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THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND IN THE ISSUE Issue 2 • 2011 • February 4 - March 10 2011 + COMPLETE CITY LISTINGS - INSIDE! SHOPPING DAIRY #CABLEGATE MUSIC TRAVEL What will we do Skyr gets Siggi'd Greatest hits... The Sugarcubes: Snowboarding, without Havarí? did they world dominate glacier hiking: NICE! or die?

Transparency

WIKILEAKS IS NOT THE POINT!

The info-wars have begun, and Iceland is begging to be the legislative battleground.

Indeed, the so-called info-wars are raging, and Iceland is getting a piece of the action. Learn the story of Iceland's tryst with WikiLeaks and their love-child, the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative, whose plan to make the country into a transparency and information haven might put us back on the map. PAGE 10 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 2 — 2011 The Reykjavík Grapevine Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík 2 www.grapevine.is [email protected] Editorial | Haukur S. Magnússon Published by Fröken ehf. www.froken.is Member of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association SOME WWW.GRAPEVINE.IS EXCLUSIVES www.saf.is Haukur’s 36th Editorial

Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies. ‘Cuz we can’t possibly fit all this awesome stuff on FUCK YOU, NEW YORK TIMES TRAVEL SECTION our pages Editor: Haukur S Magnússon / [email protected] But not really. More like: fuck all of us. -What is Crealism? Journalist: Interview with Luis de Miranda, father of the ‘Creal- Anna Andersen / [email protected] A regular day at Grapevine HQ entails lots of trying devaluation of the krona that followed the country’s ism’ movement. Editorial: 2008 financial crisis, the breathtakingly beautiful is- -Jónsi GOES LIVE +354 540 3600 / [email protected] to keep folks happy, at least trying to avoid angering - show review Advertising: them. See, Reykjavík is a pretty vibrant city, and there land is a lot more affordable, meaning that a hotel room +354 540 3605 / [email protected] are lots of people staging lots of events that all need that was $200 before the crash might cost $130 now.” -Apparat Organ Quartet release bash Publisher: and deserve our attention/promotion, to ensure all you I was sorta outraged. “HOW DARE THEY?” I – show review Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / [email protected] +354 540 3601 / [email protected] readers out there know about them and perhaps attend thought as I ground my jaws. “Are we enduring mass -Marc Vincenz examines Iceland in the interna- them. unemployment and severely painful cutbacks to essen- tional media Contributing Writers: So we get anywhere between ten and fifty emails tials like healthcare, education and welfare [not to men- -Ryan Parteka tackles Reykjavík’s weird traffic Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir culture Sam Knight every day asking our help publicising an art show or tion the most joyless, soul-killing discourse known to Dr. Gunni concert or theatre performance or new puffin shop or humankind] all so some fancy New York Times reader -Explorer extraordinaire Louis Philippe-Lonke Markús Þór Andrésson whatever. This is fine; this is why where here: to serve can save $70 on his or her hotel room? Fuck you, New interviewed in depth Valur Gunnarsson -More BEST OF #CABLEGATE Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl Iceland’s amazing community of artists, performers York Times travel section. Fuck you very much!” -LOTS OF NEWS Bob Cluness and entrepreneurs, and to ensure you know about all I relaxed a little. “Why would anyone revel in large -LOTS OF HOT TIPS Egill Helgason the cool stuff that they’re doing. We strive to serve our groups of people’s disadvantaged position anyway, just Nathan Hall -LOTS OF EVERYTHING ELSE Magnús Sveinn Helgason purpose, and we strive to provide equal exposure to ev- because it benefits them financially? There’s some- Madeilene T. eryone out there—although we do seem to favour some thing awfully wrong and distasteful about that mode Paul Fontaine-Nikolov of the work being done by our friends and/or relatives, of thinking. Shouldn’t they at least pretend to be down James Crugnale Bogi Bjarnason as is the style in Iceland (c’mon, that was a joke. Light- about it?” I mumbled to myself. Birkir Fjalar Viðarsson en up!). Filled with righteous indignation, I angrily closed Eiríkur Kristjánsson In any case, I was working on something or other the tab on my browser and clicked through to a link

Editorial Interns: the other day when I got one of those emails. This one someone posted had posted on Facebook. “APPLE’S Alda Kravec / [email protected] was from ‘concert hall and conference centre’ Harpa’s CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY”, the link said, and it Sindri Eldon / [email protected] recently appointed PR representative, enquiring wheth- took me to a story about workers at the FOXCONN fac- TRACK OF Steve Ganey / [email protected] THE ISSUE er we wouldn’t like to publicise the house a bit, as it was tory in Shenzhen, China, and how they suffer abuse, On-line News Editor opening soon and all. “Sure,” I responded, “maybe a bit injury and insane work hours so we can save money on Download your free track at Paul Nikolov / [email protected] closer to when it opens this spring, though, as we are sexy designer electronics. grapevine.is Art Director: Hörður Kristbjörnsson / [email protected] running a really short issue in February.” I read about the inhumane conditions at the factory Design: She replied saying that was fine, but it would be where my MacBook and iPod were made by workers as Páll Hilmarsson / [email protected] cool getting something on our website at least. Maybe young as 12-years old. And even though I had known Photographer: Hörður Sveinsson / hordursveinsson.com we could write something about The New York Times all about conditions at factories in places like China Sales Director: travel section naming it a ‘MUST SEE’ attraction and India—where most of our non-digestible consum- Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / [email protected] when they dubbed Iceland one of their ‘41 Places To er goods are manufactured—for a long time, I still died Guðmundur Rúnar Svansson / [email protected] TRACK OF THE ISSUE Distribution: Go In 2011’ article (who travels to 41 places in a year, a little inside. [email protected] My mind raced, and suddenly I recalled all the though?). She attached a link to the piece in question. Sin Fang: Always Everything Proofreader: I got a little excited. New York Times has a gigan- disposable clothes I have bought at places like H&M Jim Rice Download the FREE track at www.grapevine.is Press releases: tic readership, and it’s a pretty cool newspaper. Maybe through the years. Items that I damn well know are [email protected] them pointing to Iceland as a cool place to visit will made by disadvantaged people under horrifying condi- Submissions inquiries: mean more tourists visiting, which means more adver- tions, items that I still bought because I feel like I can [email protected] Sin Fang Bous used to be the solo vehicle for Sea- tising, which translates to more pages per issue for us never afford anything and 2.000 ISK for a pair of jeans Subscription inquiries: bear’s Sindri Már. It still is, except now it’s called Sin +354 540 3605 / [email protected] to write about everyone that’s staging events in Reykja- is just such a great price! Fang (which is a cooler name anyway). Now, don’t General inquiries: vík, which means fewer angry glares from artists and I thought about every article I ever read in Icelan- [email protected] worry, the music is still really, really good. You read- dic media recommending some far off destination or Founders: event promoters when I go out drinking. ers may confirm this by hopping on over to www. Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson, So I clicked through and scrolled down the page other because it was cheap, because they are poor, be- grapevine.is and downloading ‘Always Everything’, Hörður Kristbjörnsson, (we’re number four, after Santiago, Chile; San Juan cause they are undergoing (or live in a constant state of) Jón Trausti Sigurðarson, this issue’s TRACK OF THE ISSUE. Oddur Óskar Kjartansson, Islands, Washington and Koh Samui, Thailand). I am ‘hardship’. The track comes from Sin Fang’s forthcoming album, Valur Gunnarsson not easily offended, especially on behalf of my nation And I thought: “Sorry for judging you, New York ‘Summer Echoes’ (to be released on March 4 via (in fact, I quite enjoy offending my nation given the Times travel section. I guess most of us deserve a big Morr Music/Kimi Records). It is a fine display of why The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times chance), but their headline offended me. It said: ol’ FUCK YOU.” so many people have fallen for Sin Fang’s sound. It is a year by Fröken ltd. Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly from May til Octo- adventurous, yet curiously conservative. It is heart- ber. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced 4. Iceland Present company included. felt, yet distant. A whispered scream, if you will. We in whole or in part without the written permission Where a country’s hardships are a visitor’s gain look forward to the full-length, and so should you. of the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine is dis- The opening paragraph read: “Iceland’s economic tributed around Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, crash has had an upside, at least for tourists. After the www.myspace.com/sinfangbous Seyðisfjörður, Borgarnes, Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at key locations along road #1, and all major tourist attractions and tourist information centres in the country. Comic | Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored. (No articles in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’).

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Transparency

WIKILEAKS IS NOT THE POINT!

The info-wars have begun, and Iceland is begging to be the legislative battleground.

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Dear Grapevine, has been missing out! Not sure about underwater rugby Please let me know if you might be being the only truly ‘three dimensional’ I am an Australian who has just arrived interested. sport around, though. Hmm. We don’t in Reykjavik for the first time (and have follow a lot of sports, but most of the been an avid Grapevine reader from Kveðja, non-video game ones seem to be pretty abroad for a while now). I am ostensibly three-dimensional. here to study on exchange, but my real Bobby Chen Also unsure about Iceland being goal and ambition is to start an UN- S: 774 7992 a Nordic high-achiever, either. This DERWATER RUGBY team in Iceland is where some KREPPA joke or other and spread awareness about the sport. Dear Bobby, could make an appearance, but we’re Underwater rugby is an amazing sort of sick of those. Maybe a handball sport of endurance, speed, underwa- Welcome to Iceland! And good luck pun would be in order? ter-agility and teamwork. It is the only with starting that ‘UNDERWATER Anyway, Bobby. Hopefully you will sport in the world that is truly three- RUGBY team’ you keep going on about. succeed. Underwater rugby seems like dimensional - you can pass the ball up, It sounds both interesting and fun, in a fun, pointless thing, and there are down, left, right, forward and back- equal measures. never enough fun, pointless things wards! (youtube it!) It is most common- Hope you don’t mind us printing around. We apologise in advance if you ly played in Germany and all the other your phone number. We thought: may- are besieged by crank-callers going “are Nordic countries, except Iceland. be some reader out there will be inter- your balls wet, Bobby?” at all hours. I was hoping you may be interested ested in playing rugby underwater for That would be most unfortunate. How- in doing a short story for the Grape- whatever reason, so if we print Bobby’s ever, our readers are very sophisticated, vine about this "most Nordic of Nordic number then maybe that reader can call so that probably won’t happen. And if it sports" and why Iceland, a real Nordic Bobby directly and enquire about play- does, your FREE PIZZA will hopefully high-achiever and benchmark-setter, ing underwater rugby. help you get over it.

