insight Behind the Scenes — Natural Dyes: • Opens on June 19th, 2021 into Reykjavík's farms at the time of A Modern Perspective NATURAL DYES: A • Runs until August 21st, 2021 the first settlers. Where do textile colours come Ongoing from? Nowadays many are chemi- MODERN PERSPECTIVE REYKJAVÍK MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY cal, but this project shows the wide NATIONAL GALLERY OF ICELAND The Silent But Noble Art range of colours one can produce Of The North Sigurhans Vignir (1894-1975) le$ nautrally in the Iceland. UNTIL 12.09. 'Of the North' (2001) is created from the museum an archive of around • Runs until September 12th, 2021 OPEN TUE–SUN 12–17 Steina Vasulka’s archive of video 40,000 photographs. Many of these WWW.HONNUNARSAFN.IS Instagram Facebook honnunarsafn Film

THE SWEETEST CENTURY Andri Snær & Anni, social distancing from our photographer they talked indiscriminately with subjects, developing the narrative Since opening our bakery in 1920, we have of the ‘Apausealypse’ as they went. constantly pushed the boundaries of tradi- Reflectin! On A When asked about how they chose tional Icelandic baking methods. Find us in which individuals to interview, the heart of Reykjavík serving piping hot, Andri Snær admitted “We didn’t fresh pastries made from scratch, every Moment know if they would be the ones” morning from seven-thirty AM. but that regardless of what came 'Apausalypse' captures philosophers, musicians, of the words exchanged, they would Not a sweet tooth? That’s OK. Come by for a and dancers at a standstill maintain historical significance. savory brunch or taste one of our homemade Occasionally overlooked victims Words: Brittnee Kiner Photos: Art Bicnick & 'Apausalypse' of the pandemic include kids— sodas or craft beers. withdrawn from social situations Our contemporary idea of the word Capturing the pause and experiences that shape their ‘Apocalypse’ describes an inescap- character. In one scene of the film, able end; for example, for many, While all opportunities seemed to a couple’s eight year old son had not COVID-19 brought an end to hu- have faded amid the global lock- been in school for several weeks, manity as we understood it—a so- down from COVID-19, Andri Snær and it did not take long for him to cietal apocalypse. However, such and Anni allowed art to persevere. express the suppressed emotions a designation is narrow in its per- They hoped to capture this mo- of confusion and isolation felt by spective and ‘Apausalypse’, the new ment in time through the nation’s children across the world. The boy documentary by directors Andri best storytellers, such as photogra- took a seat at the bench of the pia- Snær Magnason and Anni Ólafs- pher Ragnar Axelsson, poet Elísa- no, stabbing at the keys as he sang dóttir reveals the true origins of bet Jökulsdóttir and professor of with rage against the virus. this word, as it explores the great philosophy Sigríður Þorgeirsdót- pause that enveloped the world due tir, gaining a philosophical and to the COVID-19 pandemic. theoretical deep-dive before any of Return, release & reflect This unfolding of society over these creative thinkers had time to In the film’s closing, images of an 2020 led Andri Snær and Anni to process the unfolding of the world empty airport and a car-less Reyk- the name for the film. Visual artist around them. javík flash across the screen. Hints Haraldur Jónsson, who is featured “Our intentions were to make of desolation and sorrow pervade, in the film, told the two that the a work of art when almost every- carried by the gentle notes of mu- Greek word ‘Apocalypse’ originally thing was impossible,” Andri Snær sician Ásta Fanney Sigurðardót- meant to uncover something. So asserted, speaking to the limita- tir, while a poem is read aloud de- contrary to last year symboliz- tions they faced. When asked about scribing the resurgence of nature ing an ending—a modern apoca- the status of restrictions, Anni that was seen around the world. lypse—the film instead suggests explained that “Everything was With the suspension of societal that it could signify the unveiling closed” but nonetheless, the pair consequences, it explains, came of a world that had long been buried travelled around Iceland. They en- notions of peace and tranquility by the strains of humankind. As so- gaged in conversations from a dis- unfounded in a century of haste. ciety struggled to find its footing, tance—through living room win- While the film does not explicitly earth was able to find its breath dows or metres away in cars. The highlight the revival of nature, An- again. two set out with no idea where the dri explains that “It is about global conversations would lead them— warming but in more subtle ways.” Wishfully, he asks “If we can stop for a virus and protect the elderly, can we protect the future?” The global community has been trapped in a perpetual cycle of healing, yearning for a day of re- lief and release. “Immediately, we will not learn anything but, in the long run, we will look at this as a really significant milestone in how we understand the economy, ecol- ogy, [and] society,” Andri adds. And EST. 1920 thus, a piece such as ‘Apausalypse’ serves as a sobering reminder of the places that we have been and the places we are to go if we can- not fully reflect on the pause that allowed the earth to experience a degree of recovery. As Anni con- Laugavegur 36, 101 Reykjavík www.sandholt.is cludes, “We so easily forget.” A still from 'Apausalypse' LIFE IN PICTURES The Guardians of The Geldin!adalir Words & Photos: John Pearson

Arnar María

Iceland’s civil defence relies heavily on local search and res- cue (SAR) teams, highly-trained volunteers who undertake a huge range of tasks from searching for missing people to mountain rescue and disaster response. Davið Metta

They’ve been particularly busy these past few months, helping visitors at the ever-shifting and potentially dangerous volcano site in Reykjanes. The Grapevine joined a team from Kópavogur for an evening patrol, just before the closure of the site.

SAR chat with visitors and o$er advice

The hike to site

The patrol leaves the site at 2300, SAR are here to help, not to enforce Visitors are always happy to see SAR on site but visitors are welcome to stay

The Kópavogur team and a fiery cone An end-of-shi# BBQ has become a team tradition The Reykjavík Grapevine 24 Track By Track Issue 06— 2021

ICELANDIC SEAFOOD makes world’s best sushi

Denim, the antifascist uniform

dsjúmm..., dsjúmm, dsjúmm, ‘Sometimes dsjúmm, dsjúmm!” depressed… but always antifascist' By BSÍ All rise for some sweet son!s a!ainst bad thin!s

Words: Hannah Jane Cohen Photo: John Pearson

in a bar in Berlin, while drinking Track By Track champagne and banana juice the night before recording the song. The best of Icelandic produce Check out BSÍ on all streaming with a nod to Japan and South platforms. Old Moon Feela það America. Modern Icelandic BSÍ—one of the more un-Googleable Silla: This is the first and only bands in Iceland—are back with song we composed with a guitar. Silla: You only need to know this: flavours, share plates and award ‘Sometimes depressed… but always Usually we make a song by im- 'We're all sluts—you're a slut, all antifascist’. To learn more, Sigur- provising on bass and drums. We these dudes behind you's a slut, winning cocktails. laug ‘Silla’ Thorarensen and Julius are always switching around who your mama's a slut, your grand- Rothlaender—the duo behind BSÍ— plays what instrument, so Julius ma's a slut, everybody!' sat down with us to talk about the made the guitar melody and I release track by track. made the bass melody, but I ended My Knee Against Kyriarchy up playing the guitar and Julius SOCIALIZE the bass! Confusion is key! Julius: More sweet songs against bad things! Silla taught me the WITH THE Uncouple term ‘kyriarchy’, which is an in- tersectional extension of the idea LOCALS Silla: Trúnótime—I think this of patriarchy beyond gender, en- song was actually the most cathar- compassing more forms of domi- tic one for me because of a heart- nating and oppressive hierarchies, break I was going through at the such as sexism, racism, ableism, time. In the outro, I say goodbye antisemitism, homophobia, trans- to a future that didn't come. But I phobia. like that it is a pretty upbeat song though, which is a big contrast to Dónakallalagið the lyrics. first half: Silla: This song is an angry anthem 'Sometimes depressed' 25Lue aimed at all the 'dónakallar'—all the pervy rude dudes out there and My Lovely Julius: I was born in a town called a big F*** you to the social systems Lübeck in Northern Germany and that allow them to easily get away Julius: In this song, you’ll hear went to revisit that place two years with all kinds of shit. the secret ingredient of BSÍ—an ago. Silla came to visit me and that old Casio keyboard, found in a flea really meant a lot to me. The song Alltaf Alltaf Stundum Alltaf market in Berlin a century ago. is not about medieval cathedrals Mysteriously it found its way to and the title is just the name of the Silla: The working title for this one Reykjavík and we gave it the name demo file – that's as much BSÍ as was”'Gróulagið”—a reference to ‘Casillus’. It’s preferably played by it gets. the great band GRÓA. We still call Silla’s hands or my toes. it that when rehearsing and I don't second half: think we'll get used to the new title TAL 11 '...but always antifascist' any time soon. Fríða Björg, Hrafn- Our kitchen is open hildur and Karó from GRÓA with 17.00–23.00 sun.–thu. Julius: We stole the idea for this Vesturbæjar Beach Bjarni Daníel from Supersport! 17.00–24.00 fri.–sat. song from ourselves as we sifted sing backing vocals in the outro through old demos from our very Julius: Our friend Snæfríður, who that lift the song to a higher level! Sushi Social first rehearsals at R6013 a couple of created the music video together Þingholtsstræti 5 • 101 Reykjavík years ago. The last bits and pieces with Arína Vala, said all there is Tel. 568 6600 • sushisocial.is for the lyrics we wrote together to say about the song: “dsjúmm..., The Reykjavík Grapevine 25 Issue 06— 2021

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Shalimar 1,095 ISK 5,000 ISK Monday - Friday Vegan option And Under 12:00 - 14:30 Curry - 1,290 ISK Uppsalir - Bar Apótek Cheap Food Vegan option and cafe Every day Every day 11-14 11:30 - 16.00 Here are some deals that'll Deig / Le Kock 1,500 ISK Sæta Svínið Burger & fries - Two-course keep your wallet feeling Every day–All day And Under Every day 15–18 1,390 ISK lunch -3,390 ISK happy and full. Doughnut, Chicken wings - Vegan option Three course co!ee & bagel Hamborgara- 1,190 ISK lunch - 4,390 ISK 1,000 ISK And Under -1,000 ISK búlla Tómasar "Dirty" fries - 2,000 ISK Tuesdays–All day 1,390 ISK And Under Kids Eat Hard Rock Café Sólon Sushi Social Burger, french Free Every day 15-18 Monday - Friday Every day fries & soda - Sólon Sólon Nachos, wings & 11:00 - 14:30 17:00 - 18:00 1,390 ISK Monday - Friday Monday - Friday All Icelandair onion rings - Soup of the day Tru"e potatoes 11:00 - 14:30 11:00 - 14:30 Hotel restaurants 990 ISK - 990 ISK 1,000 ISK Ceasar salad - Fish of the day - Avocado fries - Gló 1,490 ISK 1,990 ISK At Prikið if you Dominos Tapas Barinn 690 ISK Every day–All day order two adult Tuesdays–All day Every day Lobster sushi, Bowl of the Lemon Matarkjallarinn meals Medium Sized 17:00 - 18:00 ribs & more - month - 1,290 ISK Every day Monday - Friday pizza with 3 Half o! of 890 ISK Vegan option 16:00 - 21:00 11:30 - 15:00 At Haust toppings -1,000 selected tapas 2f1 Juice + Fisherman's fish the bu!et is ISK–Vegan option Various prices sandwich soup -1,990 ISK free for kids The Reykjavík Grapevine 26 Books Issue 06— 2021

Books To Read Before The Endless Summer Days Rob You Of Your Sanity

Valur’s top summer reads for the “warm” Icelandic “beach” weather Words: Valur Grettisson Photo: Art Bicnick

Grayson Del Faro doing his viking yoga routine It’s that time of the year again— fond of writing about summer. ‘Summer Light, and for a coffee. (Not that I’d do that, Grapevine column. It was quickly the time of maddening light and Most Icelandic authors seem to Then Comes the Night’ but Jón, if you’re reading this…) discovered, though, that it was endless days that mess up your prefer something gloomier—usu- by Jón Kalmann Yes, I’m a fan boy and will something special. Grayson, who sense of time completely. Yes, you ally a desolate farm that’s fallen proudly admit it. is a scholar of the Icelandic sagas, guessed it, it’s summer! And what to despair, with a storm on the This is the book that made Jón ‘Sumarljósið, svo kom nóttin’ has a deep understanding of these else is there to do during these horizon and rogue sheep. Howev- Kalmann an overnight superstar. (‘Summer Light, and Then Comes complex stories and his summa- overwhelming hours than to read er, you need not despair, for here’s In fact, right now he’s probably the Night’) is a beautiful poetic ef- ries were not only enlightening, something utterly stupid, or bet- a selection of jolly and bright Ice- the most beloved fiction writer in fort that is both incredibly wise but also extremely funny. See, ter yet, incredibly brilliant? landic novels to take you through Iceland—one of those guys that and insanely funny. The book is Grayson doesn’t approach these It’s true that Icelanders, like the summer months. you’d like to send a friend request compiled as a series of short sto- cultural holy grails with the same most Scandinavians, aren’t very to on Facebook and ask him over ries over one summer in a small dusty attitudes as most schol- Icelandic fishing town, with ars. No, he draws out the core each story connected by a strong meaning and messages and puts thread. The protagonists include a modern twist on them. Think an odd astronomer, boys in a intrigue, drama and sex jokes you haunted warehouse and a police really don’t want your gradma to man who can’t seem to man his see. son up before he commits suicide. Warning: This is one of those Notably, nobody dies in this odd books that will make you acciden- village. In fact, the town doesn’t tally piss yourself while scream- even have a cemetary. In my view, ing and laughing at the silliness the book is a masterpiece, and of these insane vikings, who, like ICELANDIC GASTROPUB what's important here, it happens you, went completely mad in Ice- over the summer, so it’s totally re- land’s endless summer nights. latable to you, who we’re sure are also odd astronomers in small, eerie fishing villages. ‘666 Jokes’ by Hugleikur Dagsson HAPPIEST We’ve now reached the infa- ‘Here We Are’ by Kjartan mously dark and twisted humour HAPPY HOUR Ragnarsson of comic artist Hugleikur Dags- From a master to a newby. ‘Here son. Where to start? First off, it IN REYKJAVÍK We Are’ is the debut poetry book really is insane that this humor- from Kjartan Ragnarsson and ous genius hasn’t been cancelled it’s quite promising. Not only is by an angry mob yet. Truly mind- it beautifully written, but it was boggling. But I think the answer also originally written in Eng- is simple—the man is so talented lish—targeting an international that even though his humour is crowd—which is a remarkably as depraved and dark as it gets, he unique feat in the Icelandic liter- still manages to entertain, shock ary world. It’s also, I must add, a and showcase his brilliantly sar- refreshing one. castic messages to the world. It’s a Each poem in the book is part delicate line, but he treads it. of a larger story of a city and In ‘666 Jokes’, Hugleikur show- Kjartan’s poems allow the read- cases the best and worst of Icelan- er to dive into each character’s dic humour. These are thoughts thoughts, revealing their inner you might not even say in a tight connections. Of course, I must ad- group of friends while drunk by mit that the effort does bear some the campfire and everyone’s cell of the unavoidable characteristics phones are out of battery. Huglei- of a new writer, but it’s ultimately kur makes fun of everything— a surprising, worthwhile read. and I mean everything. Only the bravest of the brave should read this book, for Hugleikur is like ‘The Sagas and Shit’ by a lovely Icelandic summer festi- Grayson Del Faro val—filled with unruly madness, I can’t go on without mentioning riot, burning tents and crappy one of the funniest books in the folk music. Northern Hemisphere and it’s definitely not one I have any per- 790 1.490 sonal connection to. No way. Grayson Del Faro’s epic ‘The Sagas and Shit’ began as a regular SÆTA SVÍNIÐ / Hafnarstræti 1-3 / Tel. 555 2900 / saetasvinid.is The Reykjavík Grapevine 27 Lifestyle Issue 06— 2021

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

Fjallkonan is a new lively restaurant & pub in the heart Regn Sólmundur of Reykjavík offering a selection of Icelandic and international dishes from local ingredients. Words: Hannah Jane Cohen Regn Sólmundur Evu (24) is an art Photo: Art Bicnick student and comedian. Casual and cosy atmosphere yet still fun and festive. Stop by for snacks & drinks, lunch or dinner. Evu Wearing: • Thrifted shirt, jacket & stockings • Lindex skirt • Handmade harness & earrings • Nike shoes Icelandic • Kiko lipstick Delicacies Describe your style in 5 words: Chaotic. Fun. Moody. Wild. 80s. It’s all over the place!

Favourite stores in Reykjavík: I love the Red Cross, Fatamarkaðurinn and Wasteland. I used to go there all the time but now I just have too many clothes! But I still check in every now and again to see if I can find some gems.

Favourite piece: Actually, this top that I have on is my favourite piece ever. I found it 5-6 years ago at Fatamarkaðurinn and I thought it was so ugly that I bought it. It has grown on me so much. It’s so 80s—it looks like a car- pet—so I’m like an arcade. I also have some pieces by a company called Trash Queen that make beautiful clothes that are all handsewn and from a queer person, so that’s pretty cool.

Something I would never wear: I’d give everything a chance, but maybe not low-rise skinny jeans. Must try dishes Lusting after: First off, I’d like Iceland to stop LAMB & FLATBREAD deporting people. But clothes- Slow cooked lamb, traditional Icelandic flatbread from the wise, I’m on the lookout for Westfjords, carrot purée, pickled red onions, horseradish sauce some good cowboy boots. ARCTIC CHARR & BLINI Also a good corset, but I haven’t Lighly cured arctic charr, chickpea blini, horseradish sauce, found corsets in my size yet. Just roe, crispy lentils, yuzu-elderflower dressing being a plus size non-binary person ICELANDIC PLATTER is tough sometimes because it feels > Puffin, crowberry gel like there’s so many rules about what > Minke whale, malt glaze to wear and what not to wear so I’m > Lamb tartar, chive mayo just on the lookout for things that THE LAMB BURGER go outside the box that I am put in. Bacon, mushroom & date duxelle, pickled red onions, pickled Non-binary people are supposed to cucumber, rucola, smoked cheese, fries be androgynous and fat people are SKYR ETON MESS CHEESECAKE supposed to wear loose clothing so White chocolate “Skyr” mousse, meringue, raspberries, I don’t do any of that! raspberry sauce

Regn’s official non-binary style tips: Gender and gender expression is not the same thing, so basically— you can do whatever the fuck you want with clothes! Clothes are just Happy Hour 15-17 drag and gender expression is just drag, so you’re basically just doing every day everyday drag when you get dressed each morning. Having fun is the most important thing. Don’t be afraid of colour and don’t be afraid of going FJALLKONAN WELCOMES YOU! outside the box of what people ex- pect of you. fjallkonan.rvk fjallkonan Hafnarstræti 1–3 > Tel. +354 555 0950 > fjallkona.is 15% DISCOUNT 15% discount of total bill, every day IF you bring this ticket Food

SALKA VALKA FISH & MORE Steamed Fresh Fish, Traditional Icelandic Fish ‘Stew’, Fish & Vegan Soups, Smoked Salmon & Vegan Toppings on Sourdough Bread, Beer, Wine, Coffee & more The only team we play for is Team Taco SkólavörDustígur 23 • 101 reykjavík Talk about Tacos La Poblana has its si!hts set on expandin! Mexican cuisine Words: Shruthi Basappa Photos: Art Bicnick

When La Poblana showed up on the the support of his then partner, “To close Poblana for the first time roster at Hlemmur Mathöll in 2017, opened La Poblana to honour the was necessary,.' the tiny restaurant was filling the culinary memories of his mother We are sitting in the high ceil- gaping void of Mexican cuisine in and grandmother. “It is a project to inged taqueria, with large windows Iceland. It came on the backs of Ta- make Mexican food the way I grew perfect for people watching and queria in Ármúli,a brief but deli- up with it,'' says Carlos. “My mom is walls awash with a striking mural cious love affair; an attempt at Cali from Puebla, and this is for her,'' he from one of the Aztec codices by tacos at Taco fyrir mig, the once- smiles shyly, explaining that ‘Pob- the artist ‘Otho’. The two gods are a-week event at The Coocoo’s Nest; lana’ is someone from Puebla. Mictlantecuhtli (god of the under- and the continued popularity of But after only a year of opera- world) and Quetzalcóatl (the god of Tex-Mex by way of Icelandic fixture tions, a divorce and subsequent war). Together, they symbolize life Culiacan. sale, La Poblana downed their shut- and death. . The mural has the gods But far removed from global ters at the food hall. “It was kind of holding ears of corn in place of the interpretations of Mexican cui- OK for me,'' Carlos admits. “I felt I traditional canes—a reminder of sine outside of his home country, wasn’t ready to run a place. I wasn’t the importance of the simple grain. Carlos Guarneros, encouraged by happy, to be honest,'' he confesses. It’s all fitting for Carlos’ taqueria.

Talk About Tacos The current menu is concise, with just four tacos on offer. It’s a throwback to Mexican taquerias where pride is taken in doing a few things and doing them well. “I chose the tacos that reminded me of something,'' Carlos shares. “For example, the carnitas were my late night tacos with friends, after a long night of drinking and you want something greasy. The campechano is the taco that re- minds me of Mexico City; it’s the taco you eat before you take the bus, before work, on the way back home. The chicken tinga is what my mother makes often. So I chose the ones that I can put a little bit of myself into.'' Laugavegi 28 Carlos’ earnesty translates into his food. The carnitas are 537 99 00 fatty chunks of slow braised pork, [email protected] cooked with oranges and aromatic sumac.is spices. There is plenty of lime to squeeze, the acidity vital to cut- ting through the richness of the "Take a picture, it'll last long than these tacos!" The Reykjavík Grapevine 29 Food Issue 06— 2021 meat. The campechano, a personal favourite of mine, is a grilled beef leg, with homemade chorizo and melted cheese, singing with the warm depth of guajillos, anchos and smoked paprika. If the taque- ria isn’t packed, one can see Car- If you’re looking for los busy at the grill, stirring in the melty cheese, chop-chop-chopping with his wide spatula and flipping one tortilla after another. The pollo de tinga is a sublime contrast to the darkness of the red meats and is perfumed with the heady aromas of oregano. His THE REAL mother’s recipe, this is a lighter version compared to the tomatoey, smoke kissed versions one may have encountered. REYKJAVIK An Honest Tortilla A tortilla is more than a piece of bread, more than its components of flour, fat and water. A freshly made tortilla, be it made with corn or flour, is a simple joy to behold. Warm corn tortilla with its milky mustiness is as important as the meats and vegetables it holds. At the taqueria, Carlos dishes both yellow and blue corn tortillas. They even arrive with a smear of the cho- rizo fat as is wont in Mexico. This little detail, amiss in the pop-up, food truck, claim-to-be-Mexican- but-aren’t menus and restaurant offerings is one to applaud. The taco master Tacos belie the labour and com- plexities involved in its 1-2-3 bite of can food outside of its home is a Future plans dance of textures, temperatures, strange concoction far removed The small taqueria has already the contrast and balance of heat, from its origins. Its popularity here proven too small and Carlos is acidity and freshness, lent by the has translated to the birthday par- running a hurried expansion at crunch of white onions, the cit- ty and fermingarveisla fixture of Kofinn. “I’d like to have a dynamic rusy spring of fresh coriander all ‘Mexíkósk súpa’, not to be confused menu. I'm thinking of summer ta- brought together by carefully cho- with sopa de tortilla, or the equally cos with fish, braised lamb in the sen salsas. The overall balance baffling Mexican cheese, again, not winter. Use all the parts of the ani- comes down to the size of tortilla to be mistaken for cotija or queso mal—like the tongue, head [and] and just the right amount of filling, fresco. Supermarket aisles are offal, which is traditional in Mexi- [ head for the heart of the enough to fold them over in one dedicated to canned refried beans co,” he says excitedly. hand and be eaten in no more than (shockingly amiss from restaurant “I am also working on pop-up city & stay like a local ] a few bites, juices running down menus), sliced jalapenos and vari- menus without any tacos. Maybe satisfyingly. ous salsas of the mild, hot and spicy moles? And not the chocolate one Carlos serves the carnitas with variants, with tactfully placed blaz- that people know but the rich va- From urban chic to a housemade salsa macha that is ing flames indicating heat and the riety [with] nuts, greens, seasonal nutty, vibrant and packs a pleasant danger they bring, alongside torti- ingredients. Pair them with top simple & snug, each punch. The pineapple habanero is a llas and unfortunately labelled jars shelf Mezcal, Tequila and maybe fruity number and the salsa verde of ‘street food sauces’. even Mexican wines, '' he says. hotel o!ers something sans the tomatillos is a Mexican “Contrary to what people think, For all his excitement Carlos is classic rendered in Iceland. “It is we are not eating raw chillies all mystified, “I’m kind of surprised a little di!erent. very challenging to find the right the time,'' Carlos says bemused. how much people like the food,'' ingredients,'' laments Carlos. “I can’t quite explain it...'' Carlos Carlos says. “For me, it is normal. This isn’t cheap food. It’s slow pauses, searching for words, “it's I am following the recipes from food, with time as an integral in- just, ouch, you know? I wonder my mom — this is natural. I’m not gredient. If there ever was an oxy- why?'' he says. Even as traditions doing anything extraordinary,'' he Whatever your moron for fast food, it’d be the taco. are important, Carlos insists noth- says. The ing remains static. “I still believe Well Carlos, if this is your take preference is, the one Clichés and Stereotypes that everything changes. And on the ordinary, we’d like more of maybe this is part of the transfor- it. thing you’ll always find For a culture that gave the world mation. But we have to be careful everything from chocolate and where we are borrowing traditions is heartfelt hospitality chillies to chewing gum, Mexi- from.'' and an authentic Icelandic experience. “It is a project to make Mexican food the way I grew Welc!me "# "he $amily up with it.”

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A trio of tacos, our favourite kind Travel

This Is A Story About A Girl Named Lucky (And A Pool)

...or the time I completed The Ritual at the Sky La!oon

Words: Hannah Jane Cohen Photos: Art Bicnick

I am the luckiest girl in the world. Exiting the dressing rooms, you stroll the sauna, which has a view that, to be entering the steam room (step six). I’ve into a small outside enclave with stairs frank, rivals that of the pool. been in many stream rooms before, but It was those eight words that came that lead down into the azure waters Built into the side of the house, the this was truly a full-on experience. Se- into my head the moment I first sub- of the lagoon. The whole experience so large sauna looks right out over the riously—you can barely see the hands merged myself into the waters of Sky far was so meticulously designed that I sea. Basically, imagine the sky cells in front of your face when you sit in Lagoon, Reykjavík’s newest luxury already felt like I had left my normal life from ‘Game Of Thrones’ except hot, the misty box—I could feel my body Travel distance pool. The spa revolves around what as my toes touched down into the water. gorgeous and calming instead of softening as the scrub combined with from Reykjavík: they call “The Ritual”—a seven step Usually, I’m more of a calm mosey-about cold, windy and terrifying. The view the steam. Next, you rinse off the rest 6.6 km relaxation process that begins with a swimmer, but the swirling toasty waves stopped me in my tracks and I took my of the scrub (and any remaining wor- soak in the lagoon, followed by a cold of the lagoon were so inviting that I im- time inside, staring out at the waves ries) with a gentle shower in the turf Experience plunge, sauna, cool mist, exfoliat- mediately relaxed and dunked my head and cloudy sky as the dry heat cleaned house, afterwhich you’re allowed to provided by: ing scrub, steam bath and a gentle beneath the surface. out my skin of any stress and worry. journey back into the Lagoon. skylagoon.com shower. It may seem like a lot of steps The pool is massive, I came to find. Being alone meant I could really be I took advantage of this and spent toward relaxation, but it’s delightful. There’s a little waterfall, ample seat- present and I took advantage of the my time meandering around the oasis I was lucky enough to visit the La- ing areas, a bar, lots of open water and, silence to just breathe and be mindful. until it was time to return to real life. goon pre-opening, which meant that of course, its infamous view over the Step four is a cold mist, which takes And it was only as I was journeying I—the aforementioned luckiest girl ocean, which, due to smart design, de- the form of a rectangular room with back to the dressing rooms that the in the world—got the entire pool to scends smoothly from the Lagoon’s wa- high ceilings from which descend cold first patrons of the day began to enter myself. This, I daresay, will only ever ters straight into the horizon, so you re- droplets that swirl down and around the pool, looking just as excited and occur again in my wildest dreams, so ally do feel like you’re swimming down you like a tropical rainforest. I had nev- hopeful as I had an hour previously. I made sure to savour every moment. into the Atlantic—despite being toasty er experienced anything like it before Of course, I had already completed Because, let’s be fair, if you’re going warm. and, while it wasn’t my favourite step The Ritual but was still anxiously wait- to enjoy a spa in absolute, total, medi- I spent my time luxuriating in all the in the process, I enjoyed it all the same. ing for when I could return. Whatev- tative solitude, there’s none better little nooks and grottos of the Lagoon. After that, I was given the Sky La- er religion created The Ritual, I’d be than this locale, hidden in the depths The weather was perfect; the sun shined goon’s special scrub (step five), which lucky—no, ecstatic—to convert. of Kópavogur, far removed from the bright and there was almost no wind. In one rubs all over themselves before hustle and noise of the city. between my floats around, I took two dunks into the cold plunge (step two of Rewind… let’s enter the The Ritual), causing any remaining ten- sion in my body to completely evaporate. lagoon! I did decide at one point that—were I to Support the Grapevine! The interior of the Sky Lagoon is cosy. pull a ‘Where The Heart Is’ heist and live View this QR code in your Bathed in soft mood lighting, you’re in secret somewhere for the rest of my phone camera to visit our tour booking site treated to individual pods in the dress- life—it’d be the Sky Lagoon. ing room, which allow you to change and shower in seclusion. When you’re used to other Icelandic pools, which Welcome to the Turf often involve many people showering in the same area, this feels extremely On the far end of the pool is a large luxurious. Immediately, I loved this turf house, which is where the other place—who doesn’t want to feel this Ritual’s actions are performed. The special? first (or third step of The Ritual) is

Swimming into the abyss They say Tampere is the Sauna Capital of the World... not anymore The Reykjavík Grapevine 31 HORROR!SCOPES the Penal Fire, for there is no Shame in a cup of Filtered Cof- Issue 06— 2021 fee. Aquarius As He sings: WELL, YOU ASKED “Better reign in watery swill than Lo! The folk-kings and princes Out, Damned Pot! to serve in caffeine-induced sup- did display their prowess-in- pression.” Words: H!nn!h J!ne Cohen, !strologer !nd brewess battle, but none compares to the belovèd bairn of the Aquariuses. The wand’ring sheep did call peerless paramour, that ye do Libra Yes, yer children will inherit all the Grapevine Astrology Guilde follow yer loins this coming that the Earth has to give, but together, who hast not kindled month. The stars guide ye. As Half-sick of shadows? Say not, ye will not be so lucky. Take yer their flames together since do yer loins. What ho! fair Libra, for already the Ro- coin out of the Bit lest misfor- delivering Sophia herself back to mans approachest to sadden a tune hit. AMC to the heavens. the Heav’ens. Ho! Let us joine now Goth such as yerself. We cannot with those that condense thou- have ye so down, so leave the sands of years of words and slang Cancer dark, leave the loom, make three Pisces into one spiritual reading. paces through the room and blast yer best Type O Negative. “Whence comest thou?” the gent Sing your paean, Pisces. said. But ye did not come. Ye Ye are not in Shalott; ye is in Aries never did come with him... Reykjavík and the only curse that is upon ye is yer damned Iceland’s New low self-confidence. Arise, ye Aries! And fear not Mecca that the end of this mask-man- Leo date means those ne'er-do-wells Words: Brittnee Kiner will once again judge yer shit Scorpio Out, damned pot! The time of lipstick skills. Nei, dear cleric, 420 is over! Nei, this here June, the facepaint ye don is apotheo- grab a mead and head out of Look here, Scorpio: If ye want a Answering questions with as much hon- tic. Let the Gods watch! yer isolation to an alehouse! new friend, don’t speak to them esty as money can buy – because well, you Down in Canaan, the seers say in an unknown tongue. For we asked and we’re generous. the rivers flow red with wine. wish none but a new plague Taurus Methinks, a good start for a upon thee who speak preten- Feeling a little anxious that COVID tiously! Besthrew those who pilgrimage and a romp in the is ending. If we’re being honest, I al- utter “Well, actually…”! Naked ye was borne and naked holy hay. most don’t want it to end. What do ye will exit ye pandemic, ya They vassals, we say! I do? harlot! Back to the shadows with yer floozy ways b’fore the Virgo Hey, we get it – gone are the days where wrath does rain from above, we Sagittarius decree. And by wrath, we mean you could run errands around this tiny an ill-fated romance with a The abbey is nei place for a city without having to painfully engage Listen closely to yer arrow- Scorpio. Fetch the leeches! Ill- maiden such as yerself, Virgo. in conversation with one of your many smith. Yer half-way there. ness approaches! While Mans first Disobedi- pandemic-era Tinder dates. While

ence brought the Fruit of that the use of masks and social distanc- Forbidden Tree and Death into ing fades away, being a total recluse the World, the death of yer new Capricorn Gemini is more acceptable than it’s ever been. espresso machine need not After finishing your workday in a pub- Joynd with that Eternal Servant This month ye might beg for The bards did sing of yer con- lic space, you can go home and bake to create Hideous Ruine and alms from a former flame. She quests, Gemini, when they did banana bread or binge “Tiger King” to Bottomless Perdition. So Break will not give. Aye—there’s the look at the stars. I prithee, my relive all of your lockdown dreams. Just your Chains and Extinguish rub. when you’ve finished binging and bak- ing, dive into some self-care by journ- aling about the million and one things you could be doing better as a human CITY SHOT by Art Bicnick being—banana bread is only going to get you so far.

I’m a broke, busy guy. If I could only visit one place in Iceland right now, where would I go?

You’ve probably heard by now, but Ice- land has an erupting volcano. If your entire social media feed hasn’t man- aged to be completely annihilated by endless drone footage, consider your- self lucky. You’re definitely luckier than most—including the numerous amateur drone pilots that think if they crank the accelerator hard enough on their handheld controllers, it will clear the globs of fire. If you want to tag along on the Icelandic pilgrimage, grab a beer from the bar, snatch a speaker for your back pocket, and drag along your friend with the drone that hates hiking because this is our new mecca – no excuses are permitted here. Aerial views are necessary despite the inevita- ble consequences, so then you can both Collectively watching volcano news hike back bitter and droneless.

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LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND

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One of 25 wonders of the world “I feel like music is such an international thing, but Blue Lagoon geothermal seawater is unlike any other water on the planet. Born deep underground, this natural marvel is rich in silica, algae, and more like an intergalactic minerals—the elements that give the water its extraordinary powers. thing. So, let’s not classify!” Discover the water. Experience the wonder.

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“It's really hard to paint.” Visual arts rockstar Ragnar Kjartansson succulently explains why he did a video installa- tion instead of a painting. P12-13

“If we can stop for a virus and protect the elderly, can we protect the fu- ture?” Andri Snær Magnason and co-director Anni Ólafsdóttir discuss their new documen- tary 'Apausalypse', which captures the poetic silence of the COVID-19 pandemic. P22

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