The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Home , Baugur Group, Bryan Devendorf, Central Bank of Iceland, Icesave dispute

YEARS 2003-2013 Issue 15 × 2013 September 28 - October 10

YOUR FREE COPY THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND NEWS POLITICS FILM MUSIC TRAVEL Jóhanna The gender-based Lots and lots of Bam brings us We let ﬁsh suck on Sigurðardóttir wage gap widens :( RIFF! “Random Hero” our toes… SPEAKS!

5 year anniversary of the collapse 2008- 2013 THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME...

Complete Lots of Download the FREE Grapevine Appy Hour app! Reykjavík Listings cool events Every happy hour in town in your pocket. + Available on the App store and on Android Market. The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 2

Editorial | Anna Andersen TRACK OF THE ISSUE ICELANDISTAN 5.0 Anna’s 32nd Editorial have wreaked more havoc on this country than land in the foreign media. anything that’s not directly caused by a natural So much emphasis has been put on this (only disaster. Our economy has been reduced to the possible) course of action that Icelanders them- standards of Eastern Europe at end of the Cold selves have perhaps forgotten what else the new War. As a nation, we are more or less bankrupt.” government has done to stem the rippling effects Almost overnight, our tiny island nation in the of the crash, not to mention all of the events that middle of the North Atlantic became the poster- led up to it. This would at least explain why Ice- child for the global economic crisis—a shiny ex- landers recently returned to power the very same ample of how to do everything wrong. Enraged parties that presided over the country as it geared Five years ago, The Grapevine published its first Icelanders took to the streets and banged on their up for meltdown. post-collapse issue. The cover featured the image pots and pans until the government that presided Or perhaps the fact that we’re not living in Ice- Grísalappalísa: “Skrítin Birta” of a single króna coin, its fish reduced to a mere over the crash toppled over. landistan simply isn’t good enough and Iceland- skeleton. “Welcome to Icelandistan!” read the In came Iceland’s first purely left-wing govern- ers now dream of returning to pre-crash Iceland. Download NOW at www.grapevine.is cover tag. ment, and before we knew it we had become the After all, we’re going to have to find some way to Nobody could know exactly what was in store poster child for miraculous economic recovery— use those new 10,000 ISK bills—roughly equiva- Years of quiet krúttitude being the for Iceland in early October 2008, but the future an equally shiny example of how to do everything lent to the 100 Dollar bill—that are about to go into norm around town have resulted in a certainly looked grim. “HOLY FUCK!” wrote then- right. In particular, the fact that “Iceland let the circulation. youthful revolt of twisting and shout- editor of the Grapevine, Sveinn Birkir Björnsson, banks fail” became a catchphrase appearing in ing, with no other band doing it as in his editorial that issue. “The last few weeks almost every post-crash article written about Ice- loudly as newcomers Grísalappalísa. These dudes are cynical and jaded her collaborator, former Minister of Everything and they sure as hell want you to WHAT A DIFFERENCE Steingrímur J. Sigfússon (who manned the gov- know it! Sort out your inner turmoil ernment decks for most of the past four years) to with the help of this furious punk share their thoughts on the situation, along with tune that proves that being angst rid- FIVE YEARS MAKE the guys currently in charge, PM Sigmundur Davíð den and existentially confused lin- Gunnlaugsson and his collaborator, Minister of gers on well past adolescence, and By Haukur S. Magnússon Finance Bjarni Benediktsson While the latter two that is a-fucking-okay! did not respond to our repeated attempts for com- Five years have apparently passed since the ment (which is unfortunate, and might be telling dreaded economic collapse of October 2008 for their style of governance), Steingrímur shared shook the Icelandic nation to its core. We at Grape- some good thoughts and Jóhanna surprised us vine think this makes for an excellent opportunity by turning in a sharp, condemning article that we to look back on just what happened and attempt to later learned is her first public commentary since discern what, if anything, we have learned since. this spring’s election. A lot of people theorized (and hoped) that Finally, the diligent journalist Sam Knight me- the collapse would mark a sea change in the na- ticulously poured over the WikiLeaks diplomatic tion’s politics and attitudes towards its economy, cables (from #CABLEGATE) concerning Iceland. lifestyle and mode of discourse. That the media The results are a revealing account of Iceland’s would and supervisory authorities would turn economic collapse, as seen through the eyes of vigilant, that we would never get fooled again. US diplomats stationed in Iceland at the time. Has such a sea change occurred? It’s hard to There is a lot of juicy and revealing behind-the- tell when you’re right in the thick of things, but scenes stuff in there, and the article itself grants there are certainly mixed opinions out there. important insight into what happened, placing In our attempts to understand and analyse the some of the events in a new context. Thank you, events that have been unfolding over the past Chelsea. five years, we turned to two noted pundits on the There’s a lesson in there somewhere, one we opposite ends of the political spectrum, Sigrún need to take to heart and remember. Let this be Davíðsdóttir and Hannes Hólmsteinn Gissurarson the first of many collapsaversary celebrations. (fun game: guess which end each inhabits!). We Skál. also asked former PM Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and

Contributing Writers Design: Founders: Björn Teitsson Hrefna Sigurðardóttir / [email protected] Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson, Bowen Staines Hörður Kristbjörnsson, Davíð Roach Jón Trausti Sigurðarson, Hannes H. Gissurarson Photographers: Oddur Óskar Kjartansson, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir Alísa Kalyanova / www. alisakalyanova.com Valur Gunnarsson John Rogers Magnús Anderssen / www.magnusandersen.co Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík Kári Tulinius Nanna Dís / www.nannadis.com The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken ltd. www.grapevine.is Larissa Kyzer Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly from May [email protected] Mark Asch Sales Director: til October. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole Published by Fröken ehf. Óli Dóri Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / [email protected] or in part without the written permission of the publishers. The www.froken.is Parker Yamasaki Helgi Þór Harðarson / [email protected] Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed around Reykjavík, Akureyri, Member of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association Patricia Þormar Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður, Borgarnes, Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at key www.saf.is Sigrún Davíðsdóttir Distribution manager: locations along road #1, and all major tourist attractions and tourist Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies. Snorri Páll Jónsson Úlfhildarson [email protected] information centres in the country. You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored (no articles Editor In Chief: Journalist Proofreader: in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions Haukur S Magnússon / [email protected] Larissa Kyzer / [email protected] Jim Rice expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’).

Editor: Journalist & Listings editor Listings: Anna Andersen / [email protected] Rebecca Louder / [email protected] [email protected] On the cover: Guðmundur Brigir YEARS 2003-2013 Issue 15 × 2013 September 28 - October 10 Halldórsson a.k.a the face of kreppan Editorial: YOUR FREE COPY THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND Editorial Interns Submissions inquiries: NEWS POLITICS FILM MUSIC TRAVEL Jóhanna The gender-based Lots and lots of Bam brings us We let ﬁsh suck on Sigurðardóttir wage gap widens :( RIFF! “Random Hero” our toes… +354 540 3600 / [email protected] Tómas Gabríel Benjamin / [email protected] [email protected] SPEAKS! Photographer: Magnús Andersen Jonas Kellermeyer / [email protected] magnusandersen.co Advertising: Katarina Landström / [email protected] Subscription inquiries: Clothes: JÖR & Álafoss +354 540 3605 / [email protected] Kristján Leitma / [email protected] +354 540 3605 / [email protected] +354 40 3610

Art Director General inquiries: 5 year anniversary of the collapse 2008- 2013 Publisher: THE MORE Hörður Kristbjörnsson / [email protected] [email protected] THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / [email protected] THEY STAY THE SAME...

Complete Lots of Download the FREE Grapevine Appy Hour app! +354 540 3601 / [email protected] Every happy hour in town in your pocket. Reykjavík Listings cool events + Available on the App store and on Android Market.

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The perfect rest stop between Thingvellir and Geysir Open everyday 11-21 Make sure your Golden Circle tour completes the geothermal experience www.fontana.is E&Co. – Mynd Ari Magg – Visit our stores: our – Visit FORCENTURIES We o We WORN OUT OUT WORN ! er clothing & other merchandise that that merchandise other & clothing er

101 Reykjavík, Akureyri and Geysir, Haukadal. www.geysir.net – www.geysir.net Haukadal. Geysir, and Akureyri 101 Reykjavík, reminds us of good old Iceland ICELANDIC WOOL ICELANDIC Issue 15 — 2013 Say your piece, voice your opinion, send 4 your letters to: [email protected] by the sea Sour grapes & stuff and a delicious lobster MOST AWESOME LETTER Dear Iceland, and poignant Pink Floyd songs there are. If we were named at Fjörubordid in Stokkseyri after a classic song (or its singer!), we sure wouldn’t want to You are so ace as is your music, but please please stop the hear it butchered up left, right and centre too! Wait a min- troubadours, come on 'wish you were here' at full blast ute… those troubadours CONSTANTLY demolish ‘Heard It when tring to have a lovely booze with your mates though a Through The Grapevine’! FUCK!!! PA. booooo They always seem to clear the bar too! Truth is that it seems the troubadours are a total love-hate All the very best thing here. Some of them clear the room, but some of them get the whole bar to sing along. They find that one person Sid Barrett who isn’t getting off and they MAKE them get off, to para- phrase Almost Famous. And for every person that eventually Dear Sid Barrett, gives in and sings along, there are a dozen who would never go to a bar again before going to one with a troubadour. First of all, congratulations on your amazing name. After a straight read of your letter, we dimmed the lights, lit some What’s to be done? Who knows. Nothing probably. This incense, and read it backwards while watching the Wizard of hasn’t been a pressing concern over the past five post-crash Oz. It changed our lives, man. years. But perhaps a prize will soothe your pain. At the seashore the giant lobster makes Your name also explains why you are so sick of hearing our Love, Spör ehf. appointments with mermaids and landlubbers. vast sea of troubadours singing one of the most beautiful The Grapevine He waves his large claws, attracting those desiring Hi Grapevine, Look at the problems in France, UK, USA, and other coun- to be in the company of starﬁsh and lumpﬁsh. tries. History may repeat it slef. In your issue # 13 - 2013 Page # 10 under news in brief: Vestmanney Island The former Mayor of Reykjavik Mr. Maqnusson is saying is Year 1627 Algeran pirates attacked the island, killing 40 & an insult to Icelands history. capturing about 250 people to be sold He is right, I have been around the world 3 times and found in slavery. you can not trust all muslims. There idea is to take over the world. The islamic influence Anonymous. IS!!!! out of hand, not only in Iceland Reykjavík but in all Christian Countries. The current Mayor Mr. Vigis- P.S. son DOES NOT LIVE WITH IT. Iceland Beware.... Stokkseyri Icelands needs to get a backbone like Australia. "If you want to live here you must conform Hey Anonymous, Eyrarbakki - The Seashore restaurant to our way of life!" OR LEAVE!. Do not think the muslims will go away or want to live in peace Go fuck yourself, you fucking idiot! > Only 45 minutes drive from Reykjavík with Christians. Bye Eyrarbraut 3, 825 Stokkseyri, Iceland · Tel. +354 483 1550 Fax. +354 483 1545 · [email protected] · www.fjorubordid.is (Translated from Icelandic:) Hi Jón, Hello, Summer opening hours: Mon - Sun 12:00 to 22:00 Thanks for getting in touch. It’s always fun to see that 1, I came across the letter in issue 12 about the spoons from people do read the letters, and 2, old-fashioned correspon- the 1930s. I am interested in acquiring these spoons. How dence still connects third parties through mutual interest. can I get in touch with Rick and Sally? Now we aren’t entirely sure if Rick and Sally we’re looking Best, for a buyer for these spoons, as they seemed to simply want Jón Ingiberg more information about them, but as they say – everyone has their price! We will put you in touch with the fine American couple. Then you can haggle around to find out how senti- mentally attached they are to these items, or if you can get Borgartún 1 • www.thetincanfactory.eu them for bargain basement cheap.

Good luck! The Grapevine

MOST AWESOME LETTER TWO FREE PAIRS OF WOOLLEN SOCKS!

Yes, this lovely prize will keep your feet warm and cosy throughout your stay in Iceland and Skoli.eu in any subsequent places you might go that sometimes get cold. And these aren’t just any old woollen socks either, these are the colourful, wonderful, extra-long kind from Geysir.

Congratulations to this issue's MOST AWESOME LETTER. Drop us a line at letters@ grapevine.is to ﬁnd out how to collect those free socks! And if you’re in the market for some socks come next issue, why not write us a wonderful reader letter to that same address. Learn Like Axl Rose said: “It’s so easy!” Icelandic talk read cook listen Theater food & fun

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Borgartún 1 • 105 Reykjavík • Tel. 551 7700 • 821 7163 [email protected] • www.thetincanfactory.eu Þingholtsstræti 2-4 - 101 Reykjavík » Fákafen 9 - 108 Reykjavík » Austurvegi 21 - 870 Vík » icewear.is The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 5 YEAR 6 ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLLAPSE The Collapse | Anniversary Special 2008- 2013

Sigrún Davíðsdóttir is a London-based journalist and writer working for the Icelan- The Collapse And Beyond dic State Broadcaster.

Five years after the collapse, economists all over the world carefully study Iceland’s recovery—some even call it a “miracle.” Icelanders themselves are, however, less in awe of this miracle. Although the country has moved from recession to growth and unemployment has been reduced, household debt is still a big topic and the coalition government seems painfully at a loss as to how they can fulfil promises of debt relief and unshackle the country from capital controls. The small group of businessmen and bankers, who many think caused the crash, have lost jets and yachts, but are otherwise mostly doing remark- ably well. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the Icelandic lesson from the collapse and the ‘kreppa’ is that loan agreements can always be

Ólafur G. Þorsteinsson changed, and nothing is ever final.

“You Icelanders have done the right thing drunkards at a free bar. The three larg- and Guernsey. banks has not been scrutinised enough. that finds it easier to blame foreigners for in letting the banks fail instead of bail- est banks concentrated their lending on A loan goes into one company and its misfortunes than their own country- ing them out. And now Iceland is back to the banks’ largest shareholders and their assets are bought. Over time, assets and Legacies and lessons men. In Greece, Cyprus and Ireland there growth and unemployment is falling,” an business partners, in many cases lend- debt are split, for instance by paying divi- is wide-felt anger towards the troika, as Irish banker Magnús said A ndersenrecently, when discuss- ing them, their employees and other cli- dends and/or via sales and acquisitions The SIC report was written partly to ex- if it had caused the deadly debt in these ing the status of the Icelandic economy. ents money beyond the legal limits to buy between companies within the group, or plain what had happened and partly to countries rather than their own countries’ “The capital controls? No problem, they shares in the banks, thereby artificially to related parties. When bad things hap- provide lessons. Many public institutions actions or inactions. don’t touch ordinary people.” Right, but inflating their value. pen, the company that holds the debt goes spent some time studying and discuss- The same is felt in Iceland. Until the the capital controls do touch the economy. bankrupt and little of value is found there ing it, but it is difficult to say if the report SIC report clearly spelled out what had One economist calls the controls a “slow Banking the Icelandic way for the creditors. helped provide the necessary lessons. happened, many Icelanders felt that the death.” This is no Icelandic invention. Highly Compared to other debt-ridden Euro- British had caused the collapse of the Iceland will not have escaped the col- All of these practices have been seen else- specialised and well-paid lawyers and pean countries, another unique phenom- banks. Now it is the foreign creditors of lapse of its banks in early October 2008 where, such as in the Irish banks, but as accountants in London and elsewhere enon in Iceland following the collapse was Glitnir and Kaupþing who get to bear the until the capital controls restricting out- far as can be ascertained, it was practiced construct these galaxies each and every debt relief. People whose mortgage repay- blame for the capital controls. And EU flow of foreign currency are abolished. nowhere else to the extent that it seemed day. The Icelandic boom billionaires have ments spiked, either because of the fall of membership, seen as a salvation in an The new coalition government between to have been in Iceland. The question of practised this with great skill and great the króna or because loans were indexed, uncertain world just after the collapse, the Progressive Party and Independence why this way of banking was so prevalent help from the banks, meaning that almost have been offered various measures to no longer has the majority support of Ice- Party, led by the former, seems to be split is an intriguing one. none of them have gone bankrupt. make their debt sustainable. landers. Yet, a majority of voters would on how to go about it. As has so often been There is probably no single answer, In fact, some famous Icelandic billion- The fact that the Progressive Party was like to see the negotiations for member- the case in Iceland’s history, this split is but it is worth keeping in mind that in aires still own companies in Iceland, such voted into power by making promises of ship concluded and the agreement sent to partly about how to engage with the outer spite of the banks being fully privatised by as Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson of Lands- further debt relief shows that some voters a referendum. world. Foreign investors are being courted 2003, the new owners did not bring with banki fame, Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson of Compared to the other debt-ridden and yet some politicians dream of squeez- them new managers. The management, Baugur Group and Glitnir bank fame, “Iceland will not have European countries, the Icelandic econ- ing money out of the last lot of foreign and to some extent board members, re- and Ólafur Ólafsson, the second largest omy bounced back quickly and well. But investors, not only to abolish the control, mained the same. shareholder of Kaupþing bank. escaped the collapse Iceland does not “graduate” from the but also to create the opportunity for the There is anecdotal evidence that Ice- of its banks in early “kreppa” until the capital controls are much criticised debt relief promise that landic banks have engaged in two-tier Prosecuting the past abolished. brought the Progressive Party to power. lending for a long time: the majority of cli- October 2008 until Five years ago, when resolving the big ents were made standard offers for loans Shortly after the Icelandic collapse, the the capital controls issues around the collapse, the attitude The very short story of the that had to be repaid; a chosen minority Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP)— are abolished.” was “fuck the foreigners,” meaning that Icelandic boom and bust could borrow large sums against weak or now a permanent serious fraud prosecu- Iceland would, understandably, first and no collateral. When these practices were tor—was founded in Iceland. None of the foremost pay attention to its own interests. Iceland is not the only country to have ex- based only on lending Icelandic depos- big cases have yet been resolved in the Ice- believed that not enough had been done. At the time, the action taken enjoyed a cer- perienced a spectacular boom in the years its, the danger was somewhat contained. landic Supreme Court, but recent rulings The expectations are still high, although tain understanding abroad since Iceland leading up to 2008, followed by a no less When the lending was based on foreign on white-collar crime cases indicate that research shows that households in arrears clearly was in dire straits in October 2008. spectacular bust, forcing it to seek outside loans, in endless supply on international the Supreme Court is far from lenient on are now fewer than before. In addition, Again, Iceland needs to resolve a prob- help. Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus lending-happy markets, the banks grew to punishment. the debt problem seems to be much more lem, the capital controls, where foreigners and Spain have, to varying degrees, been ten times the size of the economy and cre- Top-level managers in all the banks contained than certain politicians and are one part of the equation. There now bailed out by the troika—the European ated an enormous risk which proud and as well as a few major shareholders have popular opinion indicate. seems to be a tension within the coalition Union, the European Central Bank and somewhat clueless politicians and regula- been charged. Two of those charged are The fact that some currency basket government as to how the foreign credi- the International Monetary Fund. Not tors ignored. Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson and Ólafur Ólafs- loans have been ruled as illegal has also tors should be treated. Some think it is being a member of the EU, Iceland took Weak collateral is also one reason why son, but their cases have not been ruled changed the financial status of many still legitimate to say, “fuck the foreigners” the classic route to the IMF, which lent the so many of those who borrowed the most on yet. By next year, the OSP plans to have households. Normally, a loan agreement while others fear the possible consequenc- country 2.1 billion USD in order to save have more or less escaped the effects of filed charges on all collapse-related cases. is utterly unchangeable. Now, with many es. These diverging attitudes seem to it from a total collapse as its banks failed. the crash. Large holding companies of Compared to Ireland, where there is loan agreements either being torn up or hinder the first steps towards abolishing But Iceland is the only debt-ridden well-known shareholders collapsed under great anger over the fact the management changed, there is anecdotal evidence that the capital controls, which will no doubt nation that has had an answer to the their burden of debt when the banks were of the collapsed banks have not been in- Icelanders might be learning that legal be done in steps over the course of several question: why did the banks fail? This no longer there to keep on lending, extend vestigated for alleged fraud, it seems safe agreements need not be adhered to, and years. impertinent question was answered loans or to refrain from recovering loans. to conclude that prosecuting the bankers some fear this might not be a good lesson The story of Argentina since its de- quite thoroughly in a 2,600 page report With only a couple of exceptions, the larg- and shareholders, seen to be partly re- for the future in a country that has had fault in 2001 is the story of a country that published in April 2010 by the Special est shareholders in the banks—the own- sponsible for the crash, changes the pub- chronically high household debt. seeks to write its own rules, ignoring the Investigative Commission (SIC) set up by ers of these holding companies—were left lic mood. Nonetheless, many Icelanders Did the crash change anything more international community. Iceland did not Alþingi, the Icelandic Parliament. unscathed. complain that investigations are taking fundamental in Iceland than many peo- default in 2008 and the collapsed banks In clear, jargon-free language, the SIC too long. Compared to complicated fraud ple (mainly women) taking up knitting? are now private companies. But after report tells the story of failed economic The centrifuge of debt cases in other countries, the Icelandic cas- Time will tell, but there are doubts. Some changing Iceland’s currency laws this policy in the decade or so before the col- and assets es follow a familiar pattern and the exten- bankers whisper that they still dream of past spring, the minister of finance has to lapse in 2008. The varying governments, sive galaxies of companies partly explain 2007 happening again and salaries in the agree to measures regarding the estates of which always included the Independence One of the reasons why the boom bil- the time it takes to get to the bottom of banking sector are rising. The return of the banks, meaning the government is in- Party (in most governments since 1944), lionaires, the so-called ‘útrásarvíkingar’ what went on and how things were done. 2007 might be good for a few bankers volved. This also exposes the government celebrated the growth of the banking sec- (“Outvasion Vikings”), have not been In addition, the administrators of the and some chosen clients but, as tried and to the risk of being sued by foreign credi- tor which, like the UK banking sector, bankrupted is a mechanism that could collapsed banks are suing managers, tested, it would be decidedly bad for the tors. sucked talent from other sectors by offer- be called a centrifuge. All of these billion- board members and accountants of the Icelandic economy. Most countries have their Faust stories ing salaries only banks could offer. In ad- aires owned galaxies of off and on-shore banks, in order to recover assets. The out- but the Icelandic Faust, Sæmundur the dition, the government added fuel to the companies, i.e. groups of companies that comes of these cases, especially against The battle for the soul of Ice- wise, is the only one to have defeated the booming economy with public spending. stretched from Iceland to other countries, the accountants, are interesting in an landers devil. Maybe that partly explains the dare- With low interest rates in international such as well-known secrecy havens like international context since it is widely be- devil attitude Icelanders often take when markets, the Icelandic banks behaved like the British Virgin Islands, the Isle of Man lieved that the role of accountants in failed Iceland is certainly not the only country resolving their national problems. Ólafur Arnalds and The Four Seasons

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Box office » www.sinfonia.is » www.harpa.is » +354 528 5050 » Open 10–18 weekdays and 12–18 weekends The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 8

Iceland | For Dummies SEPTEMBER NEWS IN BRIEF So What Are These Sandstorms by Parker Yamasaki I Keep Hearing About? Words: Kári Tulinius | Illustration: Inga María Brynjarsdóttir

People tend to forget that Iceland is about 25% desert, or more, depending on what you con- The world is a crazy place. Turbu- lence in the Middle East has led sider the line to be between desert and semi- Iceland to offer asylum to about a dozen refugees from Iran and desert. However, what no one who has spent Afghanistan. Live on CNBC, Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð blamed more than three seconds in Iceland will ever the 2008 economic crash on "European regulations." And Árni forget is that Iceland is 8000% windy. As the Björn Guðjónsson is selling paint- Icelandic idiom has it, Iceland is a "rokrass- ings of former Prime Minister and current Morgunblaðið editor gat," an asshole of wind. Davíð Oddsson.

MEANWHILE, all the media seems to As another idiom says, if you don't the windows broke, they stopped care about is sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ like the weather, wait five minutes. the car, got out and lay prone by roll. Well, can you blame us? Earlier the side of the road, holding onto this month, police were called to But if you do like the weather, fence posts, because they were rescue a distressed man who re- wait five minutes more. The afraid that the car would roll over ported that somebody had been ring- harshness of Icelandic nature was in the wind. According to Ár- ing his doorbell repeatedly for about experienced in full by a number mann the couple did not notice half an hour, and was too scared to of tourists recently, with many they were being saved until one investigate himself. The police arrived rental cars suffering damage. of the rescuers touched them on to greet a couple making love in the Most dramatically a French cou- the shoulder. In an interview that worried man's entryway, right up ple had to flee their rental car af- Fréttablaðið newspaper did with against the wall. Come on, they were ter flying pebbles broke their side the couple, Marie Storm said... asking for the attention. windows, leaving them exposed full of volcanoes, after all. In fact, to the full force of windassholery. Hold everything! Marie Storm?! A given Icelandic nature's hostility That is true, but before humans In pictures, their car looks like it search and rescue squad named to all living things, it would not be arrived with their apocalypse of has been sanded down. When you after the north wind?! You're just entirely surprising if search and sheep, the highland was not the put a desert in an asshole of wind making all this stuff up, aren't you? rescue teams had to deal with an desert it is today. Grazing sheep you end up with a sandstorm in unexpected Godzilla attack. An were too much for the ecosystem the face. No, all these people are real. Ma- armoured car is the bare mini- and wind blowing loose sand rie Storm said: "We thought we mum required. around did the rest. And humans Damn tourists, always getting were going to die." After getting chopped down trees to burn, themselves into dangerous situa- caught in the sandstorm, they So what is Icelandic nature's deal? which did not help the ecosystem tions. stopped the car because there was Why is it such an asshole? one bit. no visibility. Then a flying pebble While that does sometimes hap- broke their side window and their To be fair to Icelandic nature, it Okay, I would be an asshole too if Besides, sex can get political too. pen, in this case the tourist ordeal began: "The window ex- was just chilling by itself, letting people threw sheep and axes at me For instance, former Prime Minister couple seems not to have been ploded over us." They called the it all hang loose, when humans for eleven centuries, but no need to Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir's partner, Jónína Leósdóttir, is finally com- at fault. Ármann Guðmundsson, emergency hotline and crawled to arrived eleven centuries ago and take it out on tourists, they didn't ing out... with a book! The book is who is part of the search and the side of the road. They got cuts messed everything up. Historical do anything. rescue squad Kári, which shares on their hands and their eyes were records and ecological research titled ‘With Jóhanna,’ and chronicles her relationship with the former a name with the north wind, still sore days later. But they were tell us that the island was largely They are just collateral damage, Prime Minister. Sure, maybe that's criticised the lack of signs with saved when the search and rescue covered in forest up until humans unfortunately. But tourism of- more about sexuality than sex, but information about the weather team came in their armoured car arrived with axes and seedling- ficials will be happy to note that apparently the slim discrepancy is conditions: "It just said 'ófært' on with bulletproof windows. eating livestock. Trees, even not-made-up person Marie Storm enough to disturb Icelandic musician the signs, which I doubt tourists shrubs, are tall enough to survive told Fréttablaðið: "The vacation Gylfi Ægisson. understand.' Armoured car with bulletproof when sand gets blown in from the has been good, except for this." windows? Isn't that a bit much for highlands. They can even survive This, of course, being the whole volcanic ash-fall. Smaller plants Yeah, that's not so understandable search and rescue? huddling by the side of the road for the 99.99995% of the human suffocate. fearing for your life. She could be race who don't speak your crazy Not when the weather forecast the spokesperson for the a new language. includes flying rocks. That is That's all well and good, but a Icelandic tourism slogan: Visit not even the worst that Icelandic shrub isn't going to live through Iceland, it's pretty good except for Continues over Tales of the rescue of the stranded search and rescue has had to deal the kind of sandstorm which re- the sandstorm in the face. couple are pretty dramatic. After with. This is an island stuffed quires travelling in armoured cars.

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Skólavörðustígur 38 101 Reykjavík sími / tel. 551 1121 www.furrier.is EGGERT feldskeri In jobs requiring a university degree, men are paid 8.4% The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 higher salaries than women after accounting for age, educa- 10 tion and responsibilities. Society | Inequality SEPTEMBER NEWS IN BRIEF Being Best In The World Continued... Ain’t Good Enough Iceland’s gender-based wage gap increases with the economic recovery Gylfi is charging the organisers of Reykjavík's renowned Gay — Tómas Gabríel Benjamin Pride festival for being too openly sexual for an all-ages crowd. Gylfi cited Article 93 of the Child Iceland is often hailed as a beacon of equal- Protection Law, which states that festivals of a sexual nature must ity in an otherwise patriarchal world. We have prohibit children under the age of 18 from being present. Apparently elected several women into positions of power, Jón Gnarr's donning of the women's national costume was just too risqué including Vigdís Finnbogadóttir as the first fe- for Iceland's innocents. It must have male president and Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir as been the cloak. the first openly lesbian prime minister, and in the 2013 elections just under 40% of MPs were female. Not only that, but The World Econom- ic Forum’s 2012 Global Gender Gap Report has repeatedly ranked Iceland as the most egalitarian country, citing women’s good health, education and political empowerment. But by now it is no secret that RAX - Ragnar Axelsson Iceland is a pretty gay place. In fact, it is among the top ten gayest places in the world! The 2013 World Hap- However, Chair of the Centre for Gen- gap exists for a number of reasons, chief run the household.” open for privilege, whether it is based piness Report, published by the der Equality Kristín Ásgeirsdóttir says of which are society’s ideas about gender Following the economic collapse, on class, gender, sex, or race. “By be- United Nations, posits Iceland this ranking gives us a skewed picture of roles. men and women’s wages became more ing aware of it, people can at least get as the ninth happiest place in reality, as women’s economic participa- “In my qualitative research, I’ve ex- in line with each other, but only because a chance to react to the privilege,” Gyða the world, amongst a Nordic-heavy tion is lagging behind with a prevalent amined the ideas that men and women men’s wages had gone down, Gyða ex- said. Despite employment law, which top-ten. gender-based wage gap. “The wage gap have regarding wages and job expecta- plained, noting that the gap is increas- prohibits companies from discriminat- is what lowers our otherwise good rat- tions,” Gyða said. “A large part of the ing again as Iceland recovers from the ing against applicants or employees being with the [aforementioned] report, male identity seemed to revolve around recession. “The problem is systemic,” cause of gender, women have run into but it is comparable to other countries,” getting a high salary and basing one’s she said, “and it affects both men and the obstacle of not knowing what their Kristín said. “According to reports from self-worth on its numerical value. Wom- women; women are not given the same male co-workers are earning. the EU, there is generally a 16% wage en, on the other hand, seemed to be opportunities as men in the workplace, Gyða pointed out that the new equal- difference in Europe. To address this, more willing to justify lower wages with and it is rarely socially acceptable for ity laws of 2008 offer a solution, as they each ministry, institution, company and other factors, such as job satisfaction.” men to take as active a part in their chil- permit employees to disclose their sala- municipality needs to go through its fi- Although a 2003 survey commis- dren’s upbringing.” ries to a third member. “It is the privi- nances with a fine comb.” sioned by the Centre for Women’s and leged party’s responsibility to inform the It seems most institutions have yet Gender Research (RIKK) revealed that Shifting responsibility disadvantaged of the state of play, and Maybe it's because we are such a to do so, as a recent study commissioned men and women request raises or pro- I entreat all men to do so,” Gyða said. welcoming place: the number of by the Association of Academics (BHM) motions as often, Gyða said that similar Gyða agreed with Kristín that employ- “The struggle for gender equality has foreign citizens living in Iceland showed that men have on average 8.4% research has shown that women tend to ers need to lead from the front, ensuring often taken on the form of blaming the has risen to 7%. We are religiously higher salaries than women in jobs that ask for lower raises than men. “When equal opportunities and working condi- victim, as if it is women’s fault for not tolerant: after a thirteen-year- require a university degree. Head of third party negotiators are involved, they tions for their employees, but they often having the same opportunities as men. long application process, the BHM Guðlaug Kristjánsdóttir said in an generally ask for higher salaries for men lack awareness of their social prejudices. If society tells you that you and your ac- mosque in Sogamýri has just re- interview with RÚV that this wage gap than they do for women. I feel this is the “I don’t want to suggest that any supervi- tions are worth less than a man’s, how ceived approval for construction! And we're all for equality: gays from cannot be attributed to anything other root of this problem, that women’s work sor means to discriminate between men can you be expected to fight for equality? Iran and Afghanistan comprise than the employee’s gender as all other is evaluated as being worth less than and women, but there are several ways in We need to shift the responsibility onto about half of the aforementioned factors had been accounted for, includ- men’s work,” she explained. which people are unconsciously biased the privileged, to do their part in making refugees seeking asylum in ing working hours, education, age, and “Surveys have shown that the group in favour of men, overlooking women’s a fairer society.” Iceland. OR, maybe everybody here responsibilities. with the highest wages are often mar- contributions,” she said. “There are is just high. ried men who have children,” Gyða said. harmful ideas prevalent in our culture The problem is systemic “Men get these wages because they are that we do not see without donning ‘gen- supposed to be earning for their whole der glasses’ and analysing our assump- A gender studies assistant professor at families,” she said. “Women don’t get tions.” the University of Iceland, Gyða Margrét the same status, wages or career mobil- Wearing these gender glasses re- Continues over Pétursdóttir, said she believes the wage ity because society expects them to also quires individuals to keep their eyes

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Spör ehf. Go find out people’s secrets at The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 www.inspiredbyiceland.com/secrets/ 12

Opinion | Tourism SEPTEMBER NEWS IN BRIEF Below The Promotional Realm Continued... Inspired by Iceland and the entrance to Hell

Capitalising on John F. Kennedy's re- ers' welcome and their desire to share Snorri Páll Jóhannsson Úlfhildarson is a word-crafts- mark that “the very word secrecy is their culture and make every effort to man, occupied with socially useless production repugnant in a free and open society,” ensure that your stay is a pleasant one.” Inspired by Iceland—a branch of the Take also, for example, Austrian Former Supreme Court justice government-owned Promote Iceland filmmaker Ulrich Seidl’s Paradies: Jón Steinar Gunnlaugsson told initiative—is encouraging people to Liebe—the first film in his recent radio show Harmageddon that it's reveal “what lies just beyond the realm Paradise trilogy—which confronts sex- time for Iceland to consider a new of the known in Iceland,” although they tourism in Kenya and the complicated Now, in the midst of the repercussions of Ed- approach to drug enforcement— may have good reason for hiding it. relationship between the native beach called legalisation. "We're not Chair of the Icelandic Tourist In- boys and their neo-colonial sugar-ma- ward Snowden's exposé of mass-surveillance improving the situation by creating dustry Association Árni Gunnarsson mas. With a troubled identity, robbed of an underworld," he said. The current explained at the campaign's kick- their dignity by becoming fully depen- directed against individuals and institutions drug laws in place are not working starting ceremony that the current dent on the profusion of foreign money he contends, and the emphasis worldwide, it's far beyond funny—in all its objective is to lure more wintertime holders, as Seidl noted in a 2009 inter- should be placed on rehabilitation of tourists whose numbers (and therefore view with ZOO Magazine, the boys are addiction. Orwellian irony—to see the moguls of Ice- spending) pale in comparison to their stuck in a vicious cycle of self-humilia- land's tourism-industrial complex launch a summertime comrades. Prime Minis- ter Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson “Hope to see you— campaign fuelled by the imperative slogan: echoed this at a speech for the Iceland Investment Forum in London a week and your money— “Share Your Secret!” later, exhibiting a state-of-the-art ex- in Iceland.” ample of transparency: “Hope to see you—and your money—in Iceland.” tion. And they are not alone. Born in the wake of the 2008 eco- While the film's focus is surely nomic collapse and the subsequent on the aspect of prostitution—visu- Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption less ally the most obvious physical form than two years later, the idea of sell- of exploitation—a number of shorter ing entrance to the country as an all- scenes juxtapose it with other roles By the same token, a recent poll season theme-park and human zoo within tourism-based economies, por- by Maskína for the Directorate of has finally been taken to the executive traying tourism as yet another tool for Health shows that the public at- level. En masse tourism—with all its exploitation. Remember the happy and titude toward the legalisation fuel-intensive transportation, intru- hyperactive fairies jumping and danc- of marijuana has been steadily sive consumerism and the commodi- ing in line with Emiliana Torrini's changing over the last decade. fication of culture and nature—has jungle-drumming heart? Locate them While Iceland is far from a majority been promoted as a healthier, green and their corporeal counterparts be- in favour, the number has risen from and humane way to increase economic side the smiling bartenders, the swim- about 9.3% in support of legalisation growth rather than, say, heavy indus- ming-pool entertainers and the zebra- to about 11.3%. Meanwhile, about try and banking. dressed musicians of Paradies: Liebe. 36% of respondents confirmed hav- At the very core of this immense Then ask: What’s the difference? ing tried marijuana or other cannabis production of illusions and the non- In a quest for an answer, I would products, but only 6.5% consider satirical performance of promoting rather put my bet on finding Waldo themselves "regular users." Jón may Iceland as Magicland, Amazingland somewhere in the “The Stars and just be right; the drugs aren't going and Pureland is the use of gratuitous Stripes Forever” march. That said, anywhere, regardless of their status human labour. Just like prior cam- there certainly is a secret worth shar- with the law. paigns, this one stands and falls with ing and celebrating, properly kept be- the population's voluntary, uncritical low the realm of the visible. As first participation, which in turn morphs documented in Liber Miraculorum humans into hybrids of exhibits and by the 12th century Cistercian chap- And, as promised, we've got some servants. No, I'm not joking, and if lain Herbert Von Clairvaux, Iceland rock 'n' roll for you too. We've also there's an ounce of extremism here, can boast of being a tourist attraction got some acoustic, some electronic, it's simply the result of what author unlike any other. Namely, the very en- some hip-hop, experimental, shoe- Þorgeir Þorgeirson often referred to trance to Hell, disguised as the volcano gaze, trance, dance, and every as the extremes of the subject-matter: Hekla. Although allegedly debunked scene in between on our Grapevine the very act of unilaterally promoting as mere superstition by a pair of ecolo- Iceland Airwaves website! Go check Iceland as a unique earthly paradise is gists in 1750, there is something exit out: airwaves.grapevine.is for inherently extreme. traordinarily stimulating about this your recommended daily dose of The residents of the village Hon- theory. And seeing the emancipating righteousness. cun—originally built as the filming nature of history's first freethinker— location of block-buster Crouching Ti- Hell's host, Satan himself—the flam- ger, Hidden Dragon—have described ing basement of Hekla might be our themselves as mere props within the only glimpse of hope in these worst of Chinese tourism industry. Employing all possible times. slightly less objectified language, Pro- Étienne Ljóni Poisson mote Iceland asserts that regardless of the time of one's visit, one can be “assured of the warmth of the Iceland-

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* From 15 May to 15 September ** From 15 June to 31 July The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 14

The Collapse | Anniversary 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLLAPSE A Look In The 2008- 2013 It Cannot Be Forgot- Rearview Mirror ten…

ists projected a 10-15% downturn in the and average sized businesses. Over 200 land’s first purely leftist government. Jóhanna economy, which pushed unemployment billion krónur have been written off or Steingrímur J. Sig- Sigurðardóttir is the fússon is the former numbers above 10%, with an accompany- discounted from household loans, and The wheels of greed are former prime minister minister of finance ing drop in public spending power and mortgage debts now amount to the same spinning of Iceland nearly 20,000 people losing their jobs. It percentage of GNP as they did at the start is furthermore apparent that the collapse of the real estate bubble in 2004. I recently met an old Progressive Party The Social Democratic Alliance and the also brought the downfall of the neolib- State interest subsidies to households MP and asked what he thought might The banking and economic collapse of Left Green Party formed a government for eral ideology, as it among other things were also more than doubled. Through- happen if his party failed to meet its the first time on February 1, 2009, as Ice- October 2008 is perhaps not the first exposed the unprecedented purchase of out the four year term, the government campaign promises to instate the largest land was struggling with the hardest eco- thing one would think to reminisce political influence by banks and business diverted more than 100 billion krónur to- debt correction in the world for Iceland’s nomic conditions that have occurred in about, not a particular cause for anni- elites by way of enormous grants to the wards household interest relief and child households. “Then, we’ll be dead,” the for- the republic’s history. The circumstances versary celebrations. Especially in the ruling Independence Party. benefits, which is more than any other mer MP replied. These bloated campaign were without precedent. The nation faced sense that of course we all wish that The There is reason to add to this the con- government has done. promises made by the Progressive Party bankruptcy. Collapse’s consequences and its linger- tents of a statement Carsten Valgreen, What’s most important is that the in- are the main explanation for the former What happened was: a banking col- ing effects on our lives and work would former Chief Economist of Danske Bank, equality in our society’s income distribu- governing parties—especially the Social lapse, a debt crisis, a crisis of state finance made in Fréttablaðið on January 10, 2009, tion has been completely turned around. Democratic Alliance—poor results in this vanish as soon as possible. “If only we and an international crisis. This was fol- in which he claims that the government’s Iceland is now one of the European na- spring's parliamentary elections. There could forget it all, if only it never hap- lowed by societal dissolution; bonfires appointing a former Prime Minister as tions that can boast of the greatest equal- was no way to trump these unreal prom- pened,” some are surely thinking. Un- were lit and full social revolt seemed in- Head of the Central Bank of Iceland’s ity. Furthermore, international surveys ises, save for directly and intentionally fortunately, The Collapse was a very evitable—in the aftermath of the collapse, Executive Board had disastrous conse- reveal that Iceland was the world’s most deceiving voters. Furthermore, the social real occurrence, and its consequences our community burned with conflict and quences—that it had resulted in the bank gender equal nation four years in a row. rift caused by the application to join the will not evaporate—it has already put its rage. being managed in an astoundingly poor We certainly set off with great ambi- EU, disappointment with the state of the mark on so much of Icelandic life, and it manner. Indeed, one of the first acts of the tions, but our plan of action was always constitution and many households’ seem- will remain a determining factor for the Corruption, greed and new post-collapse government, in Febru- intended to be a realistic and reasonable ingly insurmountable debts eventually ary of 2009, was to instate a new executive one. We did, however, fail to anticipate nation for a long time to come. mismanagement came together in a great wave of dissatis- The short version boils down to this: board—at that time it was clear that the the weight and fury with which certain faction. The growing flames of discontent state treasury’s cost of the Central Bank’s interest groups organized themselves in a terrible mistake was made. Iceland Iceland’s economic collapse was not least were fanned enthusiastically and nonob- impending bankruptcy would be one of active opposition to our government and experienced an almost unprecedented the result of the crony-capitalistic priva- jectively by those who stood to lose their the bigger expenditures of the collapse. its goals of restoration, equality and trans- economic collapse, with wide-ranging tisation of the nation’s banking system privilege and power as Iceland slowly be- In the end, the Central Bank’s bankruptcy parency. The Constitutional Committee and the bubble economy, both of which come a more just and egalitarian society. and impossibly expensive consequences cost the state close to 270 billion krónur. was stifled and road blocked by Iceland’s occurred during the reign of the Inde- for us as a society. The Collapse and its Supreme Court amongst others. Fish- pendence and Progressive parties; a pe- repercussions will continue to haunt ery owners and fishing quota magnates Iceland’s economic riod that was characterised by continuous First post-collapse our existence for the foreseeable future, fought fishing fees and changes in the economic mismanagement, corruption, government results and beyond. The Collapse has resulted quota system tooth and nail. Capital con- collapse was not greed and a growing income gap. Low- in hardships for thousands upon thou- trols and a ruined króna created a grow- interest loans from abroad were used to The emergency procedures and recourses least the result of sands of families and households, an ing problem that has now started run- inflate worthless stock in the banking that the first post-collapse government injured economy that will take time ning companies out of the country. A few system, which had in the end, at the time was forced to resort to were manifold and the crony-capitalistic members of the government caved under and patience to repair, and a heavily in- of the collapse, blown up to being ten cannot be recounted in full in this venue. the immense weight of the relentless pro- debted state treasury, to name only the times the size of Iceland’s GNP. The entire Hopes of staving off national bankruptcy privatisation of the paganda, which caused us further prob- key effects. This is something we simply banking system was slowly transformed and loss of financial independence were lems. We were accused of neglecting the nation’s banking sys- cannot forget in the hopes of things re- to a structure fuelled entirely by greed, for dependent on the trust other nations problem of household debt, despite the turning to normal. The state treasury’s instance through the use of incentives for placed on us. The Social Democratic Al- decisive actions recounted above. House- tem and the bubble debts will not take it upon themselves to big business and corporations under the liance and Left Green coalition accom- hold debt amounted to 135% of Iceland’s auspices of the newly privatised banks— plished restoring the economy, deflating economy... vanish and be forgotten so we don’t have GNP when it was highest in 2009, but at which were used to inflate the profits of the inflation from 19% to 3.5%, lowering to be constantly reminded of The Col- the end of the last term this spring it was corporate executives, which in turn lead interest rates from 18% to 6% and cutting Now that the new coalition govern- lapse. Rather, they come with crippling down to 108%—the same as it was fifteen to a gross increase in the nation’s income unemployment numbers in half. Iceland- ment of the Independence and Progres- interest payments, serious money that months prior to the banking collapse. gap and general social inequality. Every ers’ spending powers had at the end of last sive parties has been in power for five we cannot set aside for other purposes. The numbers are there, and they single word of warning and urge of cau- year increased by nearly 8% from the low- months, it is apparent that those in power And these debts need to be repaid as speak for themselves. tion from foreign specialists was ceremo- point of the depression—and even more are both perplexed and overwhelmed by soon as possible (for that, we need a re- Danish analyst Lars Christiansen was niously ignored, and the nation’s regula- as they related to the lowest income brack- the tasks at hand. The main emphasis one of the few experts who predicted the sponsible government), and the krónur tory agencies and supervisory authorities ets and lowest paid pensioners. seems to be relieving 20 billion krónur economic collapse of 2008. During a visit that need to go towards this need to slept at their guard posts. Supervision During the last two years of the gov- worth of taxes from fishery owners and to Iceland in late 2012, he remarked that come from somewhere. over the financial system was therefore ernment’s term, we managed to instigate the wealthiest of our community. The Icelanders’ greatest accomplishment was Another five-year anniversary is very weak. greater economic growth than what most current government’s priorities could not having tackled the consequences of the drawing closer, one that we should also In the end, all of this came together of the nations we compare ourselves to be more different from the ones honoured collapse while keeping at bay the mass ri- commemorate. In April of 2015, it will in a perfect storm that lead to a massive experienced over the same period of time. by the last one. Inequality is once again ots, strikes and strife that plagued other, collapse in the króna’s exchange rate, a Household and business debt decreased rearing its ugly head, and the sharp knife have been five years since Alþingi’s Spe- similarly troubled nations. I should also slump in the real estate market and the to the count of two times the GNP in of austerity has been turned towards the cial Investigative Commission issued its note that Iceland’s credit default swap nation’s stock market collapsing like the three years, which is a great turnaround welfare system—all to benefit society’s report and this, also, cannot be forgot- greatly improved over the last term, as did house of cards it turned out to be. Every- by any standard. Since the collapse, the wealthiest and best-off. ten. On the contrary, the report should the state’s credit rating with foreign ana- thing changed. Nine-tenths of the stock debts of households and businesses have Once more, the wheels of greed are be and remain an annual required read lysts. market dried up, inflation rose to nearly gone down almost 50% compared to the spinning. for many. Again: the above facts and numbers 19%. Short-term interest rates skyrock- GNP. Out of the 120 largest businesses, speak for themselves, and bear witness eted to 18% at the beginning of 2009, the 80% underwent restructuring measures to the great results accomplished by Ice- króna’s M a value g n ú s plungedAndersen by 50%. Special- during the last term, along with 500 small

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OR The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 5 YEAR 16 ANNIVERSARY OF THE The Collapse | Anniversary Special COLLAPSE 2008- 2013

What Happened In 2008 And Why? How Did We Five Years On: What Happened? Handle The Problem And What Is The Situa- tion Today? What Did We Learn?

Hannes H. Gissurarson is a professor of politcal science at the University of Iceland ? The 2008 collapse of the Icelandic banks has already by Jón Ásgeir, and the other two betting heav- generated some myths. One is that the Icelandic bank- ily, and inexplicably, on him—but they were not to blame for an old ally, and the mightiest state in the ing sector was overgrown. There is no such thing as an world, abandoning Iceland. I am not saying, either, Bjarni Benediktsson is the that the banks should have been bailed out—the current minister of fincance overgrown banking sector. It all depends on the area refusal to help Iceland was probably a blessing in and the chair of the Inde- disguise—but only that almost all banks in other pendance Party. that the sector is serving and the institutional support European countries obviously needed support to it can expect to receive. Switzerland, Belgium, Luxem- survive. The British Labour government made things bourg and the United Kingdom had banking sectors that worse when it closed down the two banks in Eng- land owned by Icelanders on October 8, the same were roughly as big proportionally as that of Iceland, and day it bailed out almost all other banks in the country, including banks being investigated for rate- these sectors did not collapse. fixing and other questionable practices. Simultane- ously, the Labour government took the drastic step of invoking the British anti-terrorism law against ? Another myth is that the Icelandic bankers were leader of Baugur Group, businessman and adven- one of the Icelandic banks, with the almost instan- more reckless than their colleagues elsewhere. But turer Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, became the most taneous effect that all money transfers to and from if they were, how did they then find customers, not powerful man in Iceland, after his critic, Davíð Iceland stopped. For a while, Iceland’s Central Bank only depositors, but also renowned financial in- Oddsson, stepped down as Prime Minister. The and the Treasury were also on the list of terrorist stitutions like Deutsche Bank? And when we read market capitalism of 1991–2004 was transformed organisations, alongside Al Qaida, the Taliban and about HSBC being fined for money laundering and into the crony capitalism of 2004–2008. Not only the governments of North Korea and the Sudan. Barclays for libor rate-fixing, and about the excesses did Jón Ásgeir and his cronies control two-thirds of For the Icelanders, accustomed to peace and of the RBS management, the Icelandic bankers be- the retail business, they also owned almost all the prosperity, the collapse of the banking sector was Sigmundur Davíð Gunn- gin to appear, not exactly as choirboys, but rather as private media and one of the three banks, while hav- a huge shock. They did not realise until later—or laugsson is the current normal bankers. ing good access to the other two banks. It did not even not at all—that in fact seven European coun- prime minister and the chair The third myth is that the collapse of the Ice- seem to make any difference to opinion-makers that tries were hurt worse than Iceland by the financial of the Progressive Party. landic banks was caused by “neo-liberalism.” It is Jón Ásgeir was investigated, indicted and convicted crisis. The political repercussions were serious. In left unexplained what exactly would be the causal for breaking the law on business practices, being connection, but the crucial point surely is that the given a three months suspended prison sentence. “The problem was not Icelandic banking sector operated under precisely The other systemic risk in the Icelandic situa- that the banks were Despite several attempts to elicit a response the same legal and regulatory framework as bank- tion was that the area the banking sector served— from them, Bjarni and Sigmundur either did ing sectors in other member-states of the European the whole of EEA—was much larger than the area too big; it was that Ice- not find the time or see a reason to engage in Economic Area, EEA. Therefore, this is a myth, not where it could depend on institutional support. discourse with Grapevine's readers (we sent a plausible explanation. This created a mismatch, or a system error. The land was too small.” identical letters to Bjarni, Sigmundur, Jóhanna What did then cause all the Icelandic banks to problem was not that the banks were too big; it was and Steingrímur). Admittedly, being a minister collapse, while most other banks survived? The that Iceland was too small. But it did not occur to came a government of petty, vengeful left-wingers. is probably a pretty busy job. Our pages remain Special Investigative Commission (SIC) of the Ice- anyone at the time that Iceland would, unlike all Central Bank Governor Davíð Oddsson, the for- open to you guys if you ever want to get anything landic Parliament correctly identified a systemic other European countries, be left totally to its own mer Prime Minister and the only Icelandic person across. risk in the Icelandic situation: “Of all the business devices. The death knell of the Icelandic banking of authority who had consistently warned against blocks, which had borrowed liberally in the Icelan- sector really sounded on September 24, 2008 when the financial adventures of Jón Ásgeir and his cro- dic banking system, the most conspicuous one was the US Federal Reserve System announced that it nies, was driven from his post, and Geir Haarde, business associated with Baugur Group. In all three had made currency swap arrangements—essential- the Prime Minister at the time of the collapse, was banks, as well as in Straumur-Burdaras, this group ly a license to print dollars—with the central banks indicted (whereas the Social Democratic ministers had become too large an exposure. The SIC consid- of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. It became obvi- were not). Later, Geir was acquitted on all but one ers that this has constituted a significant systemic ous to the financial markets that Iceland was not count, that he had not held enough ministerial risk, as collapse of one enterprise could affect not included, although it remained a secret for a while meetings before and during the crisis. only one systematically important bank, but all that Iceland’s Central Bank had indeed asked to par- So, what did we learn? That we should both re- the three systematically important banks.” The fi- ticipate, but that it had been refused. ject the crony capitalism of 2004–2008 and the pet- nancial stability, therefore, would be significantly Without these currency swap deals, these banks ty, vengeful socialism of 2009–2013, and try to re- threatened by, for instance, Baugur Group, which would probably have folded. In other words: the Ice- turn to the healthy market capitalism of 1991–2004 had, as indicated in the report, substantial liquida- landic banks collapsed because they did not receive where the major objective is to create opportunities tion problems in the latter half of 2008. the same support as banks in larger countries. They for individuals to better their condition by their own What happened in Iceland was that in 2004, the were not blameless—one of them being controlled effort.

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The Collapse | Anniversary Special THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE COLLAPSE HOW U.S. DIPLOMATS SAW IT UNFOLD BY SAM KNIGHT

The world has changed significantly since 2008, what Cablegate itself has to say about Iceland's melt- and that doing so “would do much to calm anxieties “These assertions were and it owes a great deal to Iceland for this shift, but down. The sometimes typo-laden dispatches from here.” A few days later, Landsbanki went under, and not for reasons claimed by Facebook Revolutionar- Reykjavík not only give a behind the scenes look at in the cable describing the demise, van Voorst noted repeated in a cable sent ies who praise the country for “setting an example.” intelligence gleaned from meetings, parties, lun- that an IMF official said the organization “had been The Kitchenware Revolution's real gift to a world cheons, phone calls, and lobbyist visits, they also re- watching Iceland for some time and had visited ear- a month later, when bustling with discontent is its contribution to/part veal glaring ineptitude and callous cynicism before, lier this summer.” One can assume that the world's Voorst wrote that the in WikiLeaks' Cablegate disclosures. With Julian As- during, and after the collapse. debt collection agency wasn't there for the pylsur. Yet sange and his colleagues lauded in Iceland for pub- the government still had no comprehensive plan. ‘Grand Old Man of the lishing Kaupþing bank’s dodgy loan book in 2009, Too proud to beg The inaction was noticed in Washington, as re- Chelsea Manning took heed of the country's plight. vealed in an October 8 cable. Central Bank of Iceland Independence Party’ Explaining that she took interest in Iceland due to As doom drew near, high-ranking American and (CBI) Director for International Affairs and Markets was responsible ‘for discussions about Icesave in a Wikileaks chatroom, Icelandic officials ignored the impending danger the Sturla Pálsson told the Embassy that the CBI had Manning told a U.S. military court that she found a global financial system faced. In a bilateral meeting spoken with Tim Geithner, then head of the New Iceland's stunning loss cable describing “bullying” and decided to act. with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and some of York Federal Reserve, and other unnamed Federal “Iceland was out of viable options and was com- her staff in June 2008, Geir Haarde said that “Iceland Reserve officials in Washington. But, Deputy Chief of credibility in the ing to the US for assistance. Despite the quiet request is through the worst and that things will continue to of Mission Neil Klopfenstein suggested the appeals financial world’ for assistance, it did not appear that we were going stabilize.” U.S. Under Secretary of State Reuben Jef- lacked urgency: to do anything,” she said. “I felt that I would be able frey III said the United States was “near the end of to right a wrong by having [WikiLeaks] publish this the downturn” and agreed “that the fundamental ------Klopfenstein also noted that “the Central Bank's document.” It was published as a test in February elements of the Icelandic economy appeared sound.” Palsson confirmed that the Cen- Governors were talking to their Nordic colleagues, 2010. A deluge of cables followed in November. The In September, Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy was tral Bank had not spoken with any- but the Bank has not taken advantage of the swap revelations in those documents acted as a lightning felt far beyond U.S. shores. The Emperor's Clothes one at the U.S. Treasury Department. lines in place.” Projecting nonchalance amid a slow The Ministry of Finance's Director rod for the 2011 ousting of autocratic President Zine were repossessed. motion car wreck, Pálsson said he wanted the U.S. to General of the Economic Department, El Abedine Ben Ali in Tunisia, which in turn gave The flailing was far from over in Iceland after get in touch with him, and insisted that a loan from Thorsteinn Thorgeirsson, said that hope to activists from Tahrir Square in Cairo to Zu- the Lehman bankruptcy. A cable sent by U.S. Am- the Central Bank of Russia, which never actually aside from an October 6 conversation cotti Park in New York City. bassador Carol van Voorst on October 3 described between Treasury Dept Under Secre- materialized, was “95 percent certain.” In another And the drama is still ongoing. After its security Geir as “maintain[ing] that the economic situation tary Dave McCormack and the Finance cable sent on the same day, Klopfenstein was baffled was compromised in August 2011, WikiLeaks decid- will get better.” She implied that the government Minister, the only other official by claims that the U.S. refused aid. “[T]he Embas- ed to dump the entire cache, unredacted, with many should have been “securing outside guarantees or contact the ministry had with the US sy does not believe the Icelanders have adequately of the 251,287 cables still lacking the attention they added cash reserves to back up the krona” (foreign Government was with Treasury's Ice- checked out all possibilities of cooperation with U.S. deserve. Five years after the event that fundamentally exchange is determined by demand for a currency land Desk Officer Lawrence Norton. entities,” he said, telling Washington that envoys shaped their publication, it's worth taking a look at and supply of foreign currency in domestic banks) ------“urged Iceland reps to reach out to U.S. authorities

Embassy Cables 101 gifts, we get thanked on invitations and public- Sometimes, this can be done in less formal settings. As one U.S. ity materials prepared by the event sponsors, diplomat described in 2005, this sometimes includes a drink or two. The United States’s aboveboard intelligence gathering and we get invitations for our staff to attend Bemoaning his trouble peddling the State Department's “cultural events along with high society. Then we use the programs,” which he described as “too simplistic and propagan- events to hobnob, make connections, and talk up On its website, Wikileaks describes the cache of cables as “orders distic for Icelanders,” then Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge U.S. policy. sent out from the Department of State, embassy reporting about the D'affaires Philip Kosnett described one way of getting Icelanders ------local governments and details of US government activities in each to switch off: Source: https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/ country.” In many ways, diplomats are like aboveboard intelligence ------cables/05REYKJAVIK526_a.html officers—collecting and dispensing information; sometimes state What we tend to end up doing most often is, secrets, in a bid to both formulate and carry out foreign policy. in effect, to stretch our budget by providing duty-free alcohol for receptions at exhibit Sometimes, this can be done at stuffy meetings—long tables, each openings and art festivals. Because alcohol is highly taxed in Iceland, our gifts of wine for country's miniature flag in the middle, with coffee, folders, and receptions strike Icelanders as far more gener- stern expressions. ous than they actually are. In return for these 19 Issue 15 — 2013 The Reykjavík Grapevine

years and there was not the infra- tral Bank announcement. A senior MFA immediately” so that the American response—even Oddsson was “fighting any move to come to terms structure in place to deal with the source blamed the whole business on if no—would come after “the right questions” Klop- with the IMF,” even though a consensus was build- crisis. This led to inaction, and in Central Bank shenanigans, asserting fenstein also noted that the aforementioned contact hindsight, more could have been done ing around “the reluctant conclusion that Iceland that the Prime Minister did not know with Geithner had occurred the previous week—be- more quickly in October. will have to bite this bullet.” These assertions were of the contacts between the central fore Landsbanki's demise. Kaupþing, meanwhile, ------repeated in a cable sent a month later, when Voorst banks until very recently. was on life support. wrote that the “Grand Old Man of the Independence ------“We are at a loss to explain why the Icelanders Party” was responsible “for Iceland's stunning loss have not picked up the phone to discuss what they Systemic deference to the private sector also hindered of credibility in the financial world”: “If the Central Bank need and what we might be able to help them with,” outside help, even after the government reached out Klopfenstein wrote. The very next day Kaupþing to foreigners. According to the same cable: ------announcement was an fell. And even though Finance Minister Árni Ma- [David] made a number of ill-consid- attempt by this former thiesen said he would be heading to Washington ------ered statements to the media early for meetings with World Bank officials in response, When the U.S. Department of Treasury in the crisis, and many suspect it Prime Minister and he still had to be prodded to avail himself of all pos- Deputy Assistant Secretary visited was at least partially due to his wounded pride that Iceland did not sible support. “Post persuaded the Minister to agree Reykjavik December 8 - 9, 2008, there champion wheeler-deal- immediately seek IMF assistance.... to meet with senior Treasury officials while in the was a visible lack of an "Economic Czar." It took two full days of meet- Even among IP stalwarts, Oddsson's er to pressure lagging U.S.,” Klopfenstein said on October 9. On October ings to obtain a coherent picture of standing has never been lower, with 20, Ambassador van Voorst said that Árni wouldn't the economic situation. In December, the party's younger, more business- friends - particularly have bothered arranging the meeting with Treasury the Advisor at the Prime Minister's oriented members asserting to Emboffs the U.S. - into quickly officials “without pressure from this embassy.” Office Bjorn Runar Gudmundsson... and journalists that it was time for conceded there was a lot of misun- Oddsson...to finally exit the stage. offering their own The government falls derstanding and difficulty in getting ------"everyone to talk the same language." loans the game has not Finally, Geir Haarde's government chose a path out ------Even some in the inner circle of the famously loyal of the crisis on October 24 when it and the Interna- Geir Haarde couldn't refrain from complaining to been successful.” tional Monetary Fund revealed a preliminary agree- The same day, Geir finally called it quits. Citing an van Voorst. In a February 25, 2009 cable, she noted ment on a $2 billion emergency loan, as van Voorst oesophageal cancer diagnosis he had received two that “Those close to former PM and departing IP In the same cable, Ambassador van Voorst remarked wrote in an October 27 cable, to “help open other days earlier, the Prime Minister said he wouldn't Chair Geir Haarde have marveled at Oddsson's stub- that “[o]f all the government representatives who lines of credit to meet the immediate goal of 6 bil- seek re-election and that the Independence Party born determination and his disregard for the dam- have discussed the [Russian] loan in public, Central lion USD.” would request Parliamentary elections in May. His age his continued tenure is causing the IP.” Bank Governor Davíð Oddson has been the most ob- The deal would open a new can of worms in the colleagues wishfully thought aloud, in the presence The Davíðian unwillingness to reach out to allies viously enthusiastic.” She was unimpressed: context of Icesave—the failed offshore Landsbanki of American diplomats, that their problems could be didn't seem to amount to an awareness of the IMF's savings scheme became a major bone of contention over: history of harmful structural adjustment, either. As ------between Iceland, and Britain and Holland (more on Kaupþing was clinging to life, on Oct. 8, van Voorst If the Central Bank announcement was that later). But the government had more immediate ------speculated that the “Grand Old Man” was the main an attempt by this former Prime Min- problems at home, described by Ambassador van Independence Party stalwarts tell reason Iceland wouldn't launch extensive talks with ister and champion wheeler-dealer to pressure lagging friends - particu- Voorst after an Embassy party in November: us that they are relieved to have the U.S., too: some explanation for what one called larly the U.S. - into quickly offering their own loans the game has not ------Haarde's "strange" behavior in recent ------been successful. A poll at the end of October showed weeks, and are hopeful that the IP We are at a loss to explain why the ------60 percent support for early elec- will now have a chance to set a clear Icelanders have not picked up the tions, and the Chairman of the Left- course and regain the nation's sup- phone to discuss what they need and port. Greens [Steingrímur J. Sigfússon] what we might be able to help them Whatever sparked it, by the time Oddsson left, the showed up at the Embassy's Election ------with, though the stature of Central loan deal (rated “95 percent” certain by Sturla Páls- Night event gleefully working the Bank director Davíð Oddsson may have son in October) fell apart. In an April meeting with room with that encouraging datum. something to do with a reluctance to Demonstrations calling for -- among But the coalition fell apart. After Geir's resignation, open other lines of communication. Ambassador van Voorst, new Minister of Finance other things -- a new government the Social Democrat Alliance (SDA) tendered a list ------Steingrímur J. Sigfússon said it “would probably not continue to grow, with the latest of demands. A political advisor to Árni Mathiesen happen because the Russians have not shown much protest on November 8 drawing over told the U.S. embassy that “his boss went into today's His disdain for cleaning up the mess he helped make real interest and are seeking additional information 3000 participants. meeting willing to yield on the other requests,” ac- was reflected by the enthusiasm of one appeal to from Iceland.” ------cording to a January 26, 2009 cable, “but that the IP then New York Fed chair Tim Geithner for an addi- would rather walk than surrender the Prime Min- tional $1 billion in financing needed to complete the Reluctant to help After a lull in political activity over the winter holi- ister's seat to its junior partner,” the Social Demo- IMF deal. His attitude, perhaps, is best encapsulated days while Iceland drank itself into a stupor, Alþingi crats. About a week after that, a Social Democrat-Left by his address of Geithner— “Dear Tim” —in a letter Having leaders more eager to seek help might not reconvened and thousands of protestors surrounded Green interim minority coalition was formed with described as “unusual” by the Toronto based newspa- have made much of a difference, if the almighty the parliament building, demanding resignations at SDA veteran Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir at the helm. Ste- per Globe and Mail . As noted in an October 29 cable, U.S. government's confounding reaction is any the highest levels—and the sentiment wasn't con- ingrímur J. Sigfússon, head of the Left-Green party, Davíð didn't even bother carbon copying relevant au- indication. Despite American envoys consistently fined to the streets, according to a January 21 cable would become minister of finance. Then SDA head thorities in Iceland, fuelling van Voorst's impression wondering why Geir Haarde's government didn't authored by Ambassador van Voorst: Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, in less than good health that the CBI Governor had gone rogue: ask for assistance, a cable from April 7, 2009 showed herself, would step down, and Jóhanna would go on that the U.S. government seemed reluctant to lend ------to lead the Social Democrats to victory in the spring. ------it. Newly appointed Finance Minister Steingrímur J. IP dissatisfaction with PM Haarde is Although aware of existence of the Sigfússon said he was considering trying to obtain also growing, a week ahead of that Davið, the Goliath, Felled letter, the Ministry for Foreign Af- bilateral loans from the U.S.(and Canada), adding he fairs had not received a copy as of party's national congress. Emboffs was “never a proponent of an IMF loan.” Van Voorst have heard from two IP insiders in this morning and was uncertain as to Personifying the Independence Party's fall from brushed off the appeal and “explained why he should the last day that many fear the PM its contents...The Central Bank...is grace was former long-time Prime Minister, Foreign not look to the U.S.”: is "not doing anything" and that the guarding its perceived prerogatives Minister, and then current Central Bank Governor situation will only get worse absent closely--and, judging from the events ------some dramatic action. Davíð Oddsson. Seemingly concerned more with of the last few weeks, unwisely. The Ambassador clarified the lack of ------politics than working toward a viable solution, Davíð ------schemed while Iceland twisted in the wind. After a mechanism or legislative authority But it was difficult for the libertarian Independence Glitnir's collapse, he publicly floated the idea of a in the U.S. for such loans to ad- Party to break this inertia, as “not doing anything” unity government—dismissed by Geir's political ad- Fuelling the perception of Oddsson's recklessness— vanced nations. ------worked for them during the boom years. A cable sent visor, in a conversation with an embassy official, as he was said to be the one driving the ill-fated contro- on January 23 explained: the machinations of an Independence Party faction versial loan talks with Russia, according to a Novem- The Federal Reserve is able to lend independent of that, as van Voorst put it, “wants to sow discord and ber 3 cable that mused about the possible origins for “legislative authority.” An audit found the Fed lent up ------possily [sic] rid themselves of their Social Democratic the deal: to $16 trillion to banks in the U.S. and around the [Mats] Josefsson [, charged with cre- Allance coalition partners...[to] re-form an alliance world after the financial crisis. ating a framework for restructuring with the Progressive Party.” ------So indifferent were the American diplomats that the banking sector,] remarked that As the world waited to see what Iceland would ...the MFA [Ministry of Foreign Af- on April 8,van Voorst suggested to Jóhanna that she the government had let the banks do to shore up its failing currency, Van Voorst told fairs] had no knowledge of any bilat- could fight her way out the financial mess—quite lit- handle everything over the last ten the State Department on Oct 10. that insiders said eral loan discussions before the Cen- erally:

WTF Is An EMBOFF? 'in charge of affairs.' The designation of the officer—normally the Deputy Chief of Mission— A key of commonly used abbreviations who is temporarily in charge of an Embassy when compiled with help from our friends at the the United States Department of State Ambassador is out of the country.” DCM – “Deputy Chief of Mission. The second ranking officer at post, often functioning as the GOI – Government of Iceland chief operating officer or chief of staff to the POST – Any diplomatic or consular establish- ambassador. Acts for the ambassador when he ment maintained by the United States abroad. is away from post and as chargé d’affaires when ECONOFF – Economic Section Overseas the ambassador is out of the country of assign- POLOFF – Political Section Overseas ment. Responsible for managing the reporting MFA – Ministry of Foreign Affairs program.” EMBOFF – Embassy Official CDA – Charge D'Affaires – “French, literally Source:http://www.state.gov/docu- The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 20

The Collapse | Anniversary Special

Finally, two days before Christmas, Watson noted told American diplomats on September 21 that “the that the bill passed with the 12 aurar/kWh rate in- British and Dutch had not accepted all of Iceland's crease. Meanwhile, Watson also noted, everyone else amendments and he was unsure what that meant could expect to collectively pay $343.2 million more for the future of the agreement.” As the amended in taxes in 2010. And this was on top of sin tax hikes agreement wound its way through Parliament in the government implemented unilaterally in May December, CDA Watson told Washington that the 2009, practically in the dead of night to mitigate an- debate was more acidic and frightening than what ticipatory panic buying. As van Voorst noted in June, aired out in public: Steingrímur lamented the excise, calling it “the first of many cold showers.” But while the government ------was willing to foist “cold showers” on every man, One member of parliament confided to woman, and child in 2010, a year already expected to Emboff that she regularly receives be beset by economic woes, it folded like a cheap suit hate mail regarding the Icesave issue,” he wrote, “including one email in the face of Big Aluminium’s histrionics. that she considered to be a thinly veiled death threat if she voted in A thinly veiled death threat favor of the bill. ------There were a million fires to put out at the time. And the battle most Icelanders were clamouring for the After an agreement containing guarantees was even- government to fight was IceSave. tually passed, the entire process was rendered moot. Most Icelanders saw Britain and Holland’s de- President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson vetoed the bill, mands that Icelandic taxpayers cover Landsbanki’s citing a petition signed by about a quarter of the mistakes during a painful recession as a real slap in electorate (it's noteworthy that he ignored a similar the face. That Britain invoked anti-terrorist laws to petition about fishing fees, signed by almost as many seize Icelandic assets when Kaupþing was hanging people, this past July). on by a thread rubbed salt in the wounds. And with Britain and Holland rumoured to be using clout in The cable describing “bullying” Brussels and at the IMF to refuse to litigate Icesave despite legal ambiguity on the issue, Icelanders were The move sent diplomats scrambling, and revealed downright furious. how the British and Dutch did try to use Icesave to And leaked diplomatic cables showed that many get the IMF to withhold aid. people's rage was justified. In October 2008, Foreign In October 2008, when the initial deal with the Affairs Trade Chief Martin Eyjólfsson complained to IMF was announced, Icelandic officials claimed that U.S. officials about Britain's initial negotiating team “Iceland views the dispute with the UK government Hörður Sveinsson containing only Finance Ministry and Bank of Eng- and the IMF package as two separate issues,” in the land functionaries – the dearth of diplomats gave words of one cable. The IMF itself said that an Icesave the Icesave “deal” a Versailles Treaty feeling. He told agreement was not a prerequisite to Iceland receiving ------new government...took control earlier American envoys that the British wanted Iceland to IMF aid. [Icelandic] officials took the op- this year. pay an interest rate of 13.5 percent on a bond with But a few weeks later, according to a November portunity to reaffirm Iceland's com------a ten-year term (he described interest payments as 18 cable, leaders of both parties claimed they would mitment to Afghanistan, but made no Watson noted, however, that “over the past few a fifth of Icelandic household income). In a January be cowed into acquiescing to Britain and the Neth- new pledges of support.... Ambas- weeks,” he had reached out to reps of the new gov- 23, 2009 cable, he said that the British only wanted erlands' Icesave demands—guaranteeing reimburse- sador made the case that Iceland's ernment and that it had “in fact, walked back the pro- 6.7 percent interest, but still noted the “for every one ments equal to the minimum required by the EU di- international reputation has taken a posed energy tax and is engaging industry leaders in percent in interest on the loan, there will need to be a rective on deposit guarantees: beating due to the country's eco- the process”: corresponding 1.5 percent decrease in the state bud- Prime Minister Geir Haarde said that Iceland had nomic difficulties. In these times, get.” been told in no uncertain terms “that nobody will being seen as an active contribu------Even when the change of government—and take part in lending” to Iceland until the Icesave dis- tor to international reconstruction GOI officials across the board, in- and stabilization efforts may be one change in outlook—came, the British remained pute was resolved. Minister for Foreign Affairs Ingib- cluding the Minister of Environment of the most effective means to help stiff. In a June 5, 2009 meeting with U.S. diplomats, jörg Sólrún Gísladóttir echoed that the government Svandis Svavarsdottir, have told CDA displace "economic collapse" as the Steingrímur J. Sigfússon said that the taxpayers had received clear messages not only from the UK that they do not want the aluminum first association foreign observers needn't cover the debt—that “the assets of the banks and Holland, but also from the EU member states companies to leave Iceland....Minis- have when thinking about Iceland. would be liquidated over the next several years (Sig- and the Nordics. ter of Finance, Steingrímur Sigfus- The Prime Minister sidestepped a fusson said it could take up to seven years) and the And one diplomatic cable before the veto, from son, also acknowledged that it would direct commitment but made it clear be healthy for some aluminum projects returns from the assets would be turned over to the December 2009, shows that the IMF itself misled the that Ambassador's points were taken to go forward as they would create UK and Dutch governments to pay back Iceland's public: on board. additional jobs and revenue for the debt.... these assets could cover up to 75% of the ------state. Iceland government's debt.” But the British ambas------sador told U.S. envoys that “the Icelanders have not When asked about the future of the Aluminium roil been serious...offering up naive 'hair-brained' [SIC] IMF program if parliament were to re- schemes of little substance to pay back the British ject the Icesave bill, [leader of the “But while the govern- loans.” IMF team in Iceland Mark] Flanagan stated that, in theory, the IMF could Left-wingers might have been horrified by the sug- A few days later, with Steingrímur having previ- ment was willing to adjust the program, but that it would gestion that Iceland could shake off its crash blues ously noted the Dutch were open to his idea, a deal require significant reworking. by committing more resources to the War in Af- foist “cold showers” was reached that seemed to reward his “'hair-brained' ------ghanistan—had they known about it. But Iceland's scheme.” Iceland, granted a seven-year grace period, first left wing government didn't exactly put forth a on every man, woman, would repay the minimum deposit guarantee, bor- In the same cable, however, Flanagan said that “a deal progressive vision of recovery of their own. All that and child in 2010, a rowing $5.44 billion from the Brits and the Dutch at to recapitalize Landsbanki” was “an IMF require- the IMF-supporting, Icesave acquiescing, budget- 5.5 percent interest. Financing Iceland's repayment ment.” Old Landsbanki's assets—tied to bonds sold slashing leftist coalition seemed capable of was year already expected would be money recovered from the valuable wreck- to New Landsbanki, financed by the elder's depos- stopping Iceland from being dragged kicking and age of Landsbanki, with the government of Iceland its—were crucial to covering the debt. screaming further to the right—and sometimes un- to be beset by eco- acting as a guarantor. So after Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson vetoed the deal. successfully. When a draft budget bullet point com- nomic woes, it folded But that was the end of the beginning, not the be- Flanagan continued his logical gymnastics, about the bining progressive taxation and energy conservation ginning of the end. DCM Klopfenstein said that Brit- Icesave bill's effect on the IMF deal, telling U.S. dip- was opposed by the U.S. Ambassador and corporate like a cheap suit in the ish Ambassador Ian Whiting was “visibly relieved... lomats that “although an agreement on the Icesave interests in November 2009, the Left-Greens quickly though he did note some concern over the public issue was not a precondition for the IMF program, it made major concessions. face of Big Aluminum's hammering the GOI is now taking over the agree- was important that the IMF program be fully fund- histrionics.” ment.” The deal was contingent on Parliamentary ed.” As Charge D'Affairs (CDA) Sam Watson noted: approval. Many Icelanders fumed over the public Meanwhile, cables from London and The Hague guarantees, with past humiliations still fresh. further contradicted claims that Icesave had no bear------Minister of Industry Katrín Júlíusdóttir assured American diplomats noted on July 29 that the ing on the IMF. On January 6, 2010 Her Majesty's Executives from the two American- Watson that the proposal “had merely been an ex- government was able to enforce partisan discipline Treasury officials were recorded saying “it would be owned aluminum smelters, Alcoa and ample.” On November 9, the government revised its because the Prime Minister negotiated with suicide difficult for the UK to support the next IMF review Century Aluminum, expressed concern proposal down by a factor of almost nine: to 12 aurar bomber tactics: for Iceland if the decision on repayment were still to CDA that such action could violate per kWh (0.09-0.12 ISK). As Watson pointed out, this unresolved.” And, in the Hague on January 10, “Age their existing investment agreements was, more or less, due entirely to aluminum lobby ef------Bakker, the Dutch Executive Director at the IMF, said and significantly reduce the compa- forts, massaged by the U.S. State Department: [Foreign Minister Ossur] Skarphe- that there would be 'firm discussions' with Iceland.” nies' profitability. They estimate dinsson told the UK Ambassador that the tax at one ISK per kWh would On January 12, Steingrímur J. Sigfússon lobbied ------Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardót- American officials to ask the IMF to advance Ice- create an additional expense of 13.2 tir is losing patience...and has told ...aluminum representatives, who land's IMF review. DCM Watson “expressed support billion ISK ($106 million) per year. members of the Left Green Movement... earlier approached the Embassy in for Iceland's IMF program and reiterated the USG's ------to support the agreement by next frustration after being kept out of position of neutrality and desire for a speedy resolu- Thursday or she will resign, caus- […] the discussions, recently thanked the tion regarding the Icesave issue.” But in a plea for Embassy for getting them a seat at ing the government to disband. This help the very next day, two Ministry of Foreign Af- the table and nudging the government is a sizeable threat that could hit ------fairs officials, Permanent Secretary Einar Gunnars- away from the initial tax proposal. home with several sitting members of Equally troubling, said aluminum The reduction...resulted from consul- the LGM who would be unlikely to be son and Political Advisor Kristján Guy Burgess, said representatives, is that they first tative talks between the GOI and the reelected... that the U.S. position of neutrality on Icesave “was learned about the proposed tax in Association of Icelandic Employers, ------tantamount to watching the bullying take place,” the newspaper. Communication with of which the aluminum companies are and “could set Iceland back 30 years” by cutting off the government, they complained, has the largest members. The party discipline and Iceland's amendments still “access to financial markets,” and cause “Iceland to been virtually non-existent since the ------couldn't guarantee Parliamentary approval. Össur default in 2011 when a number of loans become due.” 21

But the cables don't go much past that meeting, in terms of chronology, because the above dispatch was the one Chelsea Manning leaked to prove herself to WikiLeaks. We do know how the story plays out (or has played out thus far), with a European Free Trade Association court having ruled in Janu- ary that Iceland needn't guarantee the Icesave payments, and with the IMF aid program ending in August 2011. But that narrative is incomplete due to a dearth of unfiltered official opinion.

Mr. Benediktsson Tries to Go to Washington

One more cable does tell us something about the Icesave deal and the IMF that's still very relevant, however, because it sheds light on the current Fi- nance Minister's approach to politics—a cable sent November 16, 2009 called “INDEPENDENCE PAR- TY LEADER SEEKS MEETING WITH WHITE HOUSE TO DISCUSS IMF” The start of the document suggests there were aspects of the meeting motivated by what Bjarni Benediktsson believed to be the best interests of Iceland—even if the Independence Party leader's proposals were ambitious. He suggested a U.S. Su- preme Court Justice could mediate the Icesave Dis- pute. He also pushed for an audience at the White House to lobby the U.S. to support Icesave media- tion. But he himself didn't seem to think it was in Iceland's best economic interests to reject the legislative solution: This is Solla Eiriksdottir, the winner ------of Best Gourmet Raw Chef and Best He also admitted that, were he to have his way and the bill fail in Simple Raw Chef in the 2011 and parliament, it could further stall 2012 “Best of Raw” Awards. Come and try out one Iceland's recovery efforts. It would certainly mean no further loans of her great dishes at her restaurant Gló. from the IMF and, without that cash inflow, the government would be unable to lift its capital control re- strictions and would likely have to issue Euro bonds to raise the nec- Reykjavík · Engjateigur 19 and Laugavegur 20b · Hafnarfjörður · Strandgata 34 · www.glo.is essary capital. He also said he was not anxious to assume leadership of the government, but preferred to remain in opposition until after the May 2010 municipal elections to benefit candidates from his party. One Ticket - Three Museums ------

He then suggested that, because the Icelandic gov- Hafnarhús ernment was on a shoestring austerity budget, the Tryggvagata 17, 101 Rvk. U.S. could finance an Icelandic delegation's trip to Open 10-17 Washington to promote “bilateral cooperation”— Thursdays 10-20 even if that bilateral summit contained an Icelandic delegation of one:

------Benediktsson was somewhat vague Kjarvalsstaðir with suggestions on how to accom- Flókagata, 105 Rvk. plish this but suggested that the Open 10-17

Parlimentary Foreign Affairs Commit- Visit Iceland´s largest network of art tee visit the United States. He then museums in three unique buildings Ásmundarsafn asked whether, considering Iceland's Open Daily Sigtún, 105 Rvk. current financial problems, there May-Sept.: might be some U.S. financing avail- Open 10-17 able to facilitate such a trip. Okt.-Apr.: (Note: Benediktsson later sent CDA Open 13-17 a follow up email expressing con- www.artmuseum.is Guided tour in English available every Friday at tinued interest in meeting with an Tel: (354) 590 1200 11am. in June, July and August at Kjarvalsstaðir official from the White House even if he came alone. End note.) ------

CDA Watson commented that Bjarni's “request may be a political ploy designed to embarrass his opponents in the government and make waves Heavenly pizzas! in the media...Given his proposed solution on Ic- esave...his angle appears more likely political than economic.” But we only know this about the current second banana thanks to Chelsea Manning and WikiLeaks. One can only hope there will be massive leaks to tell us about the behind-the-scenes history of future catastrophes—Icelandic or oth- Opening hours: erwise—sometime after the news about them crashes. mon-thu 11:30-23 fri 11:30-06 Home delivery sat 12-06 See our menu at www.gamlasmidjan.is & sun 12-23

www.gamlasmidjan.is tel. 578 8555 Lækjargata 8 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 1 — 2011 Issue 15 — 2013 Art 22

22 Art | Inspired by a glacier The Nature Of The Experiment Two artists, clever ideas and a lot of adventure

All you need in one place

H`aVkgjhi\jg&. iZa#/ (*)**'&-.% Matthias Fuchs

ONLY GVY^hhdc7aj!=iZaH6<6 SWEATER iZa#/ (*)*+'),-- SELECTION, Words NO KNITING AVj\VkZ\jg*(W Jónas Kellermeyer MATERIAL iZa#/ (*)*+'&-.% Imagine if you had to hike across the Alps with a heavily stuffed backpack. Now imag- www.handknit.is ine you had to climb steep cliffs along the way, still carrying your equipment. Finally, imagine taking a large red boat weighing approximately 200 kilograms with you.

Sound crazy? Yes, of course it does! curator of “passage2011, “and for us, their fatal enemy—to generate electric- But this is precisely what the German there was no doubt that it had to come ity. They’ll do this by wearing small, artists Thomas Huber and Wolfgang down to a fatal ending.” Failing is not self-made wind turbines on their backs Aichner did for their exhibition “pas- forbidden, as it is part of human exis- to collect the produced energy in spe- sage2011,” which includes the boat tence. And that is the basis of the proj- cial batteries, which in turn will be used itself, a short film and several photos ect. for powering two washing machines shot during the performance, and is after their homecoming. currently on display at the National Was Sisyphus actually Once again Wolfgang and Thomas Gallery of Iceland. happy? will combine art, adventure and cre- When it comes to viewing art, we ative innovation, seeing themselves as are often looking for meaning, and like action-artists experimenting with the The boat itself plays a number of roles most artworks, “passage2011” offers a loss of contact to reality due to an ex- in the project: it is an artwork as well lot of room for interpretation. With the treme glorification of one's own deeds. as an instrument with a purpose. It continued melting of glaciers due to cli- It is about achieving something that at also reminds exhibition visitors of the mate change, one might be inclined to first seems to be impossible. Sisyphean challenge Wolfgang and see the boat as a metaphor for the huge Thomas faced. meltdown, for the heavy burden we As the story goes, Sisyphus was In the end, it’s about the all have to carry, but that is of course eternally doomed to carry a stone up dialectic just one possible interpretation. “We a mountain, just to repeat the task as know people are always trying to read soon as he was finished. Although this When it comes to their new project between the lines,” Wolfgang Aichner sounds horrible, the famous conclud- “Powerwalk. Going for a charge,” the says, “and it can be seen as some kind ing line of Albert Camus’s ‘The Myth artists say they are a bit more political- of protest for environmental matters, of Sisyphus”—”One has to imagine Si- ly motivated. “We were driven by the but this is not how we thought about it syphus happy”—suggests otherwise. rather cynical idea that we could take at first.” Displayed in the opening scene of the energy from Iceland to power the rest short film component of the exhibi- of the continent,“ they explain. Born on a windy glacier in tion, the quote suggests that Wolfgang They are referring to the real plans Iceland and Thomas must, like Sisyphus, have of importing green energy from the achieved some peace of mind when he North Atlantic island to the UK, which Actually, the origins of their project was able to stop thinking about his fate they believe to be a dangerous move can be traced back to Iceland, twenty- and focus on the task at hand. due to a lack of consciousness of en- five years ago when the two German However, this was not entirely the vironmental matters in continental Eu- friends were hiking Vatnajökull for the case. “Of course the artists started rope. first time. On one hand, the trip ended reflecting at a certain point,” Christian Nonetheless, Wolfgang and Thom- in a total catastrophe: they found them- says. “This is why human existence is as do not see themselves as protest- selves trapped on the windy glacier. On destined to a catastrophe rather than ers and the core ideas that lead to the the other hand, it was a success: this an apotheosis.” This statement has a “Powerwalk” are the reprocessing of was the moment that their art connect- very personal touch, as soon as you the incident 25 years ago in combina- ed to glaciers was born. “It was quite start looking for the origin of Wolf- tion with creative power, innovation an intense experience,” Thomas Huber gang's and Thomas' action-arts, name- and the lust for adventure. said. “This is why our artworks are in- ly the incident on Vatnajökull. So, it is not about moralising and tensive experiences as well.” pointing fingers at other people, but The experimental performance Return to Vatnajökull about making them reflect on these is- “passage2011” was structured like sues themselves. Art has always been a drama and this is also how it is dis- The incident 25 years ago, which in- dialectic and this is the purpose of played: the short film is made up of spired “passage2011” in the Swiss “passage2011” and “Powerwalk. Go- three different acts—the prelude, the Alps, continues to drive the artists who ing for a charge.” climax and the denouement, which can have returned to Iceland to work on a either materialise in a catastrophe or in new project called “Powerwalk. Going an apotheosis, the glorification of the for a charge.” protagonists. This time they plan to hike Vatna- “The whole project builds up to the jökull again, using the wind—once last act,” says Christian Schoen, the 23 Art

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Step into The exhibition and museum shop are open daily 10–17 the Viking Age Aðalstræti 16 101 Reykjavík / Iceland Experience Viking-Age Reykjavík at the Multimedia techniques bring Reykjavík’s Phone +(354) 411 6370 new Settlement Exhibition. The focus of the past to life, providing visitors with insights www.reykjavikmuseum.is exhibition is an excavated longhouse site which into how people lived in the Viking Age, and dates from the 10th century ad. It includes what the Reykjavík environment looked like relics of human habitation from about 871, the to the ﬁrst settlers. oldest such site found in Iceland.

Powerwalk

“Passage2011” involved the artists pulling a red boat across the Schlegeis Glacier in the Alps. A resulting exhibition, which contains a short film and photographs shot during the crossing, as well as the boat itself, is displayed at the National Gallery of Iceland until October 27. For their new project, “Powerwalk. Going for a charge,” the two friends are hiking up Vatnajökull with small, self-made wind turbines on their backs. The energy that is produced this way is going to be stored in special batteries used for powering two washing machines after they return. You can follow their new project, “Powerwalk- Going for a charge” at www.powerwalk2013.org/. The first Reykjavík International Film Festival was held in 2004 and featured just over a dozen The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 Issue 15 — 2013 predominantly Icelandic titles. By the following fall, the programme had more than tripled and Ira- RIFF 24 nian master Abbas Kiarostami became the first globally renowned auteur to be honoured by RIFF. Art | Inspired by a glacier RIFF Is Back For The Tenth Time! This year’s filmmakers give us an idea of what to expect…

Reykjavík International Film Festival

ISK 9.500 September 26 - October 10 (festival Pass)

Words Mark Asch

The tenth annual festival, which opened on September 26 and continues through to Oc- tober 6, is comprised of 75 features as well as a number of Icelandic shorts and special events. In fulfilment of RIFF’s mission of bringing this culture to Iceland, as festival Chair Hrönn Marinósdóttir put it to the Grapevine last year, Icelandic audiences will have a chance to see films fresh off appearances at Cannes, Venice, Toronto, and other high- profile festivals; and directors, from the world-renowned to the up-and-coming, will be appearing alongside their work. As a survey of the world-cinema buffet RIFF offers up, we sent out questionnaires to filmmakers who’ll be in town to present their work; a selection of their responses is below, and more responses can be found at grapevine.is.

‘Coldwater,’ a competition title “Expedition to the End of the In “Vanishing Point,” docu- and the feature directorial debut of World” documents the voyage of mentary filmmakers Stephen Smith California-based Vincent Grashaw, a schooner with a crew of artists and Julia Szucs explore the lives of concerns a troubled teenager who and scientists that sailed through Inuit communities in Canada and is sent off to a wilderness boot- the melting ice of northern Green- Greenland, particularly looking at camp reform facility. land. Danish director how they are coping with social Daniel Dencik was aboard: and environmental change. How did this film come into existence, and why? How did this film come into exis- What's the most interesting re- I started writing the script when I tence, and why? sponse (rewarding, critical, thought- was fairly young, about 18 years old. I A ship was going to sail to an unex- provoking or bizarre) you've thus far knew I wanted to make movies and had plored land; a producer heard about it received from someone who's seen known a kid who was abducted in the and asked me if I wanted to film it. the film? middle of the night and sent to a camp Interestingly, we have found that for juvenile delinquents. I didn’t know What did you learn in making even vegetarians and those who do how bad in reality these issues were the film? not directly relate to hunting culture until I began researching. I brought on have been supportive of the film. We my writing partner after several failed That it is megalomaniac of us to wondered whether we might get a nega- attempts at trying to get the movie made. think that we can destroy Earth. tive response from those opposed to So it wasn’t like I researched for 13 years hunting, but it seems that instead there is and made the product which is the What's the most interesting re- a response of respectful understanding movie… it just evolved over the years, sponse (rewarding, critical, thought- of the necessity for Northern peoples to as I matured as a filmmaker. It wouldn’t provoking or bizarre) you've thus far a live a lifestyle that includes hunting and be the same movie if I had made it back received from someone who's seen an animal flesh diet. Perhaps this follows then, so I’m grateful for the years of the film? on the heels of a growing awareness of struggling to do it the right way. In a theatre in Switzerland, a person the problems of industrialised agricul- fainted and an ambulance had to come. ture. So we’re finding what is for us a What discussions did you have Apparently it was a case of Stendhal surprising interest from audiences to about the visual style of the film? Syndrome: something is so beautiful that understand what it means, culturally, to When you’re making a film like this it paralyses you and eventually leads you increase one’s self-reliance and security (fact-based, violent stakes), is there into a state of psychosis. when it comes to food harvesting. a conventional look that you’re conscious of? Is there any element of the film that Is there any element of the film that My cinematographer and I spoke you're especially interested in shar- you're especially interested in shar- a lot about how we felt the film should ing with an Icelandic audience? ing with an Icelandic audience? look. I did feel that because the beautiful There is one shot of Iceland in the We are confident that Icelanders, landscape in the wilderness environment film, disguised as a shot on Greenland. who also live close to nature and have is a heavy contrast to the violence and Try to figure out which one... a strong sense of independence and experiences of the characters in the film, self-reliance, will relate to the marine that it would definitely stand out visually. How is ‘Expedition to the End of the hunting culture that is the focus of the I wanted it to feel like a theatrical motion World’ different from ‘Encounters at film. For those living close to the sea, picture—not a stripped-down, down and the End of the World,’ aside from the there is a dependence on an intact and dirty independent film. I feel like techni- fact that they take place at literally sustainable approach to managing and cally the film holds up with any movie opposite ends of the world? harvesting from the marine ecosystem. in a cineplex. Regardless of the dark I think Herzog is great. Maybe his We hope that Icelanders will enjoy subject matter, it’s a fictional story and film is more like a Western than mine, immersing themselves in the lives of I wanted it to be a thrilling moviegoing and my film is more like an opera than those who—partially due to geographic experience which stands on its own. his. isolation—must look to their immediate environment for food security and cultural integrity. 25 RIFF Issue 15 — 2013 The Reykjavík Grapevine

BICEPHALY PICTURES PRESENTS IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH SAGAFILM FEATURING AN ORIGINAL SCORE BY HJALTALÍN DAYS OF GRAY

FEATURING DAVID LAUFDAL ARNARSSON DILJÁ VALSDÓTTIR AND VIKTORÍA RÓS ANTONSDÓTTIR WITH GUDMUNDUR INGI THORVALDSSON BRYNDÍS PETRA BRAGADÓTTIR AND MARGRÉT HELGA JÓHANNSDÓTTIR EDITOR PERRY BLACKSHEAR PRODUCTION DESIGNER NELL TIVNAN DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY CAILIN YATSKO EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS KJARTAN THOR THORDARSON AND KRISTINN THORDARSON PRODUCED BY ALICE BLOCH ANI SIMON-KENNEDY AND CAILIN YATSKO STORY BY ANI SIMON-KENNEDY HRAFN JONSSON CAILIN YATSKO WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ANI SIMON-KENNEDY © 2013 BICEPHALY PICTURES LLC, SAGAFILM EHF

WWW.DAYSOFGRAY.COM

In ‘Naked Opera,’ “The Moo Man” is a profile “Spaghetti Story,” a competi- The Italian-born, English-based ‘Days of Gray’ is a post-apoca- director Angela Christlieb follows of Steve Hook, an independent tion title, concerns a quartet of aim- producer Uberto Pasolini’s newest lyptic fable set in a world without Marc Rollinger, a terminally ill English dairy farmer, who has a less young people and a Chinese effort as a director is ‘Still Life,’ language. The dialogue-free film Luxembourgian civil servant who very close emotional bond with the prostitute in modern-day Rome. starring Eddie Marsan as a self- shot in Iceland features a score by travels around Europe attending cows that produce his raw milk. Ciro De Caro is the writer and contained government employee the Icelandic band Hjaltalín. It is productions of Mozart’s “Don Andy Heathcote and Heike Bach- director: whose job is to locate the next of the first feature by the NYC-based Giovanni,” staying in high-end elier are co-directors: kin of local residents who have died director Ani Simon-Kennedy hotels and treating himself to rent There have been films about aimless at home alone. He winds up grow- boys. What did you learn in making young adults trying to discover what ing close to Joanne Froggat as one How did this film come into the film? they want out of life since at least ‘I such relative. existence, and why? What did you learn in making the We learned a lot about cows, what Vitelloni,’ though the specifics vary Cailin Yatsko, my cinematographer, film? nice creatures they are, full of individual greatly from generation to genera- What did you learn in making and Hrafn Jónsson, my writing partner, In a technical sense, I learned how character. We learned even more about tion. Do you think of your film more the film? went to see Hjaltalín perform in Prague to shoot a documentary like a fiction film, raw milk, but also about how impossible in terms of what it has in common Before writing the screenplay I when we were all living there while in but without a script and without knowing it is for farmers who are interested in with other stories in this tradition, or spent a year researching various aspects film school. Their music completely took what will happen the next day. This put animal welfare and in producing good in terms of what makes it new? of the story, and I became increas- my breath away and we immediately be- me in some really delicate situations quality food to survive in a world domi- I really tried to learn something from ingly aware of the growing isolation that gan to build a story around their music. because Marc is not an actor, he is a real nated by supermarkets. So ultimately we the masters of the classic Italian comedy, touches so many people in our western After sharing the concept with the band, personality, and he tried to control the learned a lot about the mechanisms that a kind of sad comedy, permeated by cities where the breakdown of the family they decided to create an original score movie. So I learned to improvise in very destroy small family farms worldwide. this particular Italian “skill” of laughing unit and of old neighbourhoods con- for the film. So the music gave life to the critical moments—as long as there was about problems and taking life with irony. demn vast numbers, both old and young, movie which gave life to the music. enough champagne and boys, things What's the most interesting re- What I tried to do was to put our real to lives without true human contact. So I were OK. In a human sense, I learned sponse (rewarding, critical, thought- life, our everyday little tragedies, in an have certainly become more sensitive to Is there any element of the film that about how people behave when they provoking or bizarre) you've thus far ironic movie, because that’s the Italian the need of involving oneself in the lives you're especially interested in shar- suffer from a critical illness. received from someone who's seen way (I think) of telling stories. I’m far of others and letting others come into ing with an Icelandic audience? the film? from putting myself at the same level of your own life—things that appear obvious I can’t wait to be able to present What's the most interesting re- The most challenging response so the big masters of Italian cinema, but I but are often hard to make real. the film at RIFF since it’s been a little sponse (rewarding, critical, thought- far was from the ex-deputy agricultural think that, in this particular moment, as a over a year since we shot in Iceland with provoking or bizarre) you've thus far minister in the UK who came to one of young Italian director, I have to treasure an all-Icelandic cast. I had never been received from someone who's seen our screenings. He claimed we portray a this legacy we have. Because we Italians to Iceland when I first started writing the film? very idyllic way of farming and if all farms have no money to make a Hollywood ‘Days of Gray,’ but from everything I In Tel Aviv someone in the audience said: were like this in the UK we couldn’t feed movie right now, and even if we could had researched and from what Hrafn I can't believe a woman made this film. the country. To hear this argument from find such money, I think the result would had told me, it seemed like the perfect someone who should be at the forefront be something “wannabe Americano.” We setting. ‘Days of Gray’ really couldn’t of protecting small farms was shocking. should remember that we have this par- have been filmed anywhere else but in Plus, it is not true anyway. ticular ability to make great things from Iceland, and being able to work with and simple stories in a simple way. That’s why befriend so many Icelandic people, I re- the title of my movie is ‘Spaghetti Story’: ally believe that between their solidarity it’s made like a spaghetti dish, which is and resourcefulness, it’s the one place simple, genuine, economical and Italian. on Earth where you could survive the apocalypse.

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Film | RIFF Documenting The Downfall Simon Klose on his film ‘TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay— Away from Keyboard’

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Still from ‘TPB AFK’

In making ‘TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay—Away from Keyboard,’ Simon Klose spent several years following Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm—founders of torrent site The Pirate Bay—when they were being put on trial in Sweden at the behest of the entertainment industry for “promoting other people's infringements of copyright laws.” Simon tells us more…

Words Mark Asch

What's your own filmmaking back- theatrical distributors, wouldn’t touch ground? How did that affect your us, we still thought it was symbolically I hate films that pretend to be neutral. approach to the material, both in important, to talk about the positives A lot of people have perceived this film terms of technical storytelling and in of file-sharing. I want to be a positive as objective and neutral, but I don't terms of attitude? example for file-sharing. The film think it's neutral at all. I tried to make I never studied filmmaking—I went has been sold to six TV channels; it’s it as subjective as possible by showing to law school. I was more interested in been seen by four million people. It’s a how their lives are ruined, economi- culture in general. I've always collected platform I wouldn’t have had if not for cally ruined. films and music; I grew up copying presenting the film for free. cassette tapes and VHS tapes, and In what ways would you say you when the internet came, I copied And speaking of access. The film's differ, politically, from the Pirate Bay files. My interest in the topic comes website allows viewers to download founders? You said in another inter- The National Museum of Iceland from being brought up in the ‘80s and a torrent of the film, to buy a digital view that you didn't yourself vote for ‘90s—and also from being interested in copy for $10 or pre-order a DVD, the Pirate Party in the last election... celebrates its 150th anniversary 2013. power relations in society. So my film- with additional footage for $23. This The three of them are very politi- making background is sorta DIY-ish, I is not dissimilar to Peter Sunde's cally different, almost opposites—Pe- Along with the permanent exhibition that features learned by failing—a lot. Flattr, which allows people on the ter’s on the Left, Fredrik’s on the Iceland’s history from settlement to present day the internet to make voluntary dona- Right, and Gottfrid’s somewhere in museum will offer a variety of exhibitions during the tions to artists they’d like to support. the middle… I tried to vote for a party What did you learn in making And of course your film was initially that's a little bit broader in its platform, year, e.g. on Icelandic silver and photography. the film? funded through Kickstarter. So, will even though I think they're doing a Five years ago, I didn't own a a decentralised funding model ever great thing in bringing up all these smartphone, didn't have Facebook or fully replace the corporate/institu- issues. In Sweden a few of the other Twitter, didn't know about crowdfund- tional model of the arts? Should it? parties have copied the Pirate Party’s Opening hours: ing. So, in making a film about changes I don't think it will replace that positions. Summer (1. May-15. September): Daily 10-17 model. I think they'll merge and Winter (16. September-30. April): Tuesday-Sunday 11-17 in the digital landscape, I've learned a lot. The internet can be an amazing become something new. We shouldn't Is there any element of the film that Suðurgata 41, 101 Reykjavík. place to connect with your audiences. look for one solution for film fund- you're especially interested in shar- tel: 530 2200 [email protected] ing. With my own film, for instance, ing with an Icelandic audience? I've also learned that big corporations Kickstarter financing was less than ten Very much indeed. Iceland is the will crucify young innovators to keep percent of the budget. But then again first nation on Earth that has a Pirate old business models in place. other films can be made with totally Party in parliament; I’m a big fan of Bir- decentralised means, depending on gitta Jónsdóttir and her work. The role A New Model the budget. Every film needs its own that Iceland had in inviting WikiLeaks strategy. Now is a good time to experi- was very exciting. I’m obviously still The film had an "internet premiere" ment with funding and with audience following the Icelandic experiment in and has more than 2.1 million views relationships. The discussion should digital freedom, so it's going to be very on YouTube, but you've also been be about how we can create new tools interesting. bringing it to festivals all summer. that actually help filmmakers. So I used What would you say is still important Kickstarter, I used Flattr, and I sell the What are you working on now? and irreplaceable about entering the film for download through VHX, which I’m working on this startup, film into public spaces in this way? gives me a larger cut. linklib, which is a way for filmmakers From this can we draw any larger to annotate their films and send it to conclusions about the private/online Not Neutral audiences, on their phone. They can mode of arts consumership? add comments, add links—they look I never think that watching a like tweets—so you don’t have to open The film focuses a lot on the drama downloaded .mpeg4 is a substitute for up another window to start Googling of the trial and the lives of the three going to a cinema with a friend and all the references. I haven't decided on Pirate Bay founders. Obviously we experiencing the big sound and huge my next film yet; I’m still developing a hear what they think about the eth- image with a room full of strangers. couple ideas for my next documentary. My film was certainly made for the big ics of file-sharing and copyright, but screen in terms of sound mastering we also hear from prosecutors... To and colour grading. And it’s important what extent do you see the film as to travel around the world and talk making a sustained argument for about your film. Even though we knew file-sharing and copyright? Or to that, because of putting the film on what extent is it neutral? Do you find YouTube under a Creative Commons that the film is changing people's license, a lot of festivals, and definitely minds? 27 RIFF Critic’s Picks Taste the best Five of RIFF’s best titles, reviewed By Mark Asch of Iceland ...... with a spanish undertone

Icelandic Gourmet Fiest Starts with a shot of the infamous Icelandic spirit Brennívín Than 6 delicious Icelandic tapas: Smoked puffin with blueberry “brennivín” sauce Icelandic sea-trout with peppers-salsa Lobster tails baked in garlic Pan-fried line caught blue ling with lobster-sauce Grilled Icelandic lamb Samfaina Minke Whale with cranberry & malt-sauce To finish our famous Desert: White chocolate "Skyr" mousse with passion fruit coulis 5.990 ikr.

The only kitchen Still from ‘Future my love’ in Reykjavík open

Future My Love mercial breakthrough “High Violet,” to 23:30 on weekdays as a roadie-slash-fly-on-the-wall- RESTAURANT- BAR (Dir. Maja Borg) documentarian. After he’s fired for and 01:00 on weekends Vesturgata 3B | 101 Reykjavík | Tel: 551 2344 | www.tapas.is incompetence on both counts (actual Anglo-Swedish experimental film- interview question posed to drummer maker Borg is first seen hitchhiking Bryan Devendorf: ‘Have you—how with a sign that says, ‘VENUS.’ Her many, like—how many, like, what destination is the Florida redoubt of kind of—if you've done drugs, how utopian futurist Jacques Fresco, a many drugs, what kind of drugs and spry nonagenarian who preaches how many drugs have you done?’), sustainable design, an end to the the film becomes a document of its, “monetary system,” and a new soci- and Tom’s, salvaging. ety of technological abundance. Over a truly perplexing grab-bag of wonky Tom At The Farm interviews, obscure archival footage, images of industrial waste and urban (Dir. Xavier Dolan) alienation, and black-and-white 8mm footage of her muse Nadya Cazan, For his fourth(!) feature, 24-year-old Borg’s voiceover muses on society French-Canadian auteur Dolan adapt- at the conceptual level and recounts ed Michel Marc Bouchard’s play. He a possibly real-life love affair. Like all also edited the film, and stars as city- utopians, Fresco believes in social mouse Tom, who travels to the dairy engineering; in this loopy, lovely film, farm that was the childhood home of Borg muses on the rational future, his closeted lover, Guy, dead at 25 for and our irrational attachments to the reasons never explicitly given. The past. atmosphere is damp and autumnal, a fog that never quite lifts, even as The Missing Picture considerations of urban and rural life, and repressed and expressed (Dir. Rithy Panh) sexuality, play out in Tom’s just barely sexless dominant-submissive rela- The Paris-based Panh has made sev- tionship with Guy’s butch, homopho- eral documentaries about his native bic brother. Motivations weaken as Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, the third act goes psychodrama, but whose regime Panh, unlike the rest of Dolan’s direction is stylish, his little his family, survived. That backstory flourishes of virtuosity complicating becomes the explicit focus of Panh’s but not compromising the tone of newest nonfiction film, even as his implication. memories remain, by design, elusive. Superimposed over flickering archi- Two Lovers val footage or arranged in meticulous tableaus, hand-carved clay minia- (2008, Dir. James Gray) tures—hundreds of them—stand in for his family, Khmer Rouge soldiers, Gray and his new film ‘The Im- and fellow labour-camp internees in migrant’ are honoured at RIFF, black-inked uniforms, the marks of an excuse to screen his previous the carving tool ever more defined effort: a contemporary melodrama in their ribcages. This account of a inspired by Dostoyevsky’s ‘White genocide takes on a daring beauty, Nights,’ starring Joaquin Phoenix, giving Panh’s lost family, and millions a miracle of innocent volatility as of others, a dignity in their victim- a man torn between his parents’ hood. hand-picked choice and the troubled goddess across the way (Gwyneth Mistaken For Strangers Paltrow). Gray’s films are explicit in the manner of classic drama yet (Dir. Tom Berninger) still multi-layered, and so richly shot—genre heirlooms rooted in Matt Berninger, lead singer for The three-dimensionally evoked, deeply National, writes moody, elliptical unglamorous white-ethnic Brooklyn. songs about the minor disappoint- Here, the Russian-Jewish commu- ments that add up to a life. Failure nity of Brighton Beach, with its gray, is also the subject of his younger wet winds coming in off the ocean, brother Tom’s documentary—though and warm, smothering interiors, is a here failure is abject, visceral slap- lifelike, ironic setting for drama that's stick. Matt invites Tom to join the never quite dreamy. band’s tour in support of 2010 com- Attn: Jackass fans, the closing scene of Bam's new Issue 15 — 2013 movie, 'Let's Go To Jail,' will be filmed at this event. Music 28

Music | Festival Bam’s 'Random Hero' Festival Jackass star Bam Margera speaks about his up- coming wedding and all-new music festival to raise money for a quality skatepark in Reykjavík

B o w e n Staines

Random Hero Music Festival

ISK 6,500 ISK October 5th

Words Bowen Staines

Professional skateboarder, stuntman and star of MTV’s Jackass, Bam Margera has had a very busy year, and it’s not slowing down as he brings his trademarked brand of mischief and mayhem to Iceland in the form of a new music festival, to complement his marriage to long-time girlfriend Nikki Boyd on October 5.

Fresh off of touring Europe and the the window towards the small, grass- several of his films and video parts UK this summer with his band Fuck- roots, do-it-yourself skatepark on over the years, namely ‘CKY2K’ and face Unstoppable (or FU, for short), the now-off-limits property known ‘Elementality.’ Reflecting his personal Bam has spent the last month here as Hjartagarðurinn, or Heart Garden. brand of skating, the skatepark he in Reykjavík planning a fundraising Over the last year, artists, local plans to build will be far from run-of- concert in memory of his best friend the mill. “I want a lot of weird-looking and former Jackass co-star, Ryan “I just bought a place transitions, waves and bumps, and Dunn a.k.a. ‘Random Hero,’ who crazy art-sculpture obstacles. But I sadly passed away in a motor vehicle here... AND a car! I also want to keep it easy to skate,” accident in June 2011. figured it was cheaper, he says. “I don’t want to go too over- “After Ryan passed, I spent three since I practically had board with the size. There’s noth- years not really knowing what to do to buy the last car we ing worse than having some gnarly with myself. I started FU, and we’ve rented here.” 18-foot transitions, when the park, as been touring loads, but I still think a whole, would be way better if they SPUNTINI about that day like it was yester- were only 8-feet. That’s how it is at day,” Bam tells me over a coffee at musicians, and skateboarders have FDR Park in Philadelphia, my home Prikið. “We were on tour in Europe been locked in a perpetual battle park. Whenever people get cement to last month, and only had Helsinki, with the City and Reginn, the largest build things there, all the old-school Stockholm, and Oslo left to go, and private real estate firm in the country, hessians and gnardogs come out of I wanted to cancel the whole thing. in hopes of saving the square from the woodwork, wanting these insane RISOTTO Basically, I had a dream where I was destruction in order to make room for 20-foot bowls. I don’t understand The kitchen is open until midnight on weekends slapped awake by Ryan, and he told a new hotel. As of publishing, bull- that—the most that’s ever gonna me ‘Get off your fat fucking ass, and dozers and construction equipment happen is that somebody’s going to 17:00 – 23:00 sun. – thu. do something.’ It felt so real. When have occupied the square, and have fakie-rock it, and then they’re gonna you’re constantly in front of thou- begun demolition. call it a day!” PASTA sands of people, or surrounded by “There’s so much amazing art and As we finish up, I ask if Icelanders your entourage, sometimes there culture at Heart Garden, and you’ll can expect to see more of him and isn’t a lot of time to think about never get that back. A lot of people Nikki around town in the months to where you’re going.” don’t seem to realise that,” says come. “Well,” he says, “I just bought After a moment, Bam recalls, Bam’s fiancé, Nikki Boyd, who has a place here... AND a car! I figured it “Then, it just hit me: I’m going to joined us at the table. “Yeah, there’s was cheaper, since I practically had CLASSICS start a ‘Random Hero’ festival here nothing more annoying than going to to buy the last car we rented here. in Iceland in Ryan’s honour, every skate a ledge in front of a building, I got arrested at the airport, and October 5th, and make it bigger and and getting in two tries before secu- Hertz charged me $7,000 dollars for bigger as the years go on. This year, rity comes out, then waiting for them damages because they thought I did we’ve got Yelawolf playing, and all to go back inside, just so you can it on purpose, when in reality, the car the proceeds from the festival will get maybe one more try,” Bam adds. actually got sideswiped. No matter DESSERTS go to building a skatepark here in “Just give them a skatepark! One that what I do, I’m doomed.” Reykjavík, since there isn’t a proper will last.” UNO at Ingólfstorg | Tel. 561 1313 | www.uno.is outdoor park here and because it Bam is no stranger to skateboard- looks like they’re ploughing this one ing in Iceland. Downtown skate spots down over here,” Bam gestures out such as Ingólfstorg have appeared in 29 Music

Album Reviews

Nolo Human 2013 http://itsnolo.bandcamp.com “Out of this world!!!” A short but sweet LP of CBondGirl - Calgary, Canada. Trip Advisor lo-fi earworms

Words John Rogers

Prolific synth-pop duo Nolo the soft keyboard washes propelled by have been quietly amassing unhurried drum-machine rhythms and a catalogue of self-recorded topped with skittering lead guitar. They singles, EPs and albums since their inhabit an interesting space somewhere formation in 2009. Their artist page between the pure ‘80s vocoder-and- on Gogoyoko shows no less than 21 effects schtick of retro bands like releases, many of which are demos. Chromeo, and the hazy, reverb-heavy Confronted with such a variety of stuff, acid-pop of Ariel Pink collaborator John it's hard to know where to start; but you Maus. But Nolo's songs have a mellow, could do worse than to choose ‘Human,’ languid, hook-laden quality all of its own. their third LP. Released quietly on the There's no shortage of singles band's Bandcamp earlier this year, here: "Romeo" is an earworm that'll these eight tracks clock in at a lean 25 have you whistling along by the end of minutes, including a remixed version of the first chorus. "Stuck On a Mind" is "Passion." an effervescent standout, and "Steel" is For anyone who's seen Nolo's an arch, atmospheric ballad. "Delicious" current excellent live show, many of the comes across like a forgotten lo-fi songs will be familiar—the track list is gem from a lost John Hughes movie something of a 'greatest hits,' packed soundtrack. “It certainly was the best of the many places we dined in Reykjavik!” with memorable tunes and no filler There's little doubt that Nolo will FrequentFlyer513 - New York City, New York - Trip Advisor whatsoever. Opening with the Gary continue to pump out new material, and Numan-reminiscent "Burning Sand," with songs as catchy as these, there'll be ‘Human’ marks an ‘80s-inflected but few complaints. decidedly contemporary alt-pop sound, BORG RESTAURANT  PÓSHÚSSTRÆTI 911  101 REYKJAVÍK TEL: +3545782020  INFOBORGRESTAURANT.IS  WWW.BORGRESTAURANT.IS

Young Boys And The Movies

By Óli Dóri and Davíð Roach

Sin Fang’s ‘Flowers’ is one of our favourite Southern Californian rock on their enjoyable albums of the year and now one of its stand- debut album, ‘Ride Your Heart,’ which came out tracks, “Young Boys,” has been remixed out earlier this year. Bleached will be sup- by none other than Jónsi from Sigur Rós. ported by Icelandic hardcore outfit Muck Of course Jónsi is quite familiar with the and tickets are available at www.midi.is and material since 'Flowers' was recorded at in Brim clothing stores. his own house and produced by his part- Now, although we mainly think and ner Alex Somers. He slows the song down write about music, we also like to go to the and skips the chorus, piles on loads of echo movies. Last week we attended a screen- on the tambourines and adds a hazy synth ing in Bíó Paradís of ‘Shut Up And Play The arpeggio that builds slowly throughout the Hits,’ a documentary about LCD Sound- song. It’s a wonderful treatment, full of sonic system’s infamous last show in Madison details that tickle your eardrums. Square Garden. The concert footage alone Speaking of young boys, you should was worth the entry, and although there MADE IN ICELAND www.jswatch.com keep your ear open for underground beat- won’t be another screening we strongly making from Tómas Davíð, a 19-year-old recommend people get a hold of it, by any With his legendary concentration and 45 years of experience our Master from Reykjavík who just released his first means necessary. Watchmaker ensures that we take our waterprooﬁng rather seriously. EP called ‘1,’ under the name of Tonmo. The There are also some interesting music Gilbert O. Gudjonsson, our Master Watchmaker and renowned craftsman, album consists of eight songs of fantastic documentaries showing at the Reykjavík inspects every single timepiece before it leaves our workshop. chillwave-influenced hip-hop that Tonmo International Film Festival, which opened on wrote and produced while living in Hun- September 26. We’re excited to see ‘Mis- tington Beach, California earlier this year. taken For Strangers’ about indie band The You can buy the album on Bandcamp for 4 National’s world tour. It was made by the USD and you can see him live on the decks lead singer’s brother who went with them THE FRESHEST FISH ....AND IDEAS! with Lord Pu$$whip at Iceland Airwaves in as a roadie but instead spent most of his November. time filming his and the band’s escapades. A"er years of study, Before that though, you should catch Reviews say that it’s really funny and highly strings of awards and the band Bleached from Los Angeles, who personal. having led kitchens of are touring Europe and will stop in Iceland, some of Reykjavík’s most performing at Harlem on Thursday, Octo- esteemed restaurants, ber 17. Sisters Jennifer and Jessie Clavin Gústav still sees him blend vintage punk with sunny and melodic self as just a kid from up north, with a life- time passion for fish.

Straum.is has been active since last summer, with writers Óli Dóri and Davíð Roach documenting the local music scene and helping people discover the best new music. It is associated with the radio show Straumur on X977, which airs every Monday evening at 23:00.

SKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍGUR 14 - 101 REYKJAVÍK - 571 1100 Issue 15 — 2013 Art 30

Opinion | The Peace Tower No Yoko, No Yoko... only An open letter to Yoko Ono

Haukur Hilmarsson works part time for the €8 social service in Reykjavík to the airport

Steinunn Gunnlaugsdóttir

LOW COST Dear Yoko, as my hometown hosts your artwork 'Imagine Peace Tower' and the 'Lennon- Ono Peace Awards' ceremony, I feel compelled to offer some constructive criticism. I never liked militarism. At one point, when I was about 14, I was fascinated with the BUSLINE way you and John campaigned against it. Not anymore. You made a few good points, but I fear that many of your actions have critically skewed and ridiculed the subject and that they will continue to do so until you seriously rethink your entire approach.

Your official theories on the nature of tower] communicates awareness to the the image of Iceland, suggesting ways to conflict, which are wrong, have rendered whole world that peace and love is what shape and promote a suitable image to your rhetoric uninformative and politically connects all life on earth.” attract tourists, encourage investment and BOOK NOW AT KEXPRESS.IS spineless. Ignoring Iceland’s history, its You concluded: “Thank you Iceland and maintain respect in international politics. Its local dissidents and peace-movement, you Icelanders for being what you are—a family main finding was that the words “peace,” have given a number of heavily corrupted of wisdom.” “strength” and “freedom” were to be the industrialists and officials a chance to clean I lack the words to share the way I felt pillars of Iceland’s image. To promote this up their image at the same time as you've when I heard this so I will instead try and idea internationally, government-funded reinforced and promoted some deplor- deconstruct the idea that Iceland should be campaigns like Promote Iceland’s Inspired able misconceptions regarding Icelandic connected to environmentalism and peace. By Iceland were started. society. Far from being renewable, Icelandic Thus, the Peace Tower reflects Icelan- geothermal- and hydropower is be- dic nationalism the way it is understood, Peace and love ing over-harvested for heavy industry practiced and sold today. Lacking all re- TIMETABLE throughout the highlands with a negative cord of resistance, unity or achievements, winter schedule There are two kinds of peace: tranquillity impact on their ecosystems and land- this ideology seeks to portray the nation as and the absence of violence. Contrary to scapes. Reykjavík Energy, which provides cute rather than mighty and capitalises on popular belief, they aren't necessarily con- the Peace Tower with electricity, is at the values like peace despite its voluntary affili- from Reykjavik City to Keflavik Airport nected. Their only common denominator forefront of this exploitation, selling power ation with some of the deadliest campaigns or Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik City. is anti-militarism. Nothing else, not even a to international aluminium corporations, and unions of modern history. wish for world-peace. which in turn sell metal for arms manufac- from HALLGRÍMS- Some are driven by their spiritual be- turing, which inevitably leads to ecocides, Give peace a chance harpa KEX KIRKJA CAMPSITE AT AIRPORT liefs. There's nothing wrong with that, but economic hits and murders. Reykjavík city Reykjavík city Reykjavík city Reykjavík Terminal building for the sake of informed discourse, political As for the Icelandic state, it is a member It's a lot to ask. To show mercy regardless 04:30 04:40 04:50 05:00 05:40 directness and solidarity, one should refrain of NATO and regularly hosts its extensive of a situation must take a most painful self- 13:30 13:40 13:50 14:00 14:40 from making a personal belief system the military exercises. It has no army, but was restraint. I wouldn't expect it of war-torn 20:30 20:40 20:50 21:00 21:40 focus-point of activism. In the documentary occupied in 1940 and has since resisted people. I wouldn't expect it of you. 'Imagine Peace' by Ari Alexander Ergis demilitarization. It deploys 'peace keepers' Yes, John was shot down like a victim Magnússon, you describe today’s major in Afghanistan who have claimed the lives of war and I cannot imagine the pain. The from HALLGRÍMS- conflicts as a race between those who try of at least two unarmed citizens and sup- pain people must face to give peace a AIRPORT CAMPSITE KIRKJA KEX at harpa ported the US invasion into Iraq. KEXPRESS BUS TERMINAL Reykjavík Reykjavík city Reykjavík city Reykjavík city to destroy the world and the others who try chance. I sympathise with any resentment to cover the earth with love. This sugges- for Mark David Chapman. But I also know 07:00 08:00 08:10 08:20 08:30 12:00 13:00 13:10 13:20 13:30 tion is useless, unfounded and oversimpli- No country that based on what he saw as God’s will, 17:00 18:00 18:10 18:20 18:30 fied. he ignored his defence lawyers, refused to The physical reality of war can be During October 5-9, 2007, the parliament defend himself and read a passage from independent of the participants’ feelings. hosted the annual meeting of the NATO 'The Catcher in the Rye' during his court DIAGRAM One may kill without anger or hate and congress with around 730 representatives case. He is insane and 32 years later, he's TRAVELLING WITH KEXPRESS spare lives without love or forgiveness. The attending. It was the biggest meeting it had still in prison; a pit of demoralisation and one thing that's imperative to every conflict ever hosted. On the 8th, a tiny group of physical violence, hell-bent on destroying resolution is not love, but mercy—even protesters flashed a banner reading 'Check its subjects. Seven times he's been denied DEPART when it's cold, tactical or reluctant. this Yoko' in hopes of bringing attention parole, partly because of your objections. KEXPRESS All-out mercy is a political decision. To to the abstraction of inviting the hosts of Peace is mercy materialised and here BUS TERMINAL materialise (rather than imagine) that deci- conspiring warlords to sing 'Give Peace a lies your most challenging opportunity to sion is the common goal of this movement, Chance' in memory of your pacifist hus- confront violence, not for a moral high- arrive 500 m walk not unified spirituality. Imagine no religion— band on the Peace Tower's grand opening ground but for a less brutal conclusion Keflavik terminal don't mystify the cause. the following night. of a war that is real in matter as in spirit. REYKJAVIK CAMPSITE KEX HOSTEL Your ceremony completely overshad- KEFLAVIK For Mark, and the world, it would set an REYKJAVIK CITY REYKJAVIK CITY harpa TOWN/HOTELS REYKJAVIK CITY owed the war-conference that preceded HALLGRÍMSKIRKJA Upside down example far more relevant than claiming it and put Reykjavík on the map as an that your love is limitless and unconditional. An influential peace-activist should analyse assemblage point for pacifism. It bugs me I respectfully suggest that you call for his the work of their collaborators before to witness this absurdity and be unable to release or transfer to a mental facility. inviting them to pose as 'dreamers' in do anything about it. I also urge you to publicly deconstruct public ceremonies. In a 2010 interview with Others feel differently. During the 2009 the myths that surround Iceland’s image 'Inspired By Iceland' you explained that you InDefence campaign (of nationalists out- that you've helped to spread. At last I ask found it logical to build the Peace Tower in raged by British use of anti-terrorist legisla- you, not out of contempt, but concern, to Iceland. Besides and beyond the old 'green tions during Iceland’s financial meltdown), turn off the Peace Tower. To rid Iceland of energy' hogwash, your reasoning was several photos of the tower were sent to this false testament to its moral superiority more profound. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to that is built on folly and error in memory of “At the map,” you explained, “Iceland is demonstrate the non-terrorist nature of the a man who will never be forgotten. on the top, on the north. North is wisdom Icelandic people. How do you reply? kexpress.is ı [email protected] ı tEL. 823-0099 and power and the power of wisdom goes In early 2008, the Office of the Prime all the way down, it spreads [...]. [The Minister published an extensive report on Welcome to tax free Shopping Iceland’s largest Shopping Center!

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Some people find it disgusting to be licked by animals. I am not one of them. I am a disgusting person who loves it when cute animals give me big wet kisses. Like most folks around town, I had never heard of a fish pedicure (or any other piscine spa treatment) before noticing Fish Spa Iceland on the corner of Hverfisgata and Barónsstígur earlier this summer. Fish Spa’s owner, Hallgrímur Andri Ingvarsson, was first exposed to the treatment back in 2012, when he got a fish pedicure while on vacation, and it sparked an idea for enterprise.

Words Rebecca Louder

“I’ve always been passionate about natural, for them to figure out how to fit us into their healthy living,” says the 28-year-old busi- regulations,” he says. ness school graduate, who has previously worked in the dietary supplement and Like vibrating pillows fitness fields. “Having these fish eat the skin off your feet is the most natural way It’s all turned out well though. The spa now possible to get a pedicure.” These would be proudly offers four pedicure tanks to sink Garra Rufa fish, also known as doctor fish, a your feet into. Each one contains 100 litres very small breed of carp that originate from of water and approximately 200 Garra Rufa. river basins in the Northern and Central The spa also plans to offer manicures soon Middle East. Garra Rufa are toothless but enough, as many of Hallgrímur’s cross- have incredible suction power to slough the fit training friends have corns all over the algae off of rocks for sustenance. palms of their hands. The water is continu- ously sterilised by UV ray filtering and the A License To Nibble tanks are separated to avoid any cross-con- tamination. What’s more, you can’t just hop As it turns out, dead skin cells are also tasty in there fresh out of the sock. food for these cute little whiskered fish, As Hallgrímur led me into the main pedi- something that river-bathers in the Garra cure area of the spa—a beautiful calm space rufa’s native region discovered around the with high ceilings and flooded with natural late 19th Century. Those locals have enjoyed light—the spa’s technician Gabríel followed natural skin-smoothing treatments thanks carrying a pair of pristine white plastic slip- to the fish since then. It was more recently pers. He placed them next to a foot-rinsing discovered that as the fish give their little station, where he directed me to scrub both nibbly kisses, they leave an enzyme on the my feet under clear water, then spray them skin called Dithranol, which helps skin cell with a sterilising gel, and then rinse my feet regeneration. The result is super smooth off again. I then stepped into the white slip- tootsies for days. pers and shuffled over to the tank, climbed Since the first fish spas opened in the a little step, took a seat and dunked in my mid-naughties in Japan and Croatia, Turkey legs. has enacted laws protecting Garra rufa After the initial fifteen seconds that the from commercial exploitation, but spas extremely ticklish probably could not han- and breeders continue to spring up all over dle, the feeling settled into a soft vibration Europe. (Fish Spa Iceland imported its own similar to having your foot right up against a 1,000-fish school from the Netherlands.) hot tub jet. Looking away for a few minutes However, fish spas have been outright or closing my eyes, it was easy to forget that banned in many states and provinces across those were fish down there, foraging the North America due to hygiene concerns. skin between my toes, but one look down “Sanitation and hygiene is always important and I was awash with giddiness. in every spa, and we take it very seriously,” Twenty minutes later my feet were the Hallgrímur says, refuting claims that the smoothest they’ve felt in months and every practice is all-around unsanitary. He adds step felt like I was walking on a vibrating pil- that the spa took two years to open its doors low. I would go back in a heartbeat because because the Public Health Board and the hey, I’m a sucker for cute animals. Especially Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority when the cute animals are toe suckers. had to carve out new categories for quality assurance of their operation. “This was completely new to them, so it took a while Magnus Andersen

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THORSHOFN The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013 34 Three Years Ago

Hooray! We turned ten this year. For a humble To celebrate our decade of existence, we thought Thus, for ten issues, expect a page dedicated to a year street rag like Grapevine, turning ten is a pretty big we'd get a little introspective and reprint some choice of Grapevine's existence, starting one issue ago, with deal—we barely expected to make it to ten issues articles from the past that are for some reason sig- a look back into magical 2003. (and, indeed, all of our contemporaries from the nificant, accompanied by commentary and even up- This issue is a look at 2010, Haukur S. Magnús- Reykjavík's street rag market have long since bid dates. Call it a "blast from the past" or "a look into the son's second year as editor. Read on from some re- farewell... miss u, Undirtónar!). dark cauldron of time" if you want to—we call it fun. flections from the man! Remembering 2010

— By Haukur S. Magnússon

land’s Post-Crash Sale – 30% OFF!” the human lives were never really in danger, On Magma Again,” issue 11, “Postcards article is a thorough investigation of how and in an attempt to cheer people up and From The Edge,” “Grand Old Aunt Björk” the economic collapse had affected the draw attention to the good things that and issue 12, “An Army Of Us”) cost of living on the island that collects were happening with a cover that an- The other story is that of how come- and contextualizes widely available infor- nounced: “SUNNY SIDE UP!”(MAYBE dian Jón Gnarr managed to become mation that local journals had refrained USE COVER OF ISSUE 5 HERE). the mayor of Iceland’s only proper city from reporting on. Anna’s first feature Our main eruption article, again by through a campaign that was initially article appeared in issue sixteen, when volcanologist James Ashworth, gleefully written off as a poorly thought out joke. It she had graduated to the post of full time asked: “WHO’S LAUGHING NOW, EU- could be argued that Grapevine’s feature journalist.” The Watchdog That Didn’t ROPE?” We had some nice eruption pic- interview with Jón in issue six (“What Are Bark” lambastes the Icelandic media for tures spread through the issue, but the You Voting For, Reykjavík?”) was the me- its ignorance and complacency leading up most important story of the month as far dia’s first attempt to go beyond the joke to the collapse, and remains an excellent as we were concerned was the publication and take Jón’s campaign seriously—in- read. of the SIC report, where the reasons for deed, it was considered so revelatory at Issue four of 2010 makes for an inter- the economic collapse were outlined and the time that someone even went to the esting read for several reasons. Many of examined. The report was a gargantuan trouble of translating it to Icelandic for its articles are sprinkled with references one, and we did our best to report its find- further dissemination among non-Eng- to “a tourist eruption,” as—at the time ings and Icelanders’ feelings about them, lish speakers. In the interview, Jón ex- of publication—a small volcanic erup- even asking philosopher Vilhjálmur Ár- plains where he’s coming from, expresses tion had started happening by some gla- nason (who oversaw the report’s chapter his disdain for most if not all of Iceland’s cier called Eyjafjallajökull. Volcanologist on ethics) whether Icelanders were an institutions (“They are all dead.”) and James Ashworth contributed an article “inherently immoral nation” (the answer: calls for cultural revolution. We inter- that basically explained that we had no mayyyybe?). The SIC report was an im- viewed Jón again after he had won (issue idea what was going on, while A. Rawl- pressive feat, and it bears remembering. 7, “He Really Did It”) and a few issues lat- ing’s review of Peaches concert at NASA English speakers interested in the reports er we debuted the mayor’s “WELCOME was loaded with volcano references (fun findings are advised to read over our fea- TO REYKJAVÍK” address to tourists, fact: the volcano started erupting the ture about it for a hint or two. which made its way around the world a night of that concert). It seemed harm- It was a pretty eventful time, all in few times over as word started spreading less and exciting at the time, a small, nice- all. Issue six saw two courses of events about Iceland’s comedian mayor. ly contained volcanic eruption that would start to unfold that would eventually turn Three years after his joke campaign, hopefully serve to lure a few tourists to into some of 2010’s most pertinent news- Jón Gnarr remains mayor, and his Best What you are reading is an instalment 2010, the collapse was still a fresh wound; the country. Little did we know. stories. The first appeared in the form Party is currently the highest polling to a series of articles celebrating each of financial vultures circled the island hop- That issue also marked the publica- of a short note from singer Björk Guð- party in Reykjavík. Time will tell if Jón Grapevine’s ten years of existence. As the ing to make a deal (or steal), as its tiny tion of one of Grapevine’s most widely mundsdóttir, where she challenged “the will run again for mayor in the coming magazine’s tribute to itself inches closer nation attempted to come to terms with read articles, a gargantuan interview government of Iceland to do everything municipal elections, and whether his bid to present day, it might seem absurd to WTF had happened through the SIC re- with musicians Nico Muhly and Jónsi of in its power to revoke the contracts with will be successful, but in the meantime spend precious time and pages reminisc- port and a constant exchange of ideas. A Sigur Rós, who had just collaborated on Magma Energy that entitle the Canadian it’s safe to say the comedian pulled off ing about something that happened only clown became mayor, a volcano erupted, the latter’s first solo album. Conducted in firm complete ownership of HS Orka.” one hell of a joke while appearing more three years ago. However, as this spring’s a tourism initiative was launched and a Reykjavík’s now sadly defunct secret gay This marked the beginning of Björk’s sensible than most career politicians can parliamentary elections revealed, Ice- whole lot of concerts were staged. leather bar with the help of two bottles very public war against the selling off of ever hope to be. landers have maybe never been very good It was, mostly, a rather good year. of champagne, to a soundtrack of deep- Iceland’s nature, which we reported in de- Stuff kept happening through the at remembering their immediate past The magazine got a notable addition house and gay porn moaning, Jónsi and tail. The rest of 2010 saw Björk—among year, most notably a continuation of the or taking particular lessons from it (this to its writing staff in February of 2010, Nico’s conversation is delightful to read, other things—engage in a spirited ex- horrid Icesave dispute and the Constitu- also becomes evident reading through when a young student called Anna An- and contains many golden quotes (“Nico change of words with Magma CEO Ross tional Assembly election, which we re- this issue’s ‘FIVE YEAR COLLAPSE AN- dersen signed on for a three-month in- and Jónsi GO ALL IN!”—Issue 4, 2010). Beaty through Grapevine’s website, orga- ported on at length. It’s all there, on-line, NIVERSARY’ articles). ternship. Anna quickly proved herself By issue five, the Eyjafjallajökull nizing a karaoke marathon at the Nordic if you’re interested. Reading through the eighteen Grape- a skilled and attentive writer—so much eruption had transformed to a giant clus- House in support of the cause and talk- vines published in 2010, one can learn in fact that she’s currently Grapevine’s terfuck that severely disrupted air travel ing about her passion for nature preserva- a whole lot about some of the issues we editor. Her first article was published in all over the world and had drunk Scots- tion among other things in an exclusive faced at the time, many of which remain March, and it was certainly an indicator men proclaiming loudly on global news feature interview with Grapevine (see unresolved and continue to haunt us. In of the good things to come. Entitled “Ice- networks that they hated Iceland. Still, for instance issue 10, “Björk Speaks Up

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P.6 Go Home with a story “But Iceland is the only debt-ridden worth telling! nation that has had an answer to the question: why did the banks fail? This impertinent question was answered quite thoroughly in a 2,600 page report published in April 2010 by the Special Investigative Commission (SIC) set up by Alþingi, the Icelandic Parliament.”

Sigrún Daviðsdóttir takes a trip down memory lane to the kreppa and its aftermath

P.8

“Most dramatically a French couple had to flee their rental car after flying pebbles broke their side windows, leaving them exposed to the full force of windassholery. In pictures, their car looks like it has been sanded down.”

Sandstorms are sweeping the nation! Cue the Darude song

P.10

“When third party negotiators are involved, they generally ask for higher salaries for men than they do for women. I feel this is the root of this problem, that women’s work is evaluated as being worth less than men’s work.”

Getting to the root of Iceland’s gendered wage gap year.

P.34

Open everyday “With the continued melting of glaciers from 8am-10pm due to climate change, one might be inclined to see the boat as a metaphor for the huge meltdown, for the heavy burden

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Issue 15 - 2013 www.grapevine.is Your essential guide to life, travel and entertainment in Iceland

Sweet Notes And Soft Tunes Oyama, Mammút & Pétur Ben Gamli Gaukurinn | October 10 | 22:00 | 1,000 ISK As the other denizens of Reykjavík prepare to slow their metabolism and conserve their energy, Oyama are waking up from their summer of hibernation and unveiling some new tunes. Gamli Gaukurinn is, of course, their venue of choice to test the waters with this new material, but they do not tread alone. Joining these seasoned rockers are the melancholic but mesmerising Mammút, and the warm-hearted and magical Pétur Ben. It’s a night of super performers putting on stellar performances. So cough up that thousand-krónur bill, and treat yourself. Winter is coming, after all. TGB MUSIC CONCERTS & NIGHTLIFE September 27 - 28 October 10 September How to use the listings: Venues are listed alphabetically by day. For complete listings and detailed information on venues visit www.grapevine.is Send us your listings: [email protected] Friday September 27 Boston 22:00 DJ KGB Café Rosenberg 21:00 Vocalist’s Song Jam Den Danske Kro 20:30 Troubadours Ingi Valur / Biggi Dillon 22:00 DJ Andrea Dolly 22:00 DJ Benni B-Ruff / B2B / KGB English Pub 22:00 Troubadours Raggi / Biggi & Maggi / Hjálmar & Dagur Gamli Gaukurinn 22:00 DJ Elevator’s Electro Swing Night DIY's Not Dead! Harlem KLIKK, MASS, and Aria Lamia at Dillon 22:00 Techno Night: Bitte Schön #3 Hressó 22:00 DJ Kongó Dillon | 22:00 | Free! Kaffibarinn 22:00 DJ Kári Lebowski Bar Noisy, dirty, intense. This is how you could describe the music of- 22:00 DJ ANNA B. fered at this event. Prepare yourself for some good old DIY chaos! Prikið 22:00 Long Happy Hour & Moon- The hardcore punkers of KLIKK, as well as noise masterminds shine MASS, are going to be supported by the misanthropic punk band Thorvaldsen 22:00 DJ Jón Gestur Aria Lamia. Their band members also play in the darkened hardcore Saturday September 28 and black metal bands Logn, Norn and Carpe Noctem and they just returned from a European tour – but big surprise: it’s their first ever Boston show in Iceland! Scream until you're hoarse, bang your head and 22:00 DJ Unnur Andréa Café Rosenberg fuck it up. JK 21:00 KK & Maggi Den Danske Kro 21:00 Troubadours Andri / Hreims- borgarar Dillon 22:00 KLIKK / MASS / ARIA LAMIA / DJ Andrea Dolly 22:00 DJ Karíus / B2B / DJ Kári English Pub 22:00 Troubadours Einar A / Biggi & Co Harlem 22:00 Techno Party: BORG 013 x Harlem Hressó 21:00 Gunni Óla’s Rock Quartet / VJ FúZi Kaffibarinn 21:00 Maggi Legó Lebowski Bar 22:00 DJ Rúndrés Prikið 22:00 Logi Pedro & Benni B-Ruff Thorvaldsen 22:00 DJ Jón Gestur Sunday September 29 Grassroots With Your Root Beer Tónleikur Grassroots Music Den Danske Kro 22:00 Troubadour Tryggvi English Pub Loft Hostel | October 3 & 10, 20:00 | Free! 22:00 Troubadour Addi Harpa Grassroots step into the limelight at Loft Hostel for two Thurs- 19:30 Chamber Music Society Play Three String Quartets days in a row. The musicians will play a variety of music, some of Kaffibarinn which you may expect to hate, but will be surprised to love. The 21:00 Party: FknSunday #1 Lebowski Bar newly-minted bands may currently be unknown, but make no 22:00 Troubadour Haraldur Einars mistake; there is a Jónsi, Emilíana Torrini and Lay Low in the mix Monday September 30 just waiting to be discovered. If you show up early, you can also catch Loft’s wonderful happy hour and ferment with some bub- Café Rosenberg 21:00 Troubadour Sveinbjörn bly wine on the forty-square-foot balcony before the bubbling English Pub artists start their show. TGB 22:00 Troubadour Ingi Valur

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Barónsstíg 11 - 101 Reykjavík Tel: 551 9555 argentina.is Lebowski Bar 22:00 DJ AB Loft Hostel 20:30 Piper Hayes (US) 5 Tuesday October 1 October Café Rosenberg 21:00 Róbert The Roomate English Pub 22:00 Troubadour Tryggvi Gamli Gaukurinn 21:00 Amateur Night KEX Hostel 20:30 KEXJazz Wednesday October 2 Dolly 22:00 BlazeSessh Vol.12 English Pub 22:00 Troubadours Hjálmar & Dagur Gamli Gaukurinn 21:00 Unplugged Night Return Of The Rockopalypse Thursday October 3 Rokkjötnar II Café Rosenberg Kaplakriki, Hafnarfjörður | 13:00 - 23:00 | 5,999 ISK 21:00 Flamingo Dolly 22:00 DJ Sura Guilty Pleasure Vol.15 Last year two thousand rockers made their way to the Kaplakriki English Pub sports centre to headbang their noggins out of their sockets. 22:00 Troubadour Eyþór Ingi Gamli Gaukurinn This year, the organisers are hoping to completely demolish the 21:00 Funk Night building with a whole day of heavy rock. The ten band lineup Hressó 21:00 DJ Katla includes Strigaskór Nr. 42, Ophidian I, The Vintage Caravan, Loft Hostel Agent Fresco, and Bubbi Morthens, the last of whom has not 20:00 Tónleikur Grassroots Music played anything that even resembles rock for decades. Fortu- Friday October 4 nately, Bubbi has partnered up with an all-star band, so we can Café Rosenberg hopefully expect a throwback to his rock-infused days in Egó 21:00 Kristíana Stefáns & Guests and Utangarðsmenn. It’s a bit of a trek from 101 Reykjavík, but Dillon 22:00 DJ Andrea it’s a great opportunity to quench your thirst for rock and fucking English Pub roll! TGB 22:00 Troubadours Raggi / Hjálmar & Dagur Harlem 22:00 DJ Jón & DJ Steindór Harpa 20.00 Moscow Virtuosi Thorvaldsen 22:00 DJ Jón Gestur Saturday October 5 Café Rosenberg 21:00 Ómar Diðriks & Sveitasynir Dillon 22:00 DJ Andrea Dolly 22:00 DJ Plan B English Pub 22:00 Troubadours Raggi / Tryggvi & Ingi Valur Gamli Gaukurinn 22:00 Tvö Dónaleg Haust Harlem ,AUGAVEGIA 26+ LEBOWSKIBARIS 22:00 Rix, BenSol, Steven Engelmann (DE) Hressó My Bratwurst Has A First Name 21:00 Babies Thorvaldsen Oktoberfest 22:00 DJ Jón Gestur Sunday October 6 KEX Hostel | October 3-5 | Free! (Except for food) Dolly Pretzels, schnitzel, schweinehaxe, sauerkraut, Maß jugs of 22:00 Old School House: DJ Margeir / DJ Frímann / DJ Grétar / beer… just the mention of these had our German intern, Jonas DJ Andrés (pictured above on the childhood body of Rainier Wolfcastle), English Pub 22:00 Troubadour Danni burying his face in his palms. “I escaped Germany to get away Monday October 7 from all this!” he lamented. But we don’t believe him one bit – his bratwurst has a second name and it’s K-E-X-H-O-S-T-E-L! We’re Café Rosenberg certain he’ll be at their Bavarian Biergarten for the whole three 21:00 Blúsfélagið English Pub days, yodelling along and dancing around in his Lederhosen to 22:00 Troubadour Raggi the blasmusik of München-natives Claus and Andreas. Go join Tuesday October 8 him to celebrate the best festival from Deutschland since the Love Parade got cancelled for good. RL Café Rosenberg 21:00 Sam Sam English Pub 22:00 Troubadour Ingi Valur KEX Hostel 20:30 KEXJazz Wednesday October 9 Café Rosenberg 21:00 Sigga Eyr English Pub 22:00 Troubadour Biggi Stúdentakjallarinn 20:00 Jamsession FÍH – Join In With The Jam Thursday October 10 English Pub 22:00 Troubadours Danni & Jon Gamli Gaukurinn 22:00 Oyama / Mammút / Pétur Ben Hressó 20:00 Battle of the Icelandic Bands Loft Hostel 20:00 Tónleikur Grassroots Music Revolution In Photography Alexander Rodchenko Retrospective Kjarvalsstaðir | Oct. 5 - January 12, 2014 | 1,200 ISK Alexander Rodchenko was convinced of the power of photography and strove to make people see it as an art form. Through his pictures, he wanted people to see the world with new eyes, which you will have the rare opportunity to do at Kjarvalsstaðir. On October 6 at 15:00, Icelandic Academy of the Arts professor, Guðmundur Oddur Magnússon (aka Goddur), will give a seminar on the works of Rodchenko at the gallery. Come take advantage of this rare opportunity to see and hear about a unique artist. KL ART

Hverf isgata 4 101 Reykjavík OPENINGS AND ONGOING Iceland +354 537 4007 September 27 - info@hverf isgalleri.is www.hverf isgalleri.is October 10 How to use the listings: Venues are listed alphabetically by day. For complete listings and detailed information on venues visit www. grapevine.is Send us your listings: [email protected] Opening

ASÍ Art Museum October 5 Surrounding A Deep Fjord Guðbjörg Lind Jónsdóttir and Hjörtur Marteinsson put on a mixed media exhibit that overtakes the Differences And Similarities whole gallery. It features landscape paintings, a skeletal spinal column Anna Hallin – Interplay sculpture, and an arctic tern sitting on a cloud. Ásmundarsafn | Sept. 21 – January 5, 2014 | 1,200 ISK Runs until October 27 Hverfisgallerí In this exhibition, Swedish-Icelandic artist Anna Hallin explores September 28 the threads that form so many connections in the history of art – This is the first posthumous between different countries, cultures and periods, and between exhibition of Georg Guðni’s works. one artist and another. The interplay between her own works and The exhibition features a series of oil on canvas landscape paintings the ones of the museum’s namesake, Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893- that have not been shown before in 1982), is the primary focus. The exhibition includes sculptures by Iceland. Anna, as well as drawings and an installation, which interact with Runs until November 2 Icelandic Printmaker’s the building that Ásmundur constructed and now houses his own Association collected works. Come on in and find out about the differences September 28 and the similarities between these two artists. JK Georg Guðni Fuglar Og Fífur Axel uses large canvases to project Erna Guðmundsdóttir opens up a Library displays books of Icelandic questions about the human condition. new exhibition called 'Birds And cultural history dating from the 16th Runs until October 5 28 September - 2 October Sedges,' which features colourful century to the present day. Museum of Design and Applied paintings of a variety avians, as well On permanent view Art HVERFISGALLERÍ REPRESENTS: Georg Guðni | Guðjón Ketilsson as fauna. Eiðissker Chance Encounters - Toward Guðný Rósa Ingimarsdóttir | Harpa Árnadóttir | Hildur Bjarnadóttir Runs until October 13 Rembingur Haraldur Sigmundsson has an exhibit Modernity In Iceland Design Loft Hostel Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir | Jeanine Cohen | Kristinn E. Hrafnsson The exhibit focuses on the October 21, 21:00 of 14 pieces about Iceland's national Magnús Kjartansson | Sigtryggur Bjarni Baldvinsson | Sigurður introduction of modernism in Icelandic The storyteller Ismael Velasco returns macho pride. Árni Sigurðsson | Tumi Magnússon domestic interiors from the 1930s to from his trip to Greenland. On his Runs until October 4 the 1980s. It will feature well-known way back home, he delivers his The Einar Jónsson Museum designs that have emerged from the Open: Tuesday - Friday 11 - 5pm and Saturday 1-4pm scintillating performance "The Life The museum contains close to 300 modernist movement of the 20th And Almost Death Of Riley." artworks including a beautiful garden with 26 bronze casts of the artist's century and made their way to Iceland. Reykjavík Art Gallery Runs until October 13 September 28 works Mokka Kaffi Collective Artist Exhibition On permanent view Hakur Dór Fifteen Icelandic artists are Gallerí Ófeigur Fifty years ago in the beginning of displaying their works in this eclectic UPPÍMÓTI September, artist Haukur Dór opened show. An exhibit by Gugga, two years in his first exhibition at Mokka in 1963, Runs until October 12 the works. She uses oil and canvas to explore the magnitude of Icelandic now his paintings are coming full Reykjavík Art Museum - waterfalls. circle. Kjarvalsstaðir Runs until October 17 October 5 On permanent view The National Gallery Inside Alexander Rodchenko Gallery Sign (Skilti) Ups And Downs Numerous photographs taken by one Skirt This exhibition explores the career of of the most important Russian artists Alison Willoughby displays a new Dutch artist Kees Visser, which has of the early 20th century will be photographic work on the cultural been closely linked to the evolution of exhibited. Curator is Olga Sviblova iconography of the British Kebab Icelandic art in the 1970s and 80s. Runs until January 12 Shop. Runs until October 27 October 5 Runs until December 20 Passage 2011 Explore Learn Discover Jóhannes Kjarval By The Banks i8 Gallery In 2011, the artists Thomas Huber and In this exhibition, several artworks Works on Paper Wolfgang Aichner pulled a red boat created by the museum's namesake, Thirty artists explore the medium of over the approximately 3,000 meters Jóhannes Kjarval, will be displayed. paper conceptually and literally as high Nevessattel pass in the Zillertal Since many of the paintings are both a subject and/or object. Alps down to Italy, on the other side. privately owned, this will be the first Runs until October 12 The vessel and the documentation of time they'll all be visible in one place. The Icelandic Phallological the journey will be on display at The Runs until January 26 Museum The museum contains a collection of National Gallery. more than two hundred and fifteen Runs until October 27 Ongoing penises and penile parts belonging to The National Museum almost all the land and sea mammals The Making Of A Nation - Heritage Árbær Museum that can be found in Iceland. and History in Iceland A guided tour in English through this On permanent view This exhibition is intended to provide open air museum, which consists of Knitting Iceland insight into the history of the Icelandic twenty buildings happens daily at Whether you are a beginner or pro, nation from the Settlement to the 13:00. Admission 1,100 ISK. you can come knit at Laugavegur present day. On permanent view 25, 3rd floor, every Thursday, 14:00 On permanent view The Culture House - 18:00. Icelandic Silverwork Medieval Manuscripts, Eddas, Ongoing Various silver items that have and Sagas The Living Art Museum - been made in Iceland over the It includes principal medieval Nýlistasafnið last 150 years. A Part-Time Silver manuscripts, such as Codices Regii Embracing Impermanence Smith, a separate exhibition, will of the Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, law Works from the museum’s run simultaneously and display a codices and Christian works, not collection will be presented silversmith’s workshop from the turn Iceland´s "rst educational and recreational forgetting the Icelandic Sagas. alongside recent works by of the century. On permanent view emerging artists. Works deal with Runs until December 31 Northern Lights Center. Learn about the facts Child of Hope - Youth and Jón and enjoy the beauty of the Northern Lights impermanence and durability. Sigfús Eymundsson Photography Sigurðsson Runs until December 1 A pioneer of Icelandic photography, Exploring the life of Icelandic national Latin Dance Studio, Faxafen 12 an exhibit that taps into the cultural hero Jón Sigurðsson, made especially Guided Practica heritage of Iceland. Visit us and experience our multimedia exhibition accessible to children, families and Argentine tango, Sundays from 17:30- Runs until January 2014 school groups. 19:30. Register by phone 821 6929 Nordic House Open every day from 10:00 - 22:00 On permanent view or email tangoadventure@gmail. Heroes Millennium - Phase One com, 500 ISK for students, 800 ISK This exhibition by Julie Edel A selection of pieces from the for others. Six-week courses are also Hardenberg is about the lack of Grandagarður 2 - 101 Reykjavík collection of the National Gallery, available. Greenlandic actors and films. She including a variety of works by On permanent view wants to draw an imaginative picture It's only a ten-minute walk from the city center Icelandic artists in the last two Listamenn Gallerí of a world full of Greenlandic “heroes.” centuries. Óvissulögmálið Since she was born in Nuuk in 1971, On permanent view In Jón Axel Björnsson's "The Law she has a personal interest in this www.aurorareykjavik.is The Library Room Of Uncertainty," he showcases the topic. The old reading room of the National potential of water paintings. Jón Runs until October 6 IN YOUR POCKET WHAT'S INSIDE Reykjavík Map Happy Hour Guide Places We Like Best Of Reykjavík Practical Info

Reykjavík September 27 - October 10 Keep it in your pocket Two Weeks The Grapevine picks the events, places and what to experience in the next two weeks SOUVENIR SHOP Projections Of Nature Until Oct. 27 PASSAGE 2011 In 2011, two 14-29 German artists Thomas Huber and Wolfgang SHOP OF THE YEAR 2012 SEPTEMBER Connected To Earth Aichner pulled a red boat over an elevation of 3000 meters in the Zillertal Alps down to Italy. The boat, and documentation of the journey, are on display at The National Gallery after premiering at the Venice Biennale festival.

Every Day TROUBADOUR ALARM! As you might have noticed, Reykjavík is a paradise for Troubadours and their profession as well. Almost every bar supports these folks. You might not have seen them all yet.

Every Friday & Saturday 23:00 ROCK THIS WAY Are you fed up of the same pop tunes playing in 101 Reykjavík, but don’t feel like going to a gig? Head on over to Dillon you’re your friends, enjoy a few pints, and let DJ Andrea guide you through the magical wonderland of rock and roll. Exhibition On Snæfellsjökull Gallerí Fold Free! October 21 LECTURE: "THE LIFE AND ALMOST DEATH OF RILEY" Back from his trip to Greenland, French-born, ‘Land Art’ artist Anne Herzog storyteller Ismael Velasco delivers this will be showing experimental paintings of stunning performance at Loft Hostel. Come the volcano Snæfellsjökull, made mostly from on in, listen to his stories and ask yourself wax. Anne is inspired by nature in both pro- the basic questions about life. And death, of jection as well as material use, often using course. Free entry! elements found in the wilderness to evoke natural mysticism in her work. Anne has spent three years focused on creating work around Snæfellsjökull in an attempt to place 28 The Ultimate Challenge it at the center of the earth. AB SEPTEMBER Sheer Beauty

October 9 JAMSESSION FÍH Everyone is invited to take place in this multi-intrumentalist jam session at Stúdentakjallarinn. Come on in, bring your guitars, your synths or whatever you'd like to play and have a great time while being a part of this crazy event.

October 4 – 11 DEAD NAKED CLOWNS! If you are afraid of clowns, you should head over to Gallerí Fold! Paintings of naked and very dead clowns litter the gallery, but don’t go to the opening night unless you want to see still living, but naked, specimen.

October 7 21:00 GET YO BLUES ON Do you have a case of the autumn blues? Don’t feel ‘Into The Mind’ Film Premiere 20:00 bad, just head over to Café Rosenberg to Bío Paradís From 2,200 ISK see Blúsfélagið perform songs about slow moving locomotives, and know that you are Blurring the line between dream state and not alone in watching the leaves fall gently. reality, ‘Into The Mind’ will let you look into the psyche of a skier who has accepted a lofty challenge – to climb and ski the The viking:info Ísafjördur October 8 20:00 FUSSBALL TOURNAMENT Are you ultimate mountain. Through astonishing Laugavegur 1 · Reykjavík Akureyri an expert at turning knobs and making small photography, you will be taken on a journey Hafnarstræti 1 - 3 · Reykjavík soccer figurines kick an even smaller ball around the globe, from Alaska to Bolivia, Hafnarstræti 104 · Akureyri into something that passes for a goal? Then Switzerland, Nepal and Costa Rica. But ‘Into Adalstræti 27 · Ísafjördur Reykjavík head over to Loft Hostel and see if you can The Mind’ also poses philosophical ques- e:info@the viking win the tourney! Winners get paid in cash tions about what it is that inspires us to www.theviking.is TAX FREE and beer, and a ticket to the international overcome life’s obstacle and what we learn finals. along the way. The result is both visually stunning and moving. Grab a ticket for this one-off special event on midi.is. AKL H

1 2 3 4 5

The Official Tourist Viðey Information Center ferry

Aðalstræti 2 101 Reykjavík Ð MAP SLÓ KLETTAGARÐAR Tel. 590 1500 www.visitreykjavik.is MAP KI FIS Places We Like A Cruise ÐUR harbour GAR DA Food AN GR 1 Gamla Smiðian K Maritime LE Lækjargata 8 Sigurjón TTA Museum GA This welcomed addition to Reykjavík’s pizza Art RÐ AR palette has been steadily winning over fans The Museum since it opened for business, and with good Old V Harbou EST B T U reason. Gamla smiðjan seems to handle US r RG AR ÐA every single order with care, love and ÁNANA R respect. As the dining area is sparse, locals M Old ÝR A R usually opt for take-out. G Harbour ATA NÝ Area LE ND SÆB UG RAU ATA T KLE HO R PP SVE I SVEGU 6 GU D L R AN T MNE R S FRA SG 2 G 3 Ð Bergsson Mathús A RÁ EI T NARG VE A STURG SUN ÍGUR AT G C T A AT EIRS Harpa DA TemplararsundGR 3 S A GA B BÁ T ORG A AR RU A Concert N GA D RG TA Offering an eclecticA selection of fresh and O Hall VE B A Reykjavík KI G AT healthy flavours, this new additionHRIN to casual RA ÖL RK KLEP U Ð D G Art R U J Æ GA US PS downtown dining prides itself on the use of TA Museum A V I G N E ND BR TI DU GU A BR ÆGIS Main TR R R localGR and seasonal produce. From their ingre- YG 9 RÆ Down LA A Á AU Tourist GV ST A Central dient list they turn out Middle Eastern,T soul G A Info AT Ð S HÁ A Bank T food, vegetarian and vegan dishes that are ÓL Town S U Ö VA AR A L VA VH A LL G perfect when you need more than a snack, ÓLS LA R L A HA B ÁS L GA I FN F GA L A T AR S S UG STR TA K Æ A but less than a full horse. VA G T TÚNGATA ÆTI ÚL V A A B A D A T RÆ AG RA L LL 5 Culture ÆK TN D A A AT U IR A ST US T AG L GA L E TU A U EL B RSTR House R A AV T A R AR A Ð Austur- ÆT Ð T A I A EIS D R 3 M völlur . Icelandic Fish & Chips KI H National R RK ST VE JU BAN R R LIND U S FISG U G !e be" sele#ion of TR Theatre AR E ÚS K R Æ AS G BRÚNAVEGU Tryggvagata 8 TI T AT GA V GAVEGUR RÆ A TÍ TA S SUNDLAU Icelandic TH TI E Icelandic design in the S 1 TA N RS SÆ UR SÓL Parliament 2 Ó R Not your averageEG fish’n’chips joint, this VA P A V MT PA B LS LLA VO MA N GA R olde" house in Reykjavík, JÓ GA N ARGA N TÚ U AU K ARST N AP GUR healthyAS restaurant uses only organic vegeta- TA KJ SST Í SÆ LA PL . T T A RÆ KL N K LÆ Taxi TI I Aðal"ræti %&. bles and quality fish products to serve their TI Æ 7 R NTEIGUR Laugardals TA HRAU B R ÆT TNSS U A A ÓK BRÚ fancy take on a fast-food classic. The spiced HR H T IG AT L.S S TR VA E RE A TÚN Swimming UR RG T. S AR AG I 8 BORG T YN N U TS S AT AT HTI ‘Skyronnaise’ sauce is a special treat, andLL G L LA S E Ð City U Uptown ÍS

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ME T L ÓN EI S F U of Iceland TA U GUR VE SK R U GU R UR OTHÚ R NJ AB R SV A Laugardalur www.kraum.is its great views NEand cheap accommodation, EG Á SHAG FU EL UR LS A GA BA RR H excellent dining and Ichoice beer selection— M AT TA O ÁTÚ KI B N N SG ER S R GÞ ARBR SIG Hallgríms R T along with an abundance of exciting events— BI LDUR ÓR ÚN National U ÚN Ý BA kirkja GAT A ÁT M you don’t have to wonder why. H library C L U D Church AU L YN KV SÓLE G G A A BRAUTARHOLT A G JU West T AT UR VE V A N EGU I G G I ST AG RG UR R

A R YJ AG Ð FR R K H BR A A AG NJ EY The Einar RSTÍ RG 5 LaundromatSide Café J I National UG Jónsson RÁ A A TA AT museum Museum Ð A Sundhöllin U Austurstræti 9 F SK ENGJAVEGUR JÖLNIS RA R Swimming I S GI U PHOL U HA G TÍG ENGJATEIGUR NNU At the Laundromat Café you can do your B Pool VE FORN ER VEGU ÓNSS T GU G R E N R S EI BA GI laundry, drink a beer and have a grandma T R Ú ÆGISÍ H A A R LS JA ÍK H Hljómskáli Ð AT S Zoo and AT G K read to your children all under one roof. ThisI R AR S Ó IP R I GA A HO G N N HA Ð University RG Park S TA LT Ð A G T T family park kid-friendly café/bar/restaurant prides itselfHA B T A R DA RÆ A L N RA LA LA B H of Iceland N AU A U U T T DU U Laugardalshöll SK on its diverse menu, good service, a 5,000 I R GI T FÁ BR M AU M S I PA book library, board games, and newspapers Æ VE RA Ú Sports hall S BR L G GUR SUND S H I E U OR ÁTEI V and magazines (including a fancy WALL OF R GS I LTA SN V L EG HO EFST GRAPEVINES!) UR Ú M G GUNNAR L A Á A TÓ S H R L S NGHO U TU Nordic House U ÁRMÚLI N MA R G F L LÓK D Drinking UA AG SARHAG GA VA AT T Culture Center TN A LT A SM RSTÍ E ÝR N S FÁ AR Á GJ V L VE R EGUR K GU AV AGA R GA A ML Ð 6 Café Haiti I TA 7 Kaffibarinn 8 Kaldi Bar 9 Harlem A HR EG A IN Kjarvalsstaðir UR TA AU T GB Taxi RA R A A UT National Geirsgata 7b/Verbúð 2 Bergstaðastræti AT1 LaugavegurARGA 20b TryggvagataBSÍ 22 AG Ð G Ð Í A R Museum AR A Coach SU Nestled in one of the former fishing HL T A popular café on weekdays,DD on weekends A small, stylishNJ drinking hole popular with This super hip bar has the super unique Ð O Terminal ÚT AU U H KA LÍ R R warehouses of the old harbour, Café Haiti Ð K L Kaffibarinn turns into a ticket for a wild the after-work business crowd, this is a great signature of being handpainted by sixteen B A A Ð T N is surely one of Reykjavík’s best cafés (and nightEGGE out, as the space fills up with the place to feel a little classier and drink with local artists and designers. So naturally it’s LÍ S AR D RT H R SB Klambratún A Ý this is no mean feat, as the Lcity has some SG Á RA YN late-nightAT souls oozing energy in every dignity. The beer selection is top-notch, and really big for the art crowd! Come by any RMÚL G A Park NG UT HAG UM nice coffee on offer). Go there for an excel- BÓL L AR I corner. With DJs playing and the occasional the handcrafted interior tips the scales of night for one of the many excellent DJs in LA ST G A SÍ I M Ð N A I H lent cup and some delicious light snacks M RHL Ð R I Í R Á rock band, the party usually lasts until early upscale rustic charm. You can be certain that their roster or regular events like karaoke HRINGBRAUT KL Ð RI U A AB K A MÚ FHEI R Ý LE during the day, or indulge Sin beer and low- AU IM T T ÁL AR morning, yet often manages to leave you conversation will rule, not loud music. and NBA screenings. Cheap drinks and I L H AM T AG I I HE SK S Ð key concerts at night. I A FT begging for more. good times abound. F BR R TAH L A LÍÐ Á AU GO

N IM T E AU H SA L TH Ð Ó Useful numbers Hafnarstræti 20, tel: 540 1313 16:00, Sun. closed. The shopping centres F S Public transport E ÓL A SKIH HLÍ M SK A BARMAH Kringlan and Smáralind as Swell as most The Icelandic Travel Market, Bankastræti 2, B Ý J Emergency number: 112 V Ú Ó R L K The only public transport available in Reykjavík EG ST G Í LÍÐ I tel: 522 4979 supermarkets and tourist shops have longer Ð A EY A Medical help: 1770 U R R is the bus. Most buses run every 20–30 minutes Ð opening hours. R H MI Trip, Laugavegur 54, tel: 433 8747 A L KL VEGU Í AB Dental emergency: 575 0505 Ð MÁ R (the wait may be longer on weekends) and the VAH AUT Swimming pools: Weekdays 06:30–22:00 and LÍÐ Pharmacies L Information: 118 price per fare is 350 ISK for adults and children. R ST J Þ weekends 09:00–17:00, although each pool IGAHLÍ ÓSHEIM OR RLyfA og heilsa, Egilsgata 3, tel: 563 1020 Multiple day passes are available for purchase at Ð Taxi: Hreyfill-Bæjarleiðir: 588 5522 GA Ð varies plus or minus a few hours. DR Í TA ÁP select locations. Complete route map available GN A U HL Lyfja, Laugavegur 16, tel: 552 4045 and Lág- HLÍ R BSR: 561 0000 Reykjavík Banks in the centre are open Mon.-Fri. 09:00- Ð O at: www.bus.is. Tel: 540 2700. Buses run from KA Ð múla 5, tel: 533-2300 K A 16:00. RV Tax Free Refund Domestic A SK 07:00–24:00 on weekdays and 10:00–24:00 on T O B GR UR Coach terminal LÖ S ÆN E G Post Offices NDU IF UR Iceland Refund, Aðalstræti 2, tel: 564 6400 Airport Taxi H AH AN weekends. Main terminals are: Hlemmur and LÍÐ LÍÐ BSÍ, Vatnsmýrarvegur 10, SVEG Tourist information Lækjartorg Post offices are located around the city. The Á GUR MI tel: 562 1011, www.bsi.is RVE KLA downtown post office is at Pósthússtræti 3–5, LLA BRAU Opening Hours VA FELL RENS Arctic Adventures, Laugavegur 11, UG T SMÚL Domestic airlines open Mon.–Fri. 09:00–18:00. Stamps are also FL G tel: 562 7000 I Bars and clubs: According to regulations, bars sold at bookstores, gas stations, tourist shops Air Iceland, Reykjavíkurflugvöllur, can stay open until 01:00 on weekdays and City Centre, Aðalstræti 2, tel: 590 1550 and some grocery stores. HAMR Kringlan AH Iceland Excursions – Grayline Iceland, tel: 570 3030, www.flugfelag.is 04:30 on weekends. LÍÐ Shopping Eagle Air, Hótel Loftleiðir, tel: 562-4200 C Shops: Mon.–Fri. 10:00–18:00, Sat. 10:00– Ð Mall HÖRGSHLÍÐ LÍ

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Nauthólsvík 6 7 8 9 Venue Finder New In Town Music & Entertainment Amsterdam Harlem Hafnarstræti 5 | D3 Tryggvagata 22 | D3 Austur Hressó Austurstræti 7 | E3 Austurstræti 20 | E4 B5 Kaffi Zimsen Bankastræti 5 | E4 Hafnarstræti 18 | D4 Bar 11 Kaffibarinn Hverfisgötu 18 | E5 Bergstraðastræti 1 | E5 Bjarni Fel Kaldi Bar / Café Austurstræti 20 | E4 Laugavegur 20b | E5 Bíó Paradís Kofinn Hverfisgata 54 | F6 Laugavegur 2 | E5 Boston Loft Hostel Laugavegur 28b | F6 Bankastræti 7 | E5 13 Anarkía Bunk Mánabar Hamraborg 3, Kópavogur Laugavegur 28 | E5 Hverfisgata 20 | E5 Celtic Cross Ölsmiðjan Anarkía is at once a gallery and an Hverfisgata 26 | E5 Lækjargata 10 | E4 experiment. It is founded on anarchist Den Danske Kro Ölstofan principles, where artists come together and Ingólfsstræti 3 | E4 Vegamótastígur | E5 present their art without having to play by Dillon Prikið the rules of the established art world. It is Laugavegur 30 | F6 Bankastræti | E4 also a place where grassroots artists are Dolly Reykjavík Beats spotlighted, and a home for lectures and Hafnarstræti 4 | D3 Hverfisgata 46 | E5 workshops. There are two exhibition spaces HAFNARSTRÆTI 5 & Dubliner Rósenberg currently in use by Anna E. Hansson and SKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍGUR 10 Hafnarstræti 1-3 | D3 Klapparstígur 25 | E5 Sævar Karl. Anarkía is open Tuesdays to English Pub Stofan Café Sundays, 15:00 to 18:00. Austurstræti 12 | E3 Aðalstræti 7 | D3 H For more information, go to www.anarkia.is Gamli Gaukurinn Thorvaldsen Tryggvagata 22 | D3 Austurstræti 8 | D3

S Glaumbar Vegamót K SÆ ÚL B Tryggvagata 20 | D3 Vegamótastígur 4 | E6 AG RA AT U A T Museums & Galleries LIND AR ART67 The Nordic House G ATA Laugavegur 67 | F7 Sturlugata 5 Mon - Fri 12 - 18 / Sat Tue–Sun 12–17 N 12 - 16 www.nordice.is TÚ GUR Í SÆ T Ásgrimur Jónsson Reykjavík Art Gallery

TNSS Museum Skúlagata 30 | E7 VA 4 TÚN Bergstaðastræti 74 Tuesday through Sunday BORGAR Uptown Mon-Fri through Sept. 1 14–18 AV E GUR The Culture House www.artmuseum.is Hverfisgata 15 | E5 Reykjavík Art The www.thjodmenning.is Museum - 10 Hafnarhús UR Tower The Einar Jónsson G N Tryggvagata 17 | D3 TÍ Ú Museum S GR S N A E KÚL Open 10-17 TT AT Ú K I AGA Eiriksgata | G6 S Ð K GA TA AT TA R F Thursday 10 - 20 A Ó Hlemmur Ö Tue–Sun 14–17 R GU N F Í UR H Kjarvalsstaðir T G www.skulptur.is S Bus Terminal TÍ A T Flókagata 24 S M T IÐ S AU Taxi T Gallerí Ófeigur VI ÚN Open 10 - 17 R ÓN Skólavörðustígur 5 | E5 NJ R AB Ásmundarsafn ÁLS GA BA RR ofeigur.notando.is Sigtún O H TA 12 ÁTÚ BER N N G S Hafnarborg Open 10 - 17 Hallgríms ÞÓR U www.listasafnreykja- kirkja GAT Strandgata 34, Haf- A vikur.is Church LAU narfjörður BRAUTARHOLT GA UR VE www.hafnarborg.is G Reykjavík City Library G UR Hannesarholt Tryggvagata 15 | D3 Einar RSTÍ Grundarstígur 10 | E5 www.borgarbokasafn.is son RÁ A www.hannesarholt.is Museum Ð Reykjavík City Sundhöllin U SK Hitt Húsið Museum - RA UR Swimming I ÍG PHOL Árbæjarsafn T Pool Gallery Tukt ÓNSS T Pósthússtræti 3-5 | E4 Kistuhylur 4 R E N EI BA GI R Ú Open daily 10-17 ÍK LS www.hitthusid.is AT S S G K Ó IP Settlement Exhibition GA A G TA N Hverfisgallerí T T Reykjavík 871+/-2 A AU Hverfisgata 4 | E4 T Aðalstræti 17 | E3 BR www.hverfisgalleri.is AU Open daily 10–17 RA BR S H i8 Gallery OR ÁTEI Reykjavík Maritime GS SN V Tryggvagata 16 | D3 EGU Museum R Tue–Fri 11–17 / Sat Grandagarður 8 | B2 GUNNAR 13–17 and by appoint- R 13 www.maritime-vv U ment. www.i8.is G FLÓK AG museum.is ATA RSTÍ The Icelandic Phal- Reykjavík Museum of lological Museum Photography Shopping 11 Spark Design Space 12 Lucky Records Laugavegur 116 | F8 Tryggvagata 16 | D3 www.phallus.is Klappastígur 33 Raðarástígur 10 Weekdays 12–19 / Sat– 10 Gullkistan Kirsuberjatréð Sun 13–17 If you’re looking for the newest and Frakkastígur 10 All freshly set up in their brand new, huge Vesturgata 4 | C2 www.ljosmyndasafn- coolest in Icelandic design, look no further www.kirs.is location just next to Hlemmur, this is hands- reykjavikur.is One of the oldest established businesses in than Spark Design Space. The shop and down the finest record store in town. Crate- Kling & Bang Saga Museum the country, these goldsmiths have endured gallery serves as a platform for artists diggers will marvel and fawn over their Hverfisgata 42 | E6 Perlan, open daily 10-18 Thurs–Sun from 14–18 nearly 150 years and have seen three and designers and their new projects that selection while the lay music listener can www.sagamuseum.is www.this.is/klingogbang generations of the same family pass down stimulate all four senses: touch, sight, smell easily pop in to pick up the latest from their Sigurjón Ólafsson their coveted tradition. Their works are truly and taste. favourites. Live music and DJs are regularly Knitting Iceland Museum unique pieces of Icelandic tradition. scheduled for live entertainment. Laugavegur 25 | E6 Laugarnestangi 70 www.knittingiceland.is www.lso.is Kunstschlager SÍM Public phones The National and University Library, Public Toilets Rauðarárstígur 1 | G8 Hafnarstræti 16 | D4 Arngrímsgata 3 Mon-Sat from 15-18 Mon-Fri 10-16 There aren’t many public payphones in the Public toilets in the centre can be found www.kunstschlager.com Tourist Information Centre, Aðalstræti 2 www.sim.is city centre. The tourist information centre inside the green poster covered tow- Living Art Museum Spark Design Space Icelandic Travel Market, Bankastræti 2 ers located, for example, at Hlemmur, at Aðalstræti 2, City Hall, Kolaportið, Skúlagata 28 | E7 Klapparstígur 33 | E5 entrance at Landsbankinn and in Lækjar- Reykjavík Backpackers, Laugavegur 28 Ingólfstortorg, by Hallgrímskirkja, by Tue-Sun 12-17 Mon-Fri 10-18 Reykjavík Art Museum, Lækjargata and by gata. Prepaid international phone cards Swimming Pools www.nylo.is Sat 12-16 Eymundsson on Skólavörðustígur. Toilets www.sparkdesign- are recommended for int’l callers. There are several swimming pools in Mokka Kaffi can also be found inside the Reykjavík space.com Internet Access Reykjavík. The one in 101 Reykjavík, Skólavörðustígur 3A | E5 City Hall and the Reykjavík Library. www.mokka.is Wind & Weather Most cafés offer free wireless internet Sundhöll Reykjavíkur, is an indoor one, Gallery access. Computers with internet connec- located at Barónsstígur. That pool features The National Gallery of Iceland Hverfisgata 37 | E6 tions are available to use at: a nice sunbathing area and some outdoor Fríkirkjuvegur 7 | F4 Open daily 09-02 hot tubs. Opening hours: Monday to Ráðhúskaffi City Hall, Tjarnargata 11 Tue–Sun 11–17 www.windandweather.is Thursday from 06:30–22:00, Friday from Ground Zero, Frakkastígur 8, near www.listasafn.is ÞOKA 06:30–20:00, Saturday from 08:00–16:00, Laugavegur 45 The National Museum Laugavegur 25 | E5 and Sunday from 10:00–18:00. www.thoka.is The Reykjavík City Library, Tryggvagata 15 Suðurgata 41 | G2 Open daily 10–17 F www.natmus.is

E Best Of Reykjavík Reykjavik Museum Every year around the beginning of July, we make a BEST OF REYKJAVÍK ISSUE celebrating some of Photography of what makes Reykjavík-life worthwhile, posting some good entries into a hopefully neverending discussion. The primary purpose of BEST OF REYKJAVÍK is celebration! It’s about big-upping stuff, giving mad props to it and patting it on the shoulder. The following are some nice tips we pulled Exhibitions all year round from BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2013 which you can read in full at www.grapevine.is ADMISSION FREE

GRÓFARHÚS 6th Floor Tryggvagata 15, 101 Reykjavik Opening Hours: Mon–Thu 12–19 BEST BAKERY: BEST MUSEUM: BEST BOOKSTORE: Fridays 12–18, Weekends 13–17 MÁL OG MENNING www.photomuseum.is SANDHOLT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

For the third time Sandholt wins this There are so many curiosities about Mál og Menning isn't just a place to category, which should not really Icelandic culture, art and history buy your next recreational read. It's a come as a surprise. It is a little bit that have been the focus in other place to buy your schoolbooks, liter- more expensive than the big bakery museums around town, but this one ary tomes, get a caffeine fix, pick up chains, but you’ll be hard pressed to has neatly condensed it all into one the latest Sunday Times, grab a DVD get better value for your money. They awesome building. We were totally for the weekend, get your kid some offer all sorts of pastries, chocolates, on board to give it this honour as crayons and stock up on stationary to cakes, breads and sandwiches that it’s one of those places that kind of write home about it all. Even though the other bakeries in town don't blends into the landscape, but when the four storeys of Mál og Menning and—as our resident Frenchie you go for a visit, you remember have more than you even thought notes—they use real butter in their how fucking cool this country is. The you needed, it is very well-organised pastries. “This is the only bakery in permanent collection is impeccably and easily navigable. The staff know town that is consistently on point displayed and is full of hidden gems their books and are happy to help you with their baked goods,” our former (look up, look down) and their tempo- out. They also do writers’ events and food critic says. “Their products also rary exhibits are state of the art. Plus, sometimes host concerts too. stand out and have a richer flavour they turned 150 this year! Top THAT! than anything else I've tried.”

Located at Laugavegur 36 Located in Suðurgata 41 Located at Laugavegur 18

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The Old Harbour Iceland Expo Pavillion Every day from 10:00 to 22:00, Sagafilms projects a film of Icelandic Tackling Macho Bullshit scenery inside their Iceland Expo Pavillion which provides a unique 360 Rembingur / Macho degree movie experience. On permanent view Reykjavík Art Museum - Eiðissker | Runs until October 4 | Free! Ásmundarsafn Artist Haraldur Sigmundsson has opened an exhibit mocking Tales From the Vault - Sculpture Inspired by Literature Icelandic society, in particular our culture of "rembingur" ("macho Kópavogur A collection of Ásmundur Sveinsson’s pride"). It is a mixed media exhibits featuring bright and colourful Art Museum- sculptures tied together by a paintings, and sculptures, each with names such as "The Dream Gerðarsafn common literary thread. The exhibit Land" and "The Icelandic Unicorn." If looking at sculptures of pink presents key works inspired by Hamraborg 4, Kópavogur Icelandic folklore, myth, and poetry. glittering flamingos, red spiky skulls, and blood soaked trousers is Tel. +354 570 0440 Runs until December 30 your kind of thing, then check out Haraldur’s show and support an Open 11–17 Anna Hallin: Interplay artist that clearly wants to smash the patriarchy! TGB Closed on Mondays In her exhibition Interplay, Swedish- www.gerdarsafn.is Icelandic artist Anna Hallin explores the threads that form connections Find all art listings A WOMAN PAINTING WOMEN in history, art, culture, time and online Jóhanna Kristín Yngvadóttir between one artist and another. The Hraunfjörð Hönnunarsafn Íslands exhibition includes sculptures by listings.grapevine.is 1953 – 1991 Museum of Design Anna, as well as drawings and an and Applied Art installation. Garðatorg 1, Garðabær Runs until January 5, 2014 Tel. +354 512 1525 Reykjavík Art Museum - The Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn turbulence and anguish of the Cold Open 12–17 War tensions. Hafnarhús This vessel sailed through all three Closed on Mondays Žilvinas Kempinas: Fountains Cod Wars and also served as a Runs until December 1, only during www.honnunarsafn.is Lithuanian artist Žilvinas Kempinas rescue ship to over 200 ships. weekends. installed reels of magnetic tape that On permanent view Spark Design Space ripple like waves with the help of 75th Anniversary of the Seaman’s Anatomy of Letters Hafnarborg Chance Encounters industrial fans. Day Council Sigriður Rún explores ancient The Hafnarfjordur Towards Modernity in Icelandic Design Runs until January 5, 2014 An exhibit celebrating the 75th Icelandic letters by imagining Centre of Culture Tomas Martišauskis: Creature anniversary of Seaman’s Day by them as organisms with their own Lithuanian artist Tomas Martišauskis telling the story of the Day from particular anatomies. She has just and Fine Art translates the notion of traditional its first envisionment to current received the Art Directors Award of Strandgata 34, Hafnarfjörður sculpture by translating an object celebrations. Europe in the student category, one Tel. +354 585 5790 into various mediums. The object Runs until November 30 of the most distinguished graphic Open 12–17 itself will not appear in the exhibit. Reykjavík Museum of design awards in the world. Thursdays 12–21 Runs until September 30 Closed on Tuesdays To Runs until January 12, 2014 Photography th Pipelines - Gentaro Ishizuka Wind and Weather Window www.hafnarborg.is e B Icelandic Video Art 1975 - 1990 lue L This exhibition explores the first steps This Japanese artist started this Gallery agoon Indications – Buildings within a Building taken by Icelandic artists to use video project on photographing pipelines Rebekka Erin Moran - Das Ist Elín Hansdóttir, Ilmur Stefánsdóttir as an artistic medium. The works back in 2011. Since then, he has Keine Adidas Marcos Zotes, Theresa Himmer, Gordon Matta-Clark shown were first exhibited in Iceland taken many shots of the longest An installation of an Adidas jacket, between 1980 and 1990 and only a pipelines in the world. The works plaster, freedom leg bag, and urine few have been shown since then. combine industrial construction with by Rebekka Erin Moran is on display Runs until January 19, 2014 the beauty of nature. in the windows of the Wind and The Reykjavík City Library Runs until November 5 Weather Window Gallery. Wandering Ghost Contemporary Landscape Runs until October 30 The German artist Moki, exhibits This exhibition consists of 12 works Volcano House illustrations from her book, by Icelandic Photographers who are The exhibition gives a brief overview ‘Wandering Ghost,’ in the library focussing on nature in Iceland. It is of Iceland’s geological history and including a special wall piece. not about “post card photography” volcanic systems, and there are Runs until October 31 but the connection between human superb photographs of volcanic Reykjavík City Museum beings and nature itself. eruptions and other magnificent Reykjavík 871 +/- 2: The Runs until January 12, 2014 aspects of Icelandic nature. A large Settlement Exhibition Saga Museum collection of semi-precious rocks and Archaeological findings from ruins of A Viking Museum that intimately minerals from around the country are one of the first houses in Iceland and recreates key moments in Iceland's also on display. Travel the other excavations in the city centre, history, giving a compelling view On permanent view open daily 10:00-17:00, 1,100 ISK per into how Icelanders have lived for Þoka adult, 650 ISK per person in groups more than a millenium. From the Screen Blind (10+) and free for children 18 and time of the earliest settlers, history Þór Sigurþórsson has an exhibit world of music under. is brought to life in a unique and with a series of sculptures and wall On permanent view exciting way with life-like figurines. pieces focusing on how we view View our exciting 2013/14 season Reykjavík Maritime Museum On permanent view nature today through the computer From Poverty to Abundance Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum screen, reality through virtual reality. at www.sinfonia.is. Photos documenting Icelandic De Profundis Instead of projecting nature on walls, fishermen at the turn of the 20th A collection of sculptures by Sigurjón he instead wraps beans, seeds, and century. Ólafsson and the paintings of his objects in the thin films that make up On permanent view contemporaries. This group of artists our computer monitors. The History of Sailing are known today as “trailblazers of Runs until October 20 Iceland's maritime history and the modernism” in Iceland. As the title growth of the Reykjavík Harbour. points out, beneath the smooth On permanent view surface of the works lies the

Box office » 528 5050 » www.sinfonia.is » www.harpa.is F D For your mind, body and soul

Come For The Baba Ganush

Balkanika next to us. We picked our own seats yoghurt sauce. That was definitely and proceeded to browse the menu. the most exotic dish of the evening Vitastígur 10, 101 Reykjavík Being a stranger to Balkan food, and it was surprisingly yummy. most of the dishes on the menu We lingered over the remains were unfamiliar to me, so we took of our meal for what seemed like What We Think: the waitress’s recommendation and a long time before the baklava was Quaint & quiet, perfect for an went for the mixed platter (10 small finally brought to us. Our waitress’s unusual date dishes). As an afterthought we threw former enthusiasm seemed to have Flavour: in a mixed grill for an extra 3,990 died suddenly over the course of the No-frills ethnic comfort food ISK, mostly because it had “BO- evening. We kept on chatting and Ambiance: NUS—TURKISH COFFEE AND picked at our sticky baklava (which Intimate/kitschy BAKLAVA” written next to it, which, was little too compact and dry), all in the author’s humble opinion, is the while waiting for our Turkish Service: one of the greatest dessert combina- coffee. After a while, I got the un- Will refuse you with a smile tions known to man. easy feeling that we had overstayed Price for 2: First to arrive were the appetis- our welcome, so I casually asked (no drinks): 4,900-9,800 ISK ers: hummus, tzaziki, red pepper our waitress about the coffee. We mixed platter paste and baba ganush served with received a tired smile with the expla- piping hot pita bread. Their flavours nation that this was indeed normally were rather timid, but the baba included but she had decided not to ganush had a wonderfully fresh taste offer it to us as the hour had grown that was easily gulped down. late. After what seemed like only a While there’s nothing pyrotechni- On a Friday night in Reykjavík, couple of bites, a flood of dishes cal about this fare, it’s certainly not you simply couldn’t ask for a more began rolling in so fast that we without character and there’s an peaceful, intimate setting. I doubt suddenly found ourselves swamped authentic cosiness to it that’s hard to you could fit more than twelve with exotic-looking fare. Highlights find elsewhere. I’m definitely com- people in here, and yet nothing included the paprika borek (a deep- ing back for more baba ganush. about it was cramped. With its dark fried dream stuffed with feta) and But I still feel ripped off by the wood panelling and orange-washed the lamb shish dripping with smoky lack of coffee. walls, the décor couldn’t be more at juices. The sesame chicken strips odds with itself, but it was warmer had sounded terrific on the menu, and far more inviting than some of but were not as crackingly fresh as the chic interiors of Reykjavík’s new- I’d imagined. The curious “Cigarette est restaurants. Borek” turned out to be a deep-fried We were greeted by a smiling pastry roll stuffed with feta, an waitress, who looked at me incredu- imaginative concept but too mild to lously when I asked if she had a be genuinely interesting. I preferred table for two—maybe because there the cigar-like dolma: savoury rice PATRICIA ÞORMAR were at least three empty ones right stuffed in vine leaves and dipped in MAGNÚS ANDERSEN

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Revival Of The Fittest

clean and the air is not too heavy or chose the classic béarnaise, while Argentína stuffy, despite the grill. I’d hate to I had the foyot-version—basically Barónsstígur 11a, 101 Reykjavík imagine how it was, however, when a béarnaise with beef stock. Both Argentína offered up huge cigars our steaks were cooked to a tender What We Think: after the meal, back in the days when medium-rare perfection, they were It’s an Argentina steakhouse— indoor smoking was allowed. Ahh, truly “melt in your mouth” delicious, rustic, macho and meaty the ‘90s... not really needing anything like the Flavour: In any case, today’s menu is sauce or extra seasoning. True meat South American, southern made up of starters consisting of heaven. The sauces were however, European either something with langoustines quite good. The foyot was excellent Ambiance: or Carpaccio. My companion chose even. Fine dining, but relaxed and homey roasted langoustines and escargot in For dessert my companion de- too. garlic and coriander (2,980 ISK). The cided on a warm Valrhona choco- dish came with a bit of rocket salad late cake served with home-made Service: and a citrus dressing which was very vanilla ice cream (1,940 ISK). I was Service is second to none refreshing. The langoustines were a basically too full by this point and Price for 2 (with drinks): touch overcooked, but overall a fine simply asked for a spiked coffee 30-35,000 ISK starter. I had the lobster soup with drink, the “Argentina” (1,450 ISK) lobster tails and cream (2,420 ISK). with amaretto, tequila and whipped It was a cognac-based soup, very cream. Perfect for the time and place powerful and tasty. There tends to and very tasty. The Valrhona takes 20 be confusion in Iceland about what minutes, as it is made from scratch, Argentína has been a well-known es- a lobster is and what a langoustine but it was totally worth it. It had a tablishment in Reykjavík since it first is, and this was not lobster, but wet and oozy centre and it went well opened in 1989, but its heyday was langoustine. There could have been with the fresh vanilla ice cream and undoubtedly in the ‘90s. Throughout more langoustine tails, but knowing honey-roasted crushed nuts for some the decade of questionable hairstyles what was coming up next, there was crunchy texture—a true delight. and 501 Levi’s jeans, Argentína was no reason to complain. All in all we were very pleased the restaurant of choice for lead Before our main course, our waiter with our meal. There were hardly singers of pop groups, movie stars also brought us a palette-cleanser. A any faults and the service was impec- and business moguls who wanted to mint sorbet served in a wine glass cable. Everything was explained see and be seen. This, however, has with sparkling wine. This was a nice very clearly, our glasses were always not been the case after the turn of touch, very refreshing, perfect for full and we were made to feel very the century. starting anew. relaxed and at home—the way it As the name suggests, Argentí- For our main courses we had should be. We both agreed that na’s forte is something very Argen- already decided that we were going to Argentína is due for a revival. The tinian—huge charcoal grilled steaks. “pack in an artery,” to quote Seinfeld. meaty, creamy, buttery culinary arts The place itself is very “macho,” as When in Rome and all that. My might not be good for you on a daily far as the term goes: there’s a lot of companion had the 35- day dry aged basis, but if you want to indulge in wood on the walls and a large grill rib-eye (6,350 ISK) and I went for those elements once in a while—Ar- is placed in the middle of the dining the more conventional T-Bone steak gentína is the place for you. area next to the kitchen. The decor is (5,930 ISK). All steaks at Argentína somewhere between a hunting lodge are served with a baked potato with BJÖRN TEITSSON and the inside of a medieval castle— sour cream, wok-fried vegetables and MAGNÚS ANDERSEN but in a good way. The place is very a sauce of choice. My companion

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