Dear Sindri, ers. I did not "learn to write musical cri- consider that the end of the issue. I'm tiques" and the reason I have this job is not saying everyone who is of a certain Where did you learn to write musical because I wanted it and no one told me skin tone is prone to behaving in a cer- critiques? Your assessment of Friðrik I couldn't have it. I'm sorry if I sound tain manner, I'm just saying that mu- Dór's album was so childish and unpro- defensive, but bad paragraph construc- sic traditionally associated with white fessional, I'm amazed that you actually tion is a weakness I have, and you kind people is not the same as the music tra- have this job. Let me explain: of struck a nerve. I have no delusions ditionally associated with black people. about being more qualified to do this It's not an important distinction, but it's ''Okay, I know how this is gonna sound, than anyone else, but here I am doing it, there, "politically incorrect" as it is. It's but I’m sorry, Friðrik Dór just despite five years of people I don't know lamentable, true, and in an ideal world isn’t black enough to pull this shit off. telling me I shouldn't be. one would not include race as a factor I’m sorry, there’s simply no when reviewing music (if Friðrik Dór other word for it.'' Now. My review of the Friðrik Dór al- where black and still made piss-poor bum is my honest opinion, and I made R&B, I'd just say he was "lame" and not Really? You had no other words to de- use of the Grapevine's no-punches- "white"), but we do not live in an ideal scribe the production value or basic pulled critical policies to print what world. Music cannot simply be music: sound of this release? Maybe you should I am fully aware of is a somewhat ris- try as we might, we cannot disassociate be doing something else then, because qué implication: that being raised in a the artist from his work. your blatantly tasteless descriptions re- predominantly "black" environment ally aren't going to cut it. Throughout provides one with certain musical sen- That's pretty much what I meant. I could reading your poorly crafted paragraph, sibilities that are not in abundance in have printed the above paragraphs as I couldn't even tell if you were actually suburban Iceland, a predominantly my review, and in retrospect, I probably being serious about this statement: "white" environment whose musical should have. I'm just sick of music re- WELCOME CARD roots, Norse/Northern European folk views that use long, complicated words ''Who knows, maybe Friðrik will ‘black- music, do not offer much variety when no-one in real life uses to make a point en’ with time… I mean, look at Justin it comes to danceable beats, soulfully that could just as easily be made with a See more and save more WELCOME CARD INCLUDING Timberlake.'' ad-libbed vocals and other features tra- conversational tone, and if that tone of- CITY BUS TRANSPORT, when visiting Reykjavík. FREE ADMISSIONS, 2009 - 2010 DISCOUNTS OFF TOURS, ditionally associated with R&B, funk fended you, I'm sorry, but chances are SHOPPING, AND SERVICES and AVAILABLE FOR 24, 48 Lol. You're so clueless. and hip-hop, all of whom trace their you're going to stay just as mad at me: Free admissions discounts AND 72 HOURS. off tours, shopping and services origins to African-American communi- just because I made my point in a more for 24, 48 or 72 hours. 8 Gleðileg jól, ties. This is exactly the kind of music literate, round-about way, doesn't mean 2010 4 Friðrik Dór aspires to make, and, be- you're going to agree with me. Great value for money. WELCOME CARD Jasmine ing neither raised in the environment The Welcome Card can which established this form of music as Thank you for your letter, it encourages

HBS 48592 01 . be purchased at: a popular genre, nor being blessed with me to do a better job next time. The Centre, major hotels, museums, Hello Jasmine, the ability to affect said upbringing in SIA.I S tourist information centres and a convincing manner, fails at his first Yours, Hlemmur and BSÍ bus stations. First off, I did "describe the production attempts. ÍSLENSK A value and basic sound of this release" S. Eldon in completely race-free terms, as the Human society needs to rise above the portion of my review you didn't quote insipid folly that is racism, but still ac- will show, and I know my paragraphs knowledge the fact that different com- are poorly crafted: that's why I'm writ- munities will always produce different Aðalstræti 2 • 101 Reykjavík • Tel +354 590 1550 • [email protected] ing music reviews on mediocre R&B people, and we cannot overcome this www.visitreykjavik.is instead of penning soaring, genre- fact by simply ignoring it and saying spanning epic multinational bestsell- "everyone is equal and different" and

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( Like-yar-torg) Visit our sales office downtown at Lækjartorg square, call (+354) 540 1313 or go to www.grayline.is The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 2 — 2011 Some of you might remember Sam Knight from last year's You should head to WikiLeaks.is, explore those cables and 'TUSSUGATE' controversy on our website. send us any interesting finds to [email protected] 6

Leaked | Cables Cables | Paul Fontaine-Nikolov

More online! The Good, ICELAND DIPLOMATIC CABLES EXPLORED The Bad And The Ugly By now, probably many of our readers have at least perused the diplomatic cables made available on WikiLeaks. We read with great interest the ones that came from the US embassy here in Reykjavík, and overall there are few surprises. But that doesn't mean there isn't some hilarious, heartbreaking, and fascinating material to be found. The following are some of the snippets that made us drop our jaws, provoking either laughter or sober pause.

Iceland and America – BFFs 4 LYFE “Iceland is reaching out with increasing desperation to any available source of help as it confronts one of the most trying cri- ses in its history. Assistance from the U.S. at this crucial time would be a prudent in- vestment in our own national security and economic well being. The Icelanders take fierce pride in their flawless history of paying back their debt. Whatever the financial turmoil and uncertainty of the moment, it's a good bet that this economy of highly- educated, imaginative, and sophisticated people will take off again. And when it does, and when the competition in the High North really gets underway, it may be more important than we can yet suppose to have the Icelanders remember us as the kind of friend who stands by in fair weather Note: not actual 'diplomatic cables'. and foul. ” -September 2008

On Iceland coming to terms with the IMF Urged “Debt Restructuring Outside Courts” base closing, the embassy offered this metaphor “If the universal stages of mourning are turing outside of the courts,” especially the legal challenges that may arise in “Whether IMF officials denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and Words when considering that the protracted the coming months. What might debt- acceptance, then some members of the Sam Knight legal battle over foreign currency in- ors lose by rushing into a quick settle- stir in their beds at Icelandic intelligentsia have now entered dexed loans was awaiting an important ment? If judges find that fraudulent the anger stage. Arguably Reykjavik had Photography judgment at the time the cable was acts perpetrated by bankers affect the night worrying about been in denial from 2003 (or even earlier) until March 15. Post still anticipates eager wired. status of certain loans, will squeezed Hörður Sveinsson the welfare of Icelanders Icelandic entry into bargaining as soon as But for whatever reason Flanagan households and businesses rue a hast- a U.S. negotiating team can come to Reyk- dished the wisdom in question, the ily mediated settlement? And what if and the stability of javik.” government may have taken the ad- there are further rulings, which broad- Iceland, or whether they -March 2006 vice to heart. Prior to the completion en the number of unlawfully issued for- of the IMF's most recent review—its eign currency loans? Will households actually intend for the Oh the irony According to one of the Ameri- fourth since credit lines were opened and small businesses regret dashing to government to corral “There is no question that certain imbal- can diplomatic cables released by in 2008—the government announced restructure interest payments then? ances have emerged in the Icelandic WikiLeaks, Mark Flanagan, chief of plans to allocate additional resources In the view of the IMF (and the gov- debtors into “voluntary” economy, including a high current account the IMF team in Iceland, advised the to encourage debt-restructuring nego- ernment), expedited voluntary settle- deficit, high inflation and high private sec- Icelandic government to encourage tiations between troubled debtors and ments are crucial to Iceland's recovery agreements when the tor debt levels. It remains an open question, however, whether these imbalances because the situation is complicated the restructuring of private sector creditors. Typical debt restructuring law may have otherwise render Iceland particularly vulnerable to debt outside of the legal system. scenarios include “bondholder hair- by the fact that certain individuals and an economic crisis. Financial analysts have cuts”—when creditors agree to scale businesses are in arrears with a multi- reduced their hardship, articulately argued both sides of the case.” back interest payments to ensure the tude of institutions. Moreover, Flanagan the Icelandic people -April 2006 In a December 2009 cable entitled ‘ICE- debtor's financial solvency—and debt- warned against the “moral hazard” of LAND NEEDS FINANCIAL AUSTER- for-equity trades, whereby creditors aiding “nonviable borrowers.” But while could be forgiven for How to win friends and influence Ice- ITY’, Sam Watson, the former charge downsize interest payments in return it can't be doubted that certain house- landers: get them drunk and talk about d'affaires and current DCM at the US for a share of profits if the house or holds acted irresponsibly and don't suspecting that the latter sports, apparently Embassy in Reykjavík, reported to the business is sold. deserve any assistance, couldn't the scenario is closer to the “Cultural programming is a key element same be said for the old banks and their State Department that Flanagan im- In a letter to the IMF, the govern- of Embassy Reykjavik's public outreach, plored Iceland “to look at ways to facili- ment detailed these plans, which are foreign creditors who have succeeded truth.” which aims to foster a positive image of tate debt restructuring outside of the aimed at bringing heavily indebted them? Is there not moral hazard in the U.S. among Icelandic citizens and, courts.” In Watson's words, Flanagan households, small and medium enter- forcing heavily-indebted households for the government to corral debtors especially, elites. ... Even sophisticated, offered the advice due to “the small size prises and their respective creditors to pony up cash when banking execu- into “voluntary” agreements when the worldly Icelanders act immensely flattered by an invitation to be the Chief of Mission's tives' significant obligations vanish into law may have otherwise reduced their of the court system,” in which 48 judges to the bargaining table. To prod heav- guests, and by all appearances they leave preside over all cases. ily burdened households towards non- thin air? And what ever happened to hardship, the Icelandic people could be such events in a haze of warm feelings When asked to specify what sort of litigious deliberations, the government due diligence? Is a bondholder haircut forgiven for suspecting that the latter about transatlantic relations. [...] What proceedings Flanagan was referring to has expanded funding for the Debtors' the best way forward when bondholder scenario is closer to the truth. With a we tend to end up doing most often is in and why he believed them to be nec- Ombudsman, and had the banks agree chemotherapy isn't even on the table? litany of legal complaints surrounding effect to stretch our budget by providing duty-free alcohol for receptions at exhibit to offer a write-down of mortgages to matters related to debt and a public essary, an IMF spokesperson refused openings and art festivals. Because alco- to comment, saying that it was rare for 110% of the mortgaged asset's value. “Voluntary” agreements weary of close ties between the state hol is highly taxed in Iceland, our gifts of staff to comment on leaks. As far as troubled-but-viable small and The government and IMF believe that and big business, it wouldn't be a wine for receptions strike Icelanders as far Despite Flanagan's concerns over medium enterprises are concerned, the “across-the-board write-down of debt, stretch to predict that many households more generous than they actually are. In the number of judges within the Ice- government intends to incentivise debt case-by-case restructuring, reduc- will take their chances with further liti- return for these gifts we get thanked on in- vitations and publicity materials prepared landic judicial system, according to restructuring. While it did not detail tions in loan-to-value ratios across- gation. Certainly this leak does nothing by the event sponsors, and we get invita- nationmaster.com, Iceland has the 16th how it intended to enact such a plan the-board restructuring” would be “too to improve the IMF's reputation as an tions for our staff to attend events along highest number of judges per capita in in its letter to the IMF, the government costly and ineffective”. Yet they are opaque debt collector for multinational with high society. Then we use the events the world; the United States—the coun- stated that legislation concerning un- also bent on recapitalising the banks, financiers, despite the best efforts of to hobnob, make connections, and talk up try with the largest prison population in paid taxes resulting from debt and tax despite the fact that many MPs believe the IMF external relations department. U.S. policy. [...] We spend a lot of time trying to explain U.S. policies, for example, in the world—is ranked 22nd on the same liabilities related to debt-write-down that the financial sector is still too large. It’s only natural for institutions to the war on terror. But with many audienc- list. was imminent. The government also Unsurprisingly, the government, intent tiptoe around their skeletons; the man- es—especially an Icelandic audience that intends to offer a mortgage payment on “fully restoring the health of the ual for standard operating procedure at has no personal experience of terrorism or What does it mean? subsidy to lower income households banking sector,” consulted the “cor- Guantanamo, for one, instructed guards war—these days, no amount of explaining With the majority of Icelanders equat- in distress, which will be financed by a porate and banking sectors” when for- to deceive the Red Cross. However, if is going to win support or even sympathy for these policies. Sometimes it seems like ing the IMF to the institutional version levy on financial transactions. mulating its plans. Expect an Icelander dirty secrets exist, combing through re- the best we can do is distract people from of a stranger with candy, it would come with ties to the Social Democrats to cords might reveal more than expected. policies they find repugnant with marvel- as little surprise if Flanagan's advice “Moral hazard” own West Ham United by 2014. Like Julian Assange said in a recent in- lous cultural and sports programming that raised a few eyebrows. Already scep- While such an agenda seems innocu- Whether IMF officials stir in their terview with The Guardian: “Any form focuses them on America's ongoing spec- tical of the IMF’s priorities, Icelanders ous and forthright, it may not allay con- beds at night worrying about the wel- of large-scale abuse must be system- tacular contribution to world heritage.” -December 2005. are bound to wonder what Flanagan cerns that the deck will be stacked in fare of Icelanders and the stability of ised." intended by advocating “debt restruc- favour of the banks when considering Iceland, or whether they actually intend Book now on www.re.is we‘ll Book now by calling 580 5450 taKe you there! day tours to all the Most excitinG places in iceland

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BSÍ Bus Terminal • 101 Reykjavík • 580 5400 • [email protected] • www.re.is The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 2 — 2011 Magnús Sveinn Helgason is a regular Grapevine contributor. He is married to Sólveig Collage photos taken from www.rvk9.org, where folks from around the world have Jónsdóttir, one of the accused nine. He is one of the administrators of the web page been showing their support by sending in photos of thenselves with RVK9 related rvk9.org and participated in the liveblogging of the trial. 8 paraphernalia.

Farce | Magnús Sveinn Helgason

A FAILED ATTEMPT TO DISPIRIT ACTIVISTS The Reykjavík Nine farce leaves Iceland’s activists strong, organised

While a verdict is still pending in the staff of the Parliament had deleted benches that day—had been armed, exactly how each of the accused had by the defence, which argued that the trial of The Reykjavik Nine, it’s safe most of the footage the security cam- that in fact none of them had carried participated in the ‘attack’—the pros- nine had only wished to exercise their to say that the prosecution has lost eras recorded that day. Only about four anything that could be used as a weap- ecution pointed to a judicial precedent constitutional right to visit the public the case in the court of public opin- minutes had been preserved, while on. So why had their visit been flagged where a gang of Polish criminals had benches, and that the supposed vio- ion. The decisive blow came during everything that transpired after the po- as an “attack”? The parliamentary recently been sentenced for a brutal lence amounted to scuffles resulting the court hearings in January, de- lice arrived at the scene has been lost, security guards said that the people attack in one of Reykjavík’s suburbs. from the chaos caused by the overre- livered by the prosecution itself. meaning it is impossible to get a com- had not hung up their coats, and one Of course Lára was not arguing The action of police and guards. plete picture of what happened. This is of them remarked that they “do not let Reykjavik Nine were a Polish criminal No matter the impending verdict, The state prosecutor, Lára all the more serious, as several of those these kinds of people inside,” without gang. Nevertheless, this was seized the supporters of The Reykjavik Nine V. Júlíusdóttir, had called to accused have described scenes of po- further explanation. upon by the press and the public, who were jubilant at the last day of the trial. witness numerous police lice brutality, and everyone (including saw in this an apt illustration of how A large and diverse network of activ- officers, parliamentary se- the police) has described the scene as Classic bumbling overreac- the government had overreacted in this ists had formed during the course of curity guards as well as the bureau “chaotic”. Under questioning, none of tion and incompetence case, and how the prosecution had lost the trial. This grassroots movement chief of parliament, Helgi Bernódusson. the police officers could say who had Far from depicting a careful anarchist all sense of proportion. Commentators had organised support concerts, writ- The plan was no doubt to have the wit- been in charge of operations, nor could conspiracy to attack Alþingi, what pointed out that the entire case and the ten countless newspaper articles and nesses attest to the violent nature of they say if the guests present had been transpired was a classic picture of the revelations during the trial about “lost” blog posts, and then live-blogged the the supposed attack and the determi- given a clear order to evacuate the kind of bumbling, unnecessarily brutal security camera footage had seriously entire trial proceedings on January nation of those accused to inflict harm, building. What they could say was that overreaction and incompetence that damaged the image of Alþingi, and that 18-20, the first time a trial had been to prove that the accused were mem- they received a message from Alþingi characterises the way governments re- the entire trial was a farce. live-blogged in Iceland. The supporters bers of a conspiracy to compromise the that the house was “under attack,” a act when the public seeks to exercise had also managed to get the attention “independence and sanctity” of Alþingi, message that seems to have prompted its constitutional right to protest. They have most certainly of international media and activists. At a crime carrying a minimum sentence every available officer in the greater News accounts of the trial focused failed a nearby café, which had served as a of one year in jail. Reykjavík area to rush to the scene on the lost footage from the security We have yet to see whether the judg- makeshift centre for the supporters, without any clear idea of what was re- cameras and descriptions of police es view the case in this light; whether the air was celebratory. “We do not let these kinds of ally going on. brutality, as well as one of the judicial they were convinced by the prosecu- If the aim of the authorities had people inside” The police officers and security precedents the prosecution referenced. tion that the nine had indeed conspired been to squash protest and dispirit What emerged from the testimony of guards admitted that none of the ac- Arguing that the supposed attack was to attack Alþingi, in the process at- activists by prosecuting The Reykjavik these witnesses was a completely dif- cused—or the larger group of people an organised criminal act—and it was tacking policemen and parliamentary Nine, they have most certainly failed. ferent picture. It was revealed that the who attempted to visit the public therefore unnecessary to establish guards. Or, whether they were swayed

Dairy | Skyr Gettin’ Siggi Wit It Americans nostalgic for Icelandic-style skyr find fulfilment in Siggi’s for that creamy, protein-packed treat. son describes the process of coming up from. There is also increasing interest looking for—hormone-free cows that Would I ever be able to enjoy it again? with his own distinctive flavour as ar- in yogurt and different kinds of dairy are given access to pasture. These are Fortunately, a brilliant Icelandic entre- duous. “I went through endless batches products in the US. This combined with local, family farms that support humane preneur, Sigurður ‘Siggi’ Hilmarsson, at first... many that failed or that were the move towards eating less sugar and animal treatment—no factory farming.” brought the confection across the pond sub-optimal! I was finally satisfied with more protein; I think people just un- While Hilmarsson still misses the and made the Nordic staple ubiquitous the flavour and began selling the skyr derstood that there was a market for a taste of Icelandic milk, he hopes to in the States. about a year and a half after I started healthy product like ours.” Hilmarsson continue to spread the healthy side of Siggi had a similar yearning for his experimenting.” attributes much of the success of his Iceland’s cuisine across the States. “I homeland’s delicacy when he moved to Siggi’s comes in a plethora of fla- product with the access Whole Foods think the values of Iceland—at least in the US to attend business school. He vours including grapefruit, acai, pome- provided. “Whole Foods was definitely regards to diet and nutrition—can have A life without skyr is a life half lived. grew disillusioned by the sugar-laden granate-passionfruit, blueberry, orange a feat. It really helped us to get on the an impact on American culture in this As a writer for the Grapevine in 2008, American-style yogurts and decided ginger and vanilla. Peach and straw- map in a lot of places where we didn’t move towards more healthful eating, while doing research for the “definitive to take matters into his own hands. berry are reportedly coming soon. have exposure. Right now, we are in incorporating a lot of the classic Icelan- guide to mjólk,” I discovered Iceland’s Hilmarsson created his own signature The overwhelming success of Sig- more than 1500 stores all over the U.S., dic diet such as fish, healthy dairy and most delectable culinary secret. With batch, dubbed as Siggi’s Skyr, in his gi’s Skyr surprised Siggi. “From the and we are lucky to be growing that in general, minimally processed foods.” few dietary options as a vegetarian cramped Tribeca apartment in 2004. In beginning, the reception to our product number every day,” he says. in the country (has anyone invented the years since, the product attracted a was much more positive than I antici- Siggi’s Skyr is now produced at vegan svið yet?), the thick, delicious loyal following and has become made pated—people are becoming more and Evan’s Farmhouse Creamery in up- yogurt became my go-to breakfast, widely available at Whole Foods and more aware of how food is made, pay- state New York, in my own hometown lunch and dinner. Since flying back to many other natural/health food stores ing attention to the ingredients, and of Norwich. “It was important for our james cRUGNALE the States, I became growingly wistful throughout the United States. Hilmars- caring about where their food comes farms to fit the certain criteria we were ROBYN lee Get todays international papers at Eymundsson

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THE BIGGEST CLUB IN DOWNTOWN REYKJAVIK. LIVE MUSIC EVERY WEEKEND. WWW.NASA.IS The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 2 — 2011 What do y'all think? Will the IMMI laws be passed by Alþingi? Will Iceland be the world's haven from libel laws and gag orders? Will it rescue us from KREPPA? Leak your thoughts to [email protected] (also, if 10 you're interested in leaking actual documents to us, we wouldn't mind printing that stuff).

Feature | IMMI

Information Without Borders?

Iceland, WikiLeaks and the electronic frontier

The info-wars have begun, and An amalgamation of legal provisions Iceland is begging to be the leg- from around the world dealing with “The economic benefits to being the safe-haven for The IMMI proposal islative battleground. In the wake source and libel protection, freedom free speech are very well known, because the last of the international controversy of information and transparency, the The IMMI proposal combines stat- made mainstream in part thanks to IMMI proposal has garnered interna- country that did it is still the dominant empire on utes from around the world—Swe- WikiLeaks’ highly-publicized and tional attention as the most compre- den, Belgium, the United States and continued release of leaked docu- hensive legislative protection package the planet.” France, among others—dealing with ments from around the world, Ice- for investigative journalism and free source and libel protection, freedom land remains curiously relevant to speech that the world has seen to date. of information, and transparency, for Iceland to take a specific route or functioning. So in essence you do not the debate raging globally about Notably, three of the five primary au- in the hopes of creating compre- direction, this could fit into that sensa- have anything that is in any way akin to transparency reform, information thors of the Parliamentary proposal— hensive legal protections for media tion that the nation had.” a democracy, if you don’t have informa- freedom, and the future of journal- Julian Assange, Rop Gonggrijp, and organizations, newspapers, journal- An Icelandic MP and the founder of tion.” Birgitta Jónsdóttir—are among others ists, and sources alike—globally. ism. The Icelandic Modern Media The Movement (formerly of The Citi- Initiative (IMMI), founded last year being probed by the U.S. Department of zen’s Movement), a political party de- Antidote to secrecy in tandem with a proposition to Justice as part of the ongoing criminal The proposition was passed unani- voted, as she puts it, to “changing the The idea for Iceland as the “Switzer- drastically overhaul the country’s investigation into WikiLeaks' disclosure mously by Alþingi on June 16th, way we do business in Parliament,” Bir- land of bits”—the information-focused freedom of information laws, is re- of thousands of leaked State Depart- 2010, and has thus become parlia- gitta considers the freedom of informa- equivalent of a tax-haven—was first sponding to the new info-climate by ment cables beginning in November mentary policy, though as of yet it tion debate to be central to the ques- brought up to members of the IMMI proposing a legislative framework 2010. has no legislative value. All of the tions Iceland struggles with as it begins at an Icelandic Digital Freedom Soci- that could effectively make Iceland Yet for many freedom of information proposed improvements to at least its slow recovery from the economic ety conference in 2008. The sugges- into an international transparency activists following the transparency 13 laws in four different ministries collapse. tion came from John Perry Barlow, an safe-haven. movement—WikiLeaks is not the point. have yet to be passed, and the es- “I’ve read the Shock Doctrine,” says American cyberlibertarian and one of “This is a much more complicated timated time for the entire IMMI Birgitta, “and that implies that when na- the founders of the Electronic Frontier story than just WikiLeaks,” says Smári package to be legislated is about tions are in crisis, very damaging legis- Foundation. The following year, the DFS McCarthy, co-founder of the Icelandic one year. lation is often pushed through because invited WikiLeaks to speak at their an- Digital Freedom Society, ex-WikiLeaks people are simply in too much shock to nual conference. Reiterating Barlow’s volunteer, and one of the authors of the The proposal’s primary sponsor in realise what sort of impact it can have. sentiment of an information Mecca, IMMI proposal who as of yet is not vis- Parliament was Birgitta Jónsdót- But during that state of shock, you can WikiLeaks also did him one better, ibly under investigation by the DOJ. tir who, along with Julian Assange, also do very positive things.” providing the members of IMMI with a “To focus on them is like to focus on Smári McCarthy, Herbert Snorrason “If you live in a democracy,” Birgitta list of laws regarding press and source one grain of sand on a very big beach.” and Rop Gonggrijp, was also one of says, “and don’t have freedom of infor- protection that had proven useful to the proposal’s primary authors. mation, it’s not a democracy. And peo- them, a list that would become the The IMMI Revolution ple have to understand that if you don’t blueprint for the IMMI proposal. Smári and others in the core organizing Birgitta says it would be “bizarre” if have freedom of information online, it’s “We cherry-picked all the best laws group of the IMMI describe WikiLeaks the overwhelming support shown not going to be offline, either.” from around the world that are dealing as the “crowbar” of the information for the proposal by Parliament in Underlying their emphasis on the with the issue of freedom of informa- freedom movement—the wedge that June of last year wouldn’t translate importance of freedom of information tion, speech and expression,” says Bir- opened the floodgates—propelling the when the laws have been written (or foi as some of them really do call gitta. “And what we did was not only issue into mainstream discussion. and are ready to go through the Par- it), in particular with regard to legisla- cherry-pick the best laws, but the laws “I’ve been doing this for a lot of liament. tive reform, the philosophy of the IMMI that are actually functioning as the best years,” says Smári, “and I’ve always had organisers seems to be based in the laws. They don’t only look good on pa- to start off by explaining what the hell shared belief that information is central per. The reason for that is that if our I’m talking about. Now I don’t have to to a functioning democracy. law would come under attack, because explain that anymore. Now I just have No information left behind “When Iceland’s economy col- we’re a relatively small nation, then to figure out a way to make it seem less The question of how best to facili- lapsed,” says Smári, “what we saw was it would be an attack also on the law antagonistic.” tate information flow, and how to do that every single failing that caused in Sweden, or Belgium or the United But in Iceland that battle may al- it responsibly, is a key and contended that collapse was a lack of information States, or France.” ready be close to being won, especially question brought into the public eye by flow. The regulators, the banks, the au- Julian Assange—who helped draft since the IMMI proposal was passed the actions of WikiLeaks over the past ditors, everybody throughout the chain the proposal and also to present it to unanimously by Alþingi in June of last few years. either had insufficient information, or members of Parliament prior to the year. Herbert Snorrason is one of the whoever was supposed to be regulat- vote—wrote in a blog entry on the “[We started talking about IMMI] primary spokespeople for OpenLeaks Words ing them had insufficient information. Guardian website the night before it just after the big National Assembly [in (www.openleaks.org), a whistleblow- So the entire thing can be to some was filed, that he hoped that “Iceland Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir 2009], where ‘integrity’, ‘equality’ and ing alternative that launched its site late degree understood as just a failing in could be the antidote to secrecy ha- ‘honesty’, were sort of the key words” last month and that advocates a more information flow. And of course if you vens.” Illustration says Birgitta Jónsdóttir, the proposal’s egalitarian approach to the distribution don’t have the information you don’t “It may become an island” said As- chief sponsor in Parliament. and release of leaked documents. Her- Hörður Kristbjörnsson have accountability, you don’t have any sange, “where openness is protected – “I realised that if there was a time bert ended his stint as a WikiLeaks vol- of the safeguarding structures actually a journalism haven. Sleet Street 2.0” The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 2 — 2011 Learn more about IMMI at www.immi.is 11

unteer in September 2010, right around the same time as several other key A beach of bits names, including Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Rop Gonggrijp, Smári McCarthy, and The backdrop against which the Julian Assange’s ex-right-hand man history of IMMI and of WikiLeaks is and current OpenLeaks spokesman set involves the complicated history Daniel Domscheit-Berg. of the Internet, and the up-until- “There was some drama,” says recently-underground discussion Smári. “The split was of course rather regarding transparency and infor- dramatised in the media. But it wasn’t mation freedom on the electronic necessarily bad drama. The divergence frontier. is just healthy, really. It means that you get this proliferation of different ap- “The world has been kind of in flux proaches to the same goal.” the last couple of years,” says Smári The OpenLeaks approach, says McCarthy, “and this is definitely Herbert, is to “function as a mere con- adding a lot of fuel to that fire. But duit between a whistleblower and an this isn’t the revolution, by far.” organisation of their choice.” “We will operate in a content-neu- In fact, Smári tells us this isn’t even Smári McCarthy - Photo: Hörður Sveinsson tral manner,” says Herbert. “Making Birgitta Jónsdóttir - Photo: Julia Staples Herbert Snorrason - Photo: Árný Herbertsdóttir the first ‘cyber war’. The first war editorial choices is not our place. We're was waged through the last decade not functioning as a journalistic organ- of the last century, he says, and in particular are so bad that “you can isation, and in some sense I think that's although it has a lot of volunteers, it’s mess, and it’s complicated, and the ex- ended with a Supreme Court ruling actually go back to the first days of the where WikiLeaks started to go wrong." very difficult to make any efficient use perts in the field speak a language that whereby encryption was taken off Internet and pull things out of the his- WikiLeaks’ high-profile approach of those volunteers because you have a most of us don’t understand. The job of the U.S. Munitions List. ‘Bernstein torical record. And this is what’s hap- and global-impact emphasis, says Her- single person who wants to be aware of a good journalist is to translate that into v. United States’ decreed written pening, stories are being taken out, be- bert, leaves a lot of valuable leaked in- everything that’s going on.” a language that we understand. For me, software code as a form of speech cause the media outlets can’t afford the formation untouched or underused. that should be the role of RÚV.” protected by the First Amendment; time or the money to deal with the libel “With the policy of maximizing im- Climate change Indeed for many of those familiar prior to 1999, cryptography had the lawsuits,” particularly by large corpora- pact it seems fairly obvious that the Another of the IMMI’s underlying prin- with the state of the media in Iceland, same export restrictions as nuclear tions trying to protect their image and leaks that are most likely to be chosen ciples is that the benefits of reacting the suggestion that the country could warheads, meaning that one had to interests. are the ones that are the easiest to use proactively to the changing informa- become a lifeline for investigative jour- be licensed by the State Department “The same with super injunctions,” in order to have an impact,” says Her- tion climate are systemic—they include nalism, a Mecca for freedom of infor- as an arms dealer before one could she adds. “That is such an incredible bert. the possibility of true transparency, mation, seems quite ironic. “export” software code by posting it thing. I couldn’t believe it at first, but “Yes, WikiLeaks does make ev- responsible politicians and responsible “I was speaking at the Association on the internet. I’ve actually gotten it confirmed by a lot erything available publicly, which is journalists. of European Journalists earlier [last] of journalists who have been victims a good thing. But at the same time it “There is so much need to set laws year,” says Birgitta, “and there’s nobody “Basically if you lived outside the does mean that there's this massive ar- from Iceland in this union. It’s been go- U.S. you didn’t have access to good chive of things that hardly anyone has ing on for 56 years, and never have we crypto,” says Smári. “And if you lived looked at. And because it's public, no “There is absolutely no place whatsoever for any sort had any Icelandic journalists in that. in the U.S. you didn’t really use good journalist is interested in looking at it We’re very passive when it comes to crypto anyway because you might because they can never be sure that of unilateral decision making. The problem with journalists understanding that they’re accidentally export it and land your- they won't get scooped by somebody that is that it’s called dictatorship.” part of an international community.” self in jail for a long time. In 1999 else. And that means it just sits there.” “Journalists have a big responsibil- that barrier dropped and suddenly OpenLeaks, meanwhile, expects ity,” Birgitta says. “It is not only about e-commerce became possible. The that the documents flowing through having the freedom [of information], fact that we can buy stuff online is a their system will be related mostly to you have to be able to translate it so direct result of the hackers winning of it. Super injunction means that, say local issues, though the organisation that are in line with the fact that infor- that the rest of the people can share or the first cyber war. So imagine what you’re writing a story about BP, and itself will be working globally. mation doesn’t have any borders any- have access to it in such a way that they good it could do for the world if we they find out. BP talks to the head of “Local impact is better than global more, in our world,” says Birgitta. actually care.” win the second one.” the BBC or whatever, and say 'were go- attention,” says Herbert. But in Iceland, perhaps the biggest But good journalism cannot exist ing to sue you if you do this.' Then you OpenLeaks hopes to be able to sell for the IMMI legislative framework in a vacuum. There is a vital interplay How winning will be defined in reach a settlement and the settlement function as a mere middle-man, help- is the ways in which the country could between demand and supply, and a the current ‘war’, including where includes a gag order, a super injunc- ing to direct information from leakers be benefited financially. cultural change in the understanding of and by whom, is a question that tion, which means that you can’t tell to the organisation of their choice, by “The economic benefits to being the role of journalism, seemingly must information freedom activists and anyone that you can’t write the story. providing a mechanism that ensures the safe-haven for free speech are very follow. whistleblowing organisations like And then if accidentally you find out anonymity. well known” says Smári, “because the “Well, the Icelandic media are rather WikiLeaks continue to struggle that I’m under super injunction, you This approach is at its core quite last country that did it is still the domi- pathetic,” says Smári, “but I think that with. What remains to be seen is are automatically, as a journalist, under distinct from that of WikiLeaks, at least nant empire on the planet.” they’re starting to realise this. Whether how governments, organisations super injunction too. It’s unbelievable. as far as how the organisation sees it- “Well, kind of.” that will drive them to become better, I and societies as a whole respond to And this is Britain.” self; WikiLeaks' slogan, after all, is “we “If you look at how the U.S. did don’t know. But I don’t really think this the changing conditions of the as- open governments,” but the OpenLeaks things in the early days,” he contin- is so much about Icelandic media, as yet-largely-undefined paradigm of Lost in translation approach hopes to be much more egal- ues, “they basically ignored European Icelandic society as a whole. Because the Internet, wherein information no But the problem is systemic, and Ice- itarian. copyright and patent laws and just said, it isn’t just the media that needs to be longer has any borders. land is no exception to the rule. In Au- “Our goal is to help as many people ‘well, we want people to innovate here.’ reformed.” gust 2009, state TV station RÚV was as possible to provide resources for They took a very interesting stance He continues: “The general public The most pressing question, at least slapped with an injunction minutes whistleblowers,” says Herbert. “So our towards information freedom. Iceland needs to realise that information free- to the organizers of IMMI, is what to before airing a story about Kaupthing goal is not in any sense specifically to can do that. And we can do it a lot fast- dom is absolutely worthless if people do when the war has been won. bank’s ‘large loan book’—a package pressure change in governments or er.” are going to be turning a blind eye to all of documents leaked by WikiLeaks other organisations, it’s simply to make The compelling need for proac- of the bad things that are going on.” “We need to figure out what is go- revealing hundreds of billions of ISK sure that other people are able to get tive legislative reform, says Birgitta, is In the end, much like WikiLeaks ing to happen if victory happens,” that were essentially funnelled from their information out there. What the largely apparent in the state of the me- and, tentatively, OpenLeaks, the IMMI says Smári. “How are we going to the bank to its own shareholders in the long-term consequences of that are is dia, particularly in Europe and especial- is meeting a global demand, although restructure society? This means we form of loans just before its collapse. quite debatable. The immediate conse- ly in the U.K., “where it is actually much the impact may turn out to be local. need to look at how infrastructure In January that same year, prior to the quences are quite likely to be that or- worse than most people are aware of.” “Even if this is a contradiction in works, we need to think about how document leaks, competing TV station ganisations that need to keep secrets According to her, the changing me- a sense,” says Birgitta, “or a paradox, government models work. We need Stöð 2 was hit with a similar gag order will try to be even more secretive. But dia landscape threatens not only the that we have a shabby culture of jour- to make sure that if society changes while preparing to air a story about the I don’t think that is sustainable in the integrity but also the very existence of nalism, and yet want to make Iceland we have figured out what we want it relationship between Kaupthing and long term. Eventually they will have to investigative journalism. into a Mecca for freedom of informa- to change into.” Robert Tchenquiz, a property entre- adapt to a more transparent environ- “Most of the media is moving onto tion. Since information doesn’t have preneur who was later implicated in ment.” the Internet and since investigative borders, it doesn’t really matter where the loan book scandal. The program, A more transparent environment in journalism is very expensive, it is very the Mecca is.” Kompás, was not aired, and its entire general—this is the same philosophy weak, and it needs legislative protec- “There are so many facets to this,” staff promptly fired. emphasised by the IMMI and other tion in order for it to carry on thriving. says Smári. “And some of them are Kristinn Hrafnsson, a current information freedom advocacy groups The way we could help with investi- more hack-ish, more crypto-anarchi- spokesman for WikiLeaks who worked such as the Digital Freedom Society gative journalism for example is if we cal, and some of them have suits and on both stories, describes the Icelandic and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. could create the legislative environ- look nice towards the government, media as “sheepish” and investiga- The OpenLeaks platform, says Her- ment so that there are not as many pri- and you have the entire spectrum in tive journalism in Iceland as “virtually bert, was thus largely sculpted by what or restraints and super injunctions on between. But if you look deep enough dead.” he and others witnessed first-hand as these stories so that they actually get it’s actually all the same people. Some “Very few journalists had the drive the shortcomings of working with and published. days I wear suits and some days I break or the means to carry out proper inves- within the WikiLeaks organisation. “I think the biggest problem we’re into things... Well, except for Julian As- tigative journalism before the current “OpenLeaks is going to be hav- faced with when it comes to freedom sange. He always wears a suit, espe- economic crisis hit the country,” says ing a considerably more transparent of information is the altering and fal- cially when breaking into things.” Kristinn. “Since then there have been structure,” says Herbert. “Both finan- sification of our current history. And massive layoffs and cuts hitting most cially and organizationally. And there I’ve seen that very clearly in the British media organisations, [resulting] in the is absolutely no place whatsoever for media. The reason why I’m concerned decline of investigative journalism in any sort of unilateral decision making. about the British Media is that there Iceland at a time when it is badly need- The problem with that is that it’s called are all these very respected media with ed. ” dictatorship. Which is not the most ef- qualified journalists and good reputa- “We are in a really big dilemma in ficient way to run things, especially if tions—BBC, Independent, Financial Iceland because RÚV is not doing what you have an organisation that needs to Times, Guardian—and most other me- it needs to be doing,” Birgitta says. grow quite quickly. That I think is re- dia outlets go there to recycle stories, “And I don’t see much investigative ally the largest failing of WikiLeaks, that particularly online.” In the U.K., Birgitta says, libel laws journalism. Here we have this financial MUSIC CONCERTS & NIGHTLIFE IN FEBRUARY & MARCH

Gerðuberg Bakkus Prescribing with love 13:15 Classical music for lunch 22:00 Two Step Horror music for your live Prikið Boston experience 22:00 Hangover Movie Night. Free 22:00 DJ Andrea Popcorn Café Oliver Trúnó 22:00 Ingó Troubadour 14:00 The Day After: cold drink specials Café Rosenberg How to use the listings and relaxed music 21:00 Lights on the highway Venues are listed alphabetically by day. Den Danske Kro For complete listings and detailed information 22:00 Live music & Scandinavian night on venues visit www.grapevine.is 7 Dillon |MON 22:00 Live bands: Markús followed by Bakkus My brother is pale 4|FRI 21:00 Movie Night: 'Phi Ta Kon: Ghosts Dubliner Austur of Isan' 22:00 Live music 22:00 DJ Símon Café Oliver English Pub B5 22:00 Margarita Mondays: 2 for 1 22:00 Live music 22:00 DJ Jónas Café Rosenberg Esja Bakkus 21:00 Blúsfélagið (live blues) Loungy Thursday 21:30 Croistanz Concert Den Danske Kro Kaffibarinn 24:00 DJ Unnur Andrea 22:00 Live music & Shots night 23:00 Alfons X Boston Dubliner Prikið 22:00 DJ Kári 22:00 Live music 22:00 DJ Matti Café Oliver English Pub Sódóma 22:00 Ladies Night. Dj Maggi & 22:00 Live music 21:00 Tribute Night - The Jimi Hendrix Brynjar Már Prikið Project Café Rosenberg Red Wine & Cheese night: wine and Thorvaldsen 22:00 Concert: Rúnar Þór, Megas and cheese for 2 at 1000 ISK 20:00 Salsa Night Gylfi Trúnó Vegamót Den Danske Kro 21:00 French Night: French wine, music 22:00 DJ Jónas 22:00 Live music. Sing-along night and films Dillon 22:00 Gutl. '60's Night 11 Dubliner 8 |FRI 22:00 Live music |TUE Austur Bakkus English Pub 22:00 DJ Jónas 22:00 DJ duo Siggi & Ívar 17:00 Live music B5 Café Oliver Esja 22:00 DJ Leifur 22:00 Karaoke Night 22:00 DJ Hlynur Mastermix Bakkus Café Rosenberg Faktorý 21:00 The Dandelion Seeds album 21:00 Haraldur Reynisson & band 21:00 Muck, Mammút, Sudden release concert with Just Another Weather Change, Swords Of Chaos Den Danske Kro Snake Cult 22:00 Live music & Beer Bingo night & Me, The Slumbering Napoleon. 23:00 DJ Ákni 1000 ISK Dubliner Boston 22:00 Live music Gerðuberg 22:00 DJ Rósa 12:15 Classical music for lunch English Pub Café Oliver 22:00 Live music Hressó 22:00 Ladies Night. Dj Maggi & 22:00 Jj's band followed by DJ Elli Prikið Brynjar Már 21:00 Gagnaugað shows alternative Háskólabíó Café Rosenberg documentaries 20:00 The Icelandic Opera: 22:00 Greta Balkan jazz Svanasöngur by Franz Schubert Den Danske Kro Kaffibarinn 22:00 Live music & Sing-along night 22:00 Kari 9 Dillon Prikið |WED 22:00 Live Bands: Caterpillarmen, Bob Bakkus 22:00 DJ Gísli Galdur and Coral 22:00 Djöfullinn er Danskur Sódóma Dubliner Café Oliver 22:00 Concert TBA + DJ until 5am 22:00 Live music 22:00 Live music Stofan English Pub Café Rosenberg 20:00 Poetry readings 17:00 Live music 21:00 Live jazz Trúnó Esja Den Danske Kro 21:00 Champagne Night 22:00 DJ Hlynur Mastermix 22:00 Live music & Pop-quiz night Vegamót Faktorý Dubliner 22:00 DJ Jónas 22:00 DJ Dans Hans 22:00 Live music Gerðuberg English Pub 12:15 Classical music for lunch 22:00 Live music Hressó 5 Faktorý 22:00 Silfur followed by DJ Fúsi |SAT 20:00 Classic Pub Quiz Austur Kaffibarinn 22:00 DJ Jónas Kaffitár café 23:00 Mar & Nielsen 20:00 Tango Milango B5 Prikið Kaffibarinn 22:00 DJ Leifur 22:00 DJ Árni 22:00 Extreme Chill Bakkus Sódóma 22:00 DJ Hunk of a Man Prikið 22:00 XXX Rottweiler + DJ until 5am Traditional dancing with Accordion- Boston Vegamót Þórður. Þorri beer and dried fish on 22:00 DJ Unnur Andrea 22:00 DJ Símon offer Café Oliver 22:00 Ladies Night. Dj Maggi & Trúnó 21:00 RuPaul's Drag Race Brynjar Már 22:00 Jocks Night 12 Café Rosenberg |SAt 21:00 Gleðisveit Guðlaugar Austur Den Danske Kro 22:00 DJ Símon 22:00 Live music & Sing-along night 10 B5 Dubliner |THU 22:00 DJ Jónas B5 22:00 Live music Bakkus 22:00 Vignir Snær & Hreimur Esja 21:00 DJ Öfull 22:00 DJ Hlynur Mastermix English Pub 22:00 Live music Music & Entertainment | Venue finder Hressó 22:00 Mars followed by DJ Fúsi Kaffibarinn Amsterdam Celtic Cross NASA 23:00 Alfons X Hafnarstræti 5 | D2 Hverfisgata 26 | E4 Þorvaldsenstræti 2 | E3 Prikið Apótek Dillon Nýlenduvöruverzlun Hemma Austurstræti 16 | E3 Laugavegur 30 | F5 & Valda DJ Addi Intró Laugavegur 21 | E4 Sódóma Austur Dubliner 22:00 Klassart + DJ until 5am Austurstræti 7 | E3 Hafnarstræti 4 | D3 Næsti Bar Ingólfstræti 1A | E3 Vegamót B5 English Pub 22:00 DJ Símon Bankastræti 5 | E3 Austurstræti 12 | D2 Óliver Laugavegur 20A | F5 Babalú Glaumbar Skólavörðustígur 22 | G5 Tryggvagata 20 | D2 Ölstofan Vegamótastígur | E4 6 Bar 11 Highlander |sun Laugavegur 11 | E4 Lækjargata 10 | E3 Prikið Bakkus Bankastræti | E3 Barbara Hressó 15:00-20:00 Bakkus Flea Market. DJ Laugavegur 22 | F6 Austurstræti 20 | E3 Rósenberg Sævar Markús. Whiskey Sunday Klapparstígur 25 | E4 Bjarni Fel Hverfisbarinn Café Oliver Austurstræti 20 | E3 Hverfisgata 20 | E4 Sódóma Reykjavík 22:00 Live music Tryggvagata 22 | D3 Boston Jacobsen Den Danske Kro Laugavegur 28b | F5 Austurstræti 9 | E3 Sólon 22:00 Live music Bankastræti 7A | E3 Dubliner Café Cultura Kaffi Zimsen Hverfisgata 18 | E4 Hafnarstræti 18 | D3 Thorvaldsen 22:00 Live music Austurstræti 8 | D2 English Pub Café Paris Kaffibarinn Austurstræti 14 | E3 Bergstraðastræti 1 | E4 Vegamót 22:00 Live music Vegamótastígur 4 | E4 Balthazar Karamba Hafnarstræti 1-3| D2 Laugavegur 22 | F4 Venue Tryggvagata 22 | D3 Boston 22:00 DJ KGB Café Oliver 17|THU 20 |SUN 22:00 Ladies Night. Dj Maggi & B5 Bakkus Brynjar Már 22:00 Vignir Snær & Jogvan 22:00 Whiskey Sunday Café Rosenberg Bakkus Café Oliver 22:00 Þórdis: French Coffee-house Jazz 20:00 DJ Einar Sonic 22:00 Live music Den Danske Kro Boston Den Danske Kro 22:00 Live music & Sing-along night 22:00 DJ Andrea 22:00 Live music Dubliner Cafe Oliver Dubliner 22:00 Live music 22:00 Ingó Troubadour 22:00 Live music English Pub Café Rosenberg English Pub 22:00 Live music 21:00 Sniglabandið 22:00 Live music Esja Esja Gerðuberg 22:00 DJ Hlynur Mastermix Loungy Thursday 13:15 Classical music for lunch Faktorý Prikið The Nordic House 22:00 Prins Póló release concert 22:00 DJ Kalli 15:15 CAPUT, memorial performance for Hressó Sódóma composer Isang Yun 22:00 Penta followed by DJ Fannar 21:00 Purrkur Pillnikk Tribute Concert Prikið NASA Thorvaldsen 22:00 Hangover Movie Night. Free 24:00 Páll Óskar: 10th Anniversary 20:00 Salsa Night popcorn Concert Series. 1000ISK. 500 ISK beers Vegamót Trúnó Prikið 22:00 DJ Símon 14:00 The Day After: cold drink specials 22:00 DJ Danni Delux and relaxed music Sódóma 22:00 Smutty's Rockabilly Party + DJ until 5am 18 |FRI 21 Tjarnarbíó Austur |Mon 20:30 Kristján Kristjánsson (KK). 22:00 DJ Símon Bakkus 2500 ISK B5 21:00 Movie Night: Simon Barker Trúnó 22:00 DJ Leifur presents 'The Rollerblade Seven' 22:00 Saturgay Night Fever with DJ Bakkus Café Oliver Gimmer 21:30 Saytan - Nolo concert 22:00 Margarita Monday: 2 for 1 Vegamót 24:00 DJ KGB Café Rosenberg 22:00 DJ Benni Boston 21:00 Pub quiz 22:00 DJ Unnur Andrea Den Danske Kro Café Oliver 22:00 Live music & Shots night 13 22:00 Ladies Night. DJ Maggi & Dubliner |Sun Brynjar Már 22:00 Live music Bakkus Café Rosenberg English Pub Whiskey Sunday 22:00 Leikfélag N-Ping 22:00 Live music Café Oliver Den Danske Kro Prikið 22:00 Live music 22:00 Live music & Sing-along night Red Wine & Cheese night: for 2 at Den Danske Kro Dillon 1000 ISK 22:00 Live music 22:00 Three live bands from the Trúnó Dubliner Westman Islands: El Camino, Súr and Golden Oldies: music from the 50's & 22:00 Live music Foreign Monkeys 60's English Pub Dubliner 22:00 Live music 22:00 Live music Gerðuberg English Pub 22 13:15 Classical music for lunch 17:00 Live music |tUE Prikið Esja Bakkus 22:00 Hangover Movie Night. Free 22:00 DJ Bogi 21:00 Foosball Tournament popcorn Faktorý Café Oliver Trúnó 22:00 90's party! 22:00 Karaoke night 14:00 The Day After: cold drink specials Gerðuberg Café Rosenberg and relaxed music 12:15 Classical music for lunch 21:00 Concert: Birdcage, KK and Hressó Myrra Rós 22:00 Silfur followed by DJ Fannar Den Danske Kro 14 Kaffibarinn 22:00 Live music & Beer Bingo night |Mon 23:00 Alfons X Dubliner Bakkus Prikið 22:00 Live music 21:00 Movie Night: Sævar Markús 22:00 DJ Danni Delux English Pub presents 'Valerie and Her Week of Sódóma 22:00 Live music Wonders' 20:00 concert TBA + DJ until 5am Prikið Café Oliver Trúnó 21:00 Gagnaugað shows alternative 22:00 Margarita Monday: 2 for 1 Sushi Extravaganza (reservations at 567- documentaries Café Rosenberg 7500 or [email protected]) 21:00 Pub quiz Vegamót Den Danske Kro 22:00 DJ Jónas 22:00 Live music 23 |wED Dubliner Bakkus 22:00 Live music 22:00 Two Step Horror English Pub 19 |SAt Café Oliver 22:00 Live music Austur 22:00 Live music Prikið 22:00 DJ Jónas Café Rosenberg Red Wine & Cheese: for 2 at 1000 ISK B5 21:00 Shadow puppet show with 22:00 DJ Símon Bysans Balkan music Bakkus Den Danske Kro 15 21:00 Nicolasaurus Rex & 22:00 Live music & Pop-quiz night |TUE Rebeccadactyl Dubliner Bakkus 24:00 DJ Hunk of a Man 22:00 Live music 21:00 Kinosmiðja Fundraiser! 16mm Boston English Pub found footage films. 22:00 DJ Biggi Maus 22:00 Live music Café Oliver Café Oliver Faktorý 22:00 Karaoke night 22:00 Ladies Night. DJ Maggi & 20:00 Classic Pub Quiz Café Rosenberg Brynjar Már Kaffibarinn 21:00 SOS light jazz Café Rosenberg 22:00 Extreme Chill Den Danske Kro 22:00 Live theatre: Kæri Kaffitár café 22:00 Live music & Beer Bingo Hjónabandsráðgjafi 20:00 Tango Milango Dubliner Den Danske Kro Prikið 22:00 Live music 22:00 Live music & Sing-along night Traditional dancing with Accordion- English Pub Dubliner Þórður. Þorri beer and dried fish on 22:00 Live music 22:00 Live music offer Kjarvalsstaðir English Pub Trúnó 20:00 The Reykjavik Chamber Group 22:00 Live music 21:00 RuPaul's Drag Race plays music by Joaquin Turina and Esja 22:00 Jocks Night Franz Schubert 22:00 DJ Bogi Prikið Faktorý 21:00 Gagnaugað shows alternative 22:00 DJ KGB 24 documentaries Hressó |tHU B5 22:00 Dalton followed by DJ Elli 22:00 Vignir Snær & Hreimur Kaffibarinn Bakkus 22:00 Daddy's Weekend: Gísli Galdur 16 Mr. Silla - We Are All Romans (USA) wed & B Ruff | 21:30 DJ Boas Bakkus Prikið Boston 21:00 DJ duo Futuregrapher & Steppi 22:00 DJ Addi Intro 22:00 DJ Andrea Café Oliver Salurinn, Kópavogur Café Oliver 22:00 Live music 17:00 Tíbrá: Bjarni Thor and Ástríður 22:00 Ingó Troubadour Café Rosenberg Alda. 3500ISK Café Rosenberg 21:00 Sniglabandið Sódóma 21:00 Svarar knútur Kaffitár café 16:00 Endless Dark plus guests: All Den Danske Kro 20:00 Tango Milango ages show 22:00 Live music & Scandinavian night Prikið 22:00 Endless Dark album release Dubliner Traditional dancing with Accordion- concert + DJ until 5am 22:00 Live music Þórður. Þorri beer and dried fish on Stofan English Pub offer 21:00 Live Music 22:00 Live music Trúnó Thorvaldsen Esja 21:00 RuPaul's Drag Race 22:00 Saturday Night Fever with DJ Loungy Thursday 22:00 Jocks Night Kristján Kaffibarinn Vegamót 23:00 DJ Yamaho 22:00 DJ Danni Delux Prikið 22:00 Surprise night! MUSIC CONCERTS & NIGHTLIFE IN FEBRUARY & MARCH

Sódóma Trúnó Dillon 21:00 Rökurró + guests 14:00 Queer Family Café 22:00 Gutl: CCR tribute night Tjarnarbíó Dubliner 20:30 Skálmöld album release concert. 22:00 Live music 2900ISK 28 English Pub Thorvaldsen |Mon 17:00 Live music 20:00 Salsa Night Bakkus Esja Vegamót 21:00 Movie Night: Sigtryggur Berg 22:00 DJ Hlynur Mastermix 22:00 DJ Danni Delux Sigmársson presents TBA Gerðuberg Café Oliver 12:15 Classical music for lunch 22:00 Margarita Monday: 2 for 1 Hressó 25 Café Rosenberg 22:00 The Fabulous band followed by |FRI 21:00 Pub quiz DJ Fúsi Austur Den Danske Kro Sódóma 22:00 DJ Símon 22:00 Live music & Shots night 22:00 Nirvana Tribute Concert + DJ B5 Dubliner until 5am 22:00 DJ Jónas 22:00 Live music Trúnó Bakkus English Pub 20:00 Serata Italiana: Italian wine & beer, 24:00 DJ Benson is Fantastic! 22:00 Live music music and films Boston Prikið 22:00 DJ Maggi Legó Red Wine & Cheese night: for 2 at Café Rosenberg 1000ISK 5 22:00 Hjaltalín |SAT Café Oliver Bakkus 22:00 Ladies Night. DJ Maggi & 1 22:00 Hunk of a Man Brynjar Már |Tue Café Oliver Den Danske Kro Café Oliver 22:00 Ladies Night. DJ Maggi & 22:00 Live music & Sing-along night 22:00 Karaoke Brynjar Már Dillon Café Rosenberg Café Rosenberg 22:00 Live bands: Morgan Kane 21:00 Sniglabandið 22:00 Haraldur Reynisson & band followed by Finnegan Den Danske Kro Den Danske Kro Dubliner 22:00 Live music & Beer Bingo night 22:00 Live music & Sing-along night 22:00 Live music Dubliner Dubliner English Pub 22:00 Live music 22:00 Live music 22:00 Live music English Pub English Pub Esja 22:00 Live music 22:00 Live music 22:00 DJ Hlynur Mastermix Prikið Esja Faktorý 21:00 Gagnaugað shows alternative 22:00 DJ Hlynur Mastermix 22:00 Hjálmar documentaries Hressó 24:00 DJ Biggi Maus Trúnó 22:00 Mars followed by DJ Fúsi Gerðuberg 21:00 Queer Music & Movie Night Kaffibarinn 13:15 Classical music for lunch 23:00 KGB Hressó Sódóma 22:00 The fabulous band followed by 2 22:00 Wacken Metal Battle + DJ until DJ Elli & Mars |WED 5am Prikið Bakkus 22:00 DJ Danni Delux followed by DJ 22:00 DJ duo Frikki & Steini Addi Intro Café Oliver 6 Sódóma 22:00 Live music |SUN 22:00 Concert TBA followed by DJ until Café Rosenberg Bakkus 5am 21:00 Sniglabandið 21:00 Board game night & Whiskey Trúnó Den Danske Kro Sunday 20:00 Queer Beer Night 22:00 Live music & Pop-quiz night Café Oliver Vegamót Dubliner 22:00 Live music 22:00 DJ Hannes 22:00 Live music Café Rosenberg the best thai food English Pub 21:00 Ghostwind 22:00 Live music Den Danske Kro year 2009 and 2010 26 Kaffitár café 22:00 Live music |SAt 20:00 Tango Milango Dubliner Austur Prikið 22:00 Live music tel : 55-22-444, 692-0564 22:00 DJ Bogi Traditional dancing with Accordion- English Pub B5 Þórður. Þorri beer and dried fish on 22:00 Live music there are a lot of positive 22:00 DJ Jóhann Valur offer Gerðuberg reviews about.. Bakkus Salurinn, Kópavogur 13:15 Classical music for lunch 22:00 DJ KGB 20:30 Improve Concert with Jón Prikið Boston Ólafsson and special guest Páll Óskar 22:00 Prikið Hangover Movie Night. Free 22:00 DJ Tætur Trúnó popcorn Café Rosenberg 21:00 RuPaul's Drag Race Trúnó 22:00 Hjaltalín 22:00 Jocks Night 14:00 The Day After: cold drink specials authentic thai crusine Café Oliver and relaxed music served in elegant surroundings 22:00 Ladies Night. DJ Maggi & with spicy, very delicious and Brynjar Már reasonable prices. 3 Den Danske Kro |THU 7 22:00 Live music & Sing-along night Bakkus |Mon 22:00 DJ Einar Sonic Bakkus www.thaimatur.com Dubliner 22:00 Live music Boston 22:00 Movie Night: Solveig Pálsdóttir

open hours 18.00 - 22.00 evey day English Pub 22:00 DJ Andrea presents: 'Whatever Happened to Baby 22:00 Live music Café Oliver Jane?' also try.... Esja 22:00 Ingó Troubadour Café Oliver 22:00 DJ Hlynur Mastermix Café Rosenberg 22:00 Margarita Monday: 2 for 1 Faktorý 21:00 Concert: Heima Café Rosenberg 22:00 DJ Hunk of a Man Den Danske Kro 21:00 Blúsfélagið (live blues) Kaffibarinn 22:00 Live music & Scandinavian night Den Danske Kro 23:00 Maggi Lego Dubliner 22:00 Live music & Shots night Hressó 22:00 Live music Dubliner 22:00 Mars followed by DJ Elli English Pub 22:00 Live music NASA 22:00 Live music English Pub Ensími: 10th Anniversary Concert Esja 22:00 Live music Series. 1000 ISK - 500 ISK beers Loungy Thursday Prikið Sódóma Faktorý Red Wine & Cheese night for 2 at 22:00 Sin Fang + guests + DJ until 5am 22:00 DJ Rökurró + guests 1000ISK Vegamót Salurinn, Kópavogur Trúnó 22:00 DJ Símon 20:30 Improve Concert with Jón 21:00 Music Divas Ólafsson and special guest Páll Óskar Reykjavik Museum of Photography Sódóma 21:00 Byrnjar Már Valdimarsson 8 30th Anniversary 2011 27 SUN Thorvaldsen |TUE | 20:00 Salsa Night Café Oliver Exhibitions all year round Bakkus Whiskey Sunday 22:00 Karaoke night ADMISSION FREE Café Oliver Café Rosenberg 22:00 Live music 4 21:00 Brother Grass Café Rosenberg |FRI Den Danske Kro 21:00 Einar Scheving Jazz Bakkus 22:00 Live music & Beer Bingo night Den Danske Kro 22:00 DJ Árni Sveins Dubliner 22:00 Live music Boston 22:00 Live music Dubliner 22:00 DJ Rósa English Pub 22:00 Live music Café Oliver 22:00 Live music English Pub 22:00 Ladies Night. DJ Maggi & Prikið 22:00 Live music Brynjar Már 21:00 Gagnaugað shows alternative Gerðuberg Café Rosenberg documentaries GRÓFARHÚS 6th floor 22:00 Haraldur Reynisson & band Tryggvagata 15, 101 Reykjavik 13:15 Classical music for lunch Prikið Den Danske Kro Opening hours: 22:00 Live music & Sing-along night 12–19 mon–fri, 13–17 weekends 22:00 Hangover Movie Night. Free www.photomuseum.is popcorn 9 |Wed Café Oliver Mar6 22:00 Live music Café Rosenberg 21:00 Skúli mennski Den Danske Kro 22:00 Live music & Pop-quiz night Dubliner 22:00 Live music English Pub 22:00 Live music Kaffibarinn 22:00 Extreme Chill Kaffitár café 20:00 Tango Milango Prikið 21:00 Traditional dancing with Accordion-Þórður. Þorri beer and dried fish on offer Trúnó Singing Goddess Graces Iceland 21:00 RuPaul's Drag Race Eivör Pálsdóttir in concert 22:00 Jocks Night Austurbær, Snorrabraut 37, 105 Reykjavík 3.300 ISK 10 |THU It’s always a treat to have Eivör Pálsdóttir in Iceland. It’s a treat because Eivör, a singer/song- Bakkus writer from neighbouring Faroe Islands, has an exceptionally beautiful voice. Her voice is so 22:00 Djöfullinn er Danskur beautiful that it won her ‘Best singer’ and ‘Best performer’, at the 2003 Icelandic Music Awards. Boston This is despite her not being an Icelander. So, if you haven’t heard her sing, she is definitely 22:00 DJ Andrea worth checking out at the Austurbær culture and music house on March 6. On that night she Café Rosenberg promises to sing Icelandic favourites such as, ‘Ég veit þú kemur’ in addition to a number of 21:00 Live music new and undoubtedly beautiful songs. Den Danske Kro AA Iceland’s 22:00 Live music & Scandinavian night Dubliner 22:00 Live music English Pub loudest band! 22:00 Live music Esja 4 21:00 Loungy Thursday Feb For concert information see music Salurinn listings on this spread or visit us at 20:30 Improve Concert with Jón Ólafs www.sinfonia.is and special guest Björgvin Halldórsson Thorvaldsen 20:00 Salsa Night ONGOING Restaurant Reykjavík 20:00 Let's Talk Iceland: Comedy Show. 2200ISK. Everyday Iðnó Cellophane Comedy show 20:00 Thursdays Go Muck Yourself: Muck, Mammút, Me The Slumbering Napoleon, Sudden Weather Change Tickets » 545 2500 » www.sinfonia.is » Concerts take place in Háskólabíó. & Swords Of Chaos at Faktorý Faktorý, February 4, 21:00 1000 ISK

Muck need some money to record their album, so go help them out, and see some of Reyk- javík’s finest strut their stuff in the process, as it seems pretty much every hip young band in Iceland has decided to help them out. SE

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A New Reign of Terror Over Iceland Skálmöld record release concert Tjarnarbíó, Tjarnargata 12 February 24 at 20:30. 2.900 ISK

A relatively new group of Vikings calling themselves, Skálmöld, plan to terrorize Tjarnarbíó with their big bad, Viking metal on Spears Shall Be Shaken, Shields Shall Be February 24. The occasion? They’re celebrat- ing the release of their inaugural album, Splintered ‘Baldur’. In Norse mythology, Baldur is the Þorrablót at Fjörukráin son of Odin, who is killed by his blind brother, Höður, who is tricked into the deed by Loki, January 21 - February 20 who is the god of mischief. In fact, Skálmöld Fjörukráin, Strandgata 55, Hafnarfjörður, Price vary. www.fjorukrain.is tell the whole story in their album. So, if you’re fond of the idea of having a Viking If you’re looking to imbibe some ‘traditional Icelandic cuisine’ (“Þorramatur”), you’re in luck, saga belted at you, Skálmöld may be worth because this is about the only time of year sane people do it. This year, the week-based Old the gander. Also of note, Tjarnarbíó was Icelandic Calendar dictates that the month of Þorri will be between January 21 and February arguably everyone’s favourite venue at last 20, and it has been tradition for about 130 years or so for a feast of “sour food” (like pickled year’s Iceland Airwaves, offering comfort- ram’s testicles) during said month. able theatre seating and plenty of room for rocking out. This is all supposedly in honour of deity Thor, who, while being a god of thunder and battle, AA capable of destroying practically anything with his 1d8/2d6+5 magical war hammer, apparently couldn’t cook for shit.

If you’d still like to try some of it, we can recommend no better experience than the one offered by Iceland’s own Viking Disneyland, the Fjörukráin restaurant and hotel in Hafnafjörður. They’re offering a sour food menu, a rambunctious schedule of Scandinavian musicians and performers, as well as weekend group rates for night stays and a sour food buffet feast for the brave, all set in their Meduseld-like dining hall, complete with Viking props and décor. SE Central Reykjavík FAXAFLÓI

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Now offering ANDAGARÐUR GR catering service! Maritime TheMuseum Fishpacking District MAPMAP The Old Harbour Old A Depart for whale and puffin Places We Like watching tours from the old Harbour harbour, a lively area, offering 1 Deli ÁNANAUST an assortment of restaurants MÝR and activity centres Bankastræti 14 ARGATA 18 Getting a good slice of pizza on the go can NÝL ENDUGATA Old be an utter ordeal. If you’re not careful, you’ll Harbour frequently wind up paying good money for a Area Laugavegur 2 101 Reykjavík tel: 552 4444 cardboardy wafer that has been sitting in a FRAMNESVEGUR heater box for a week. Not at Deli, however. RÁNA B VESTURGATA Their slices are consistently awesome and RGATA Future GEIRSGATA Concert fresh, the topping selection is intriguing and BÁRUGA Hall tasteful and, best of all, they’re really cheap. TA Reykjavík ÖLDUGAT Art Museum BRÆÐRABORGARSTÍGUR A 14 ÆGISGATA Main TRYGGVAGATA11 2 ÁTVR (Liquor store) Tourist Info 6 Down Austurstræti 10A Ta xi Town GARÐASTRÆTI 2HAFNAR In Iceland, alcohol isn’t sold in grocery SKÚLAGATA SÆBRAUT D TÚNGATA AUSTURSTRÆTI STRÆTI stores or gas stations. You can only buy The 10 Culture alcohol over 2.5% in the state-owned liquor Austur National AÐALSTRÆTI völlur House stores named ÁTVR, usually called ‘Ríkið.’ Park Theatre KIRKJUSTRÆTI Twelve stores are operated in the capital BANKASTRÆTI1 LINDARGATA HVERFISGATA Skyline SÆBRAUT area and one is located in the city centre. Icelandic Vesturbæjar PÓSTH.STRÆTI Common openingSwimming hours: Mon.–Thu.HOFSVALLAGATA 11:00– SÓLVALLAG Parliament 15 9 “Financial 18:00, Fri. Pool11:00–19:00, Sat. 11:00–18:00. ATA LÆKJARGATA 16 KLAPPARSTÍGUR District” Laug3 a HRINGBRAUT E City vegur 8 Hall Ta xi 7 VATNSSTÍGUR BORGARTÚN LaÓL ugavegur SUÐURGATA Up 3 ÞINGHOLTSSTRÆTING 17 Trúnó INGÓLFSSTRÆTIReykjavík’s main shopping and culture street, feSKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍGURSKaturing TJARNARGATA ÓLAVÖR To5 wn HVERFISGATA The Laugavegur 22 a wide range of bars, bistros, Tower cafes and restaurants. Located just below Barbara, Trúnó is the VEGUR BERGSTAÐARSTRÆTIBERGSTAÐARSTR A LA most recent addition to Reykjavík's straight- City UGAVEGUR Pond GRETTISGATA SKÚLAGATA friendly gay scene and swings between cosy LAUFÁS 13 café by day and lively bar by night. Generally ÞÓRSGATA Hlemmur NÓATÚN FRÍKIRKJUVEGUR FRAKKASTÍGUR ÓÐINSGATA relaxed atmosphere but given to hosting National Bus West F Gallery Terminal special events and spinning the drinks of Iceland 4 VITASTÍGUR wheel. AK Side NJ ÁLSGATA HÁTÚN Ê BARÓNSSTÍGUR SNORRABRAUT Ta xi Hallgríms BERGÞ Laugardals BIRKIMELUR Swimming BALDURSGATA kirkja ÓRUGATA Pool Church LAUGAVEGUR 4 Vitabar SÓLEYJARGATA BRAUTARHOLT

BRAGAGATA Bergþórugata 21 NJARÐARGATA The Einar Jónsson Museum Sundhöllin Located on the corner of Vitastígur and Swimming S G KIPHOLT Bergþórugata, Vitabar (Lighthouse bar) is University Pool RAUÐARÁRSTÍGUR SKIPHOLT of Iceland the place to go when you're in the mood for Hljómskáli BERGSTAÐARSTRÆTI EIRÍKSGATA a slightly soppy yet delicious burger served Park BARÓNSSTÍGUR up with thick French fries and a little of SUÐURGATA University HRINGBRAUT East of Iceland that local pub feeling. In addition to their Park NÓATÚN LAUFÁSVEGUR Side legendary Gleym-mér-ei (Forget-me-not) blue-cheese burger, they do steaks, egg burgers, beer and schnapps. Good service, HÁTEIGSVEGUR SNORRABRAUT fair prices. AK

GUNNARSBRAUT H Nordic House Miklatún Culture Center Park FLÓKAGATA VATNSMÝRARVEGUR 5 Svarta Kaffi GAMLA HRINGBRAUT Kjarvalsstaðir

Laugavegur 54 RAUÐARÁRSTÍGUR National BSÍ Museum If you're looking for a hearty, warming lunch Coach Terminal at good value then head down to this cosy NJARÐARGATA café for a bowl of their yummy soup. Doing away with dishes and bowls, the soup comes HRINGBRAUT I served in a hollowed out loaf of wholewheat BÓLSTAÐARHLÍÐ bread, and the best bit is that it’s refillable if LANGAHLÍÐ MIKLABRAUT you’re still hungry. Sweet! And, when you’re KRINGLUMÝRARBRAUT done you can enjoy some people watching on Reykjavík Kringlan Laugavegur below. EF Domestic Shopping Airport Center Ë Ì We’ve Got Your Steaming Hot 6 Nonnabiti 7 Eymundsson 8 Dillon Rock Bar 9 Hemmi & Valdi Grapevine T-shirt Hafnarstræti 9 Skólavörðustígur 11, Laugavegur 30 Laugavegur 21 Delicious and relatively cheap considering Eymundsson is a chain with several outlets Dillon lives up to its full name and is not The “colonial store” Hemmi and Valdi was Right Here! how massive and filling their sandwiches but the one on Skólavörðustígur is the best known to mess around with House or probably 2008’s most surprising crowd are. The Luxury Sub, with salty pork, in town. Housed on the ground floor of what Electronica. Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden and pleaser. The cosy hangout advanced from -Impress your friends! veggies, sauce and pineapple is a brilliant was once a Spron Credit Union, the building Black Sabbath is what you'll often hear, being a toasty retreat, where you could -Pick up men, women or both! combination of flavours for late-night has a solid institutional feeling—cosy if that’s along with more local and recent spin offs get cheap beer and have a quiet chat, into -Show off your impeccable tastes! munchies. It’s just as satisfying and filling your bag. The premises are equipped with as well as the odd live show. But if you being a chock-full concert venue and an all- -Make friends and influence people! a coffee shop, tables and sofas to lounge in -Pledge your undying allegiance to The during more civilized hours as well. And the have other requests, they are accepted and night party place. And believe me, the new and the all-glass exterior lets in a lot of light, Grapevine! service is fast if you’re in a rush. CF considered by resident DJ, Amma Rokksins, atmosphere is brilliant. SKK -Cover your torso in style! which is good for reading real books, not Iceland's grandmother of rock, still spinning -Support your local alt.magazine! facebooks. This Eymundsson also regularly her stuff on Saturday nights. AK -Buy tourist merch that’s less obviously hosts book readings, signings and other small touristy! events such as concerts and art exhibitions,

Yes, The Reykjavík Grapevine finally has a T-shirt organized in a pleasantly spontaneous and all of its own. Pick up a copy of this sweet, limited laid back way. AK edition item at www.grapevine.is. And do it now. For the children. Central Reykjavík FAXAFLÓI

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6 7 8 9 10 13 Kaffismiðja Íslands GRANDAGARÐUR Kárastíg 1 For a map of outside downtown Reykjavík NEW IN TOWN Maritime visit www.grapevine.is or the Icelandic Old fashioned charm is the style of TheMuseum Fishpacking District phonebook website www.ja.is UNO cucina Italiana Kaddismiðja, in everything from the decor to The Hafnarstræti 1-3, 101 Reykjavík the coffee grinders. Off the beaten track, this Old Harbour Old popular coffee shop is a great spot to sit and Depart for whale and puffin read or have a chat with friends. The owners watching tours from the old Harbour If you have an iPhone, check out the cool Ingbjörg and Sonja take great pride in the harbour, a lively area, offering Locatify app in the AppStore. It´s got a FREE an assortment of restaurants beans they use and the coffee is top notch. ÁNANAUST guided audio tour of the downtown area, MÝRARGATA and activity centres You can buy fresh grounds too, in case you courtesy of your pals at Grapevine. just cant get enough. EF NÝLENDUGATA Old Harbour Area

FRAMNESVEGUR RÁNARGATA VESTURGATA Future 14 Kolaportið GEIRSGATA Concert BÁRUGATA Hall For a relaxed setting and world-class Italian food, Tryggvagata 19 Reykjavík UNO cucina italiana purports to have it all. Re- Reykjavík’s massive flea market is a ÖLDUGATA Art cently opened on Hafnarstræti (and already a big Museum wonderful place to get lost for a few hours, BRÆÐRABORGARSTÍGUR hit with locals), UNO cucina italiana blends Ice- ÆGISGATA Main TRYGGVAGATA rummaging through stall upon stall of landic ingredients into Italian dishes. They’ve got Tourist potential treasures. There are heaps of used Info Down an extensive tapas selection and impressive main clothing, knitwear and other yard-sale type courses at reasonable prices. And the pasta is Ta xi Town goods from decades of yore, and a large GARÐASTRÆTI HAFNAR made fresh everyday. Want proof? Stop by and SKÚLAGATA SÆBRAUT food section with fish, meats and baked TÚNGATA AUSTURSTRÆTI STRÆTI watch them make it by hand. Open ‘til 23:00 on The goods. Check out the vintage post cards and Culture weekdays and midnight on weekends. -SG Austur National prints at the table near the army surplus. CF AÐALSTRÆTI völlur House Park Theatre KIRKJUSTRÆTI BANKASTRÆTI LINDARGATA HVERFISGATA Skyline SÆBRAUT Icelandic Vesturbæjar PÓSTH.STRÆTI Swimming HOFSVALLAGATA SÓLVALLAGATA Parliament “Financial Pool LÆKJARGATA KLAPPARSTÍGUR District” Lauga 15 Sushibarinn HRINGBRAUT City vegur Hall Ta xi VATNSSTÍGUR BORGARTÚN Laugavegur 2 LaÓL ugavegur SUÐURGATA Up ÞINGHOLTSSTRÆTING INGÓLFSSTRÆTIReykjavík’s main shopping Sushibarinn is reputedly the best bet for sushi and culture street, feSKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍGURSKaturing in town since it opened in 2007. This little TJARNARGATA ÓLAVÖR Town HVERFISGATA The a wide range of bars, bistros, Tower shop is the most authentic option for sushi in cafes and restaurants. VEGUR BERGSTAÐARSTRÆTIBERGSTAÐARSTR LAUGAVEGUR town, with the widest selection around. The City A price per piece ranges from around 140 ISK

Pond GRETTISGATA SKÚLAGATA LAUFÁS to 600 ISK, and they also have good choice of

ÞÓRSGATA Hlemmur NÓATÚN trays and set menus options. If you can’t get FRÍKIRKJUVEGUR FRAKKASTÍGUR National ÓÐINSGATA Bus STÍGUR a set, you can also order from Kofí Tómasar West Gallery Terminal next door and grab a seat there. EF of Iceland VITA 12 Side NJÁLSGATA HÁTÚN Ê BARÓNSSTÍGUR SNORRABRAUT Ta xi Hallgríms BERGÞ Laugardals BIRKIMELUR Swimming BALDURSGATA kirkja ÓRUGATA Pool Church LAUGAVEGUR SÓLEYJARGATA BRAUTARHOLT

BRAGAGATA 16 Grænn Kostur NJARÐARGATA The Einar Jónsson Museum Sundhöllin Skólavörðustíg 8b Swimming S KIPHOLT University Pool RAUÐARÁRSTÍGUR SKIPHOLT Serving healthy organic vegan and of Iceland Hljómskáli BERGSTAÐARSTRÆTI vegetarian food for well over a decade, EIRÍKSGATA Park BARÓNSSTÍGUR Grænn Kostur is the perfect downtown SUÐURGATA University HRINGBRAUT East of Iceland choice for enjoying light, wholesome and Park NÓATÚN inexpensive meals. Try any of their courses LAUFÁSVEGUR Side of the day, or go for the ever-pleasing spinach lasagne. HÁTEIGSVEGUR

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GUNNARSBRAUT Nordic House Miklatún Culture Center Park FLÓKAGATA VATNSMÝRARVEGUR 17 Handprjónasambandið Skólavörðustígur 19 GAMLA HRINGBRAUT Kjarvalsstaðir National BSÍ RAUÐARÁRSTÍGUR Museum The Handknitting Association of Iceland’s Coach official store, Handprjónasambandið, sells Terminal NJARÐARGATA wool products of uncompromising quality. RBRAUT The store features pullover sweaters, HRINGBRAUT cardigans, mittens, touques and other wool accessories. They're also equipped to BÓLSTAÐARHLÍÐ LANGAHLÍÐ answer all sorts of wool-related questions. MIKLABRAUT KRINGLUMÝRA Reykjavík Kringlan Domestic Shopping Airport Center Ë Ì

10 Hressó 11 Bakkus 12 Mai Thai 18 Café d'Haiti Austurstræti 20 Tryggvagata 22 – Naustarmegin Laugavegur 118 Geirsgötu 7b / Verbúð 2 You know, Hressó is basically the only place Bakkus serves up reasonably priced beer, a Located across from Hlemmur Bus Station, The first time I entered this exotic little I go for coffee. Why? Their coffee is decent really impressive selection of international Mai Thai imports and sells all sorts of joint, meaning to buy myself a take-away to excellent, but their forte is surely their vodkas and an atmosphere unlike any other products from South East Asia, particularly espresso, I ended up with two kilos of wonderful patio, where you can enjoy the in town. An eclectic mix of patrons, regular Thailand and the Philippines. Depending freshly roasted coffee beans due to some spring breeze in the sun, wrap yourself live music and movie nights keep this place on the day, you might find fresh coriander, language complications and way too much in a blanket beneath an electric heater in interesting and always inviting. Expect mint, chilies, bean sprouts, exotic fruits politeness. Since then I have enjoyed January and at all times: smoke. They boast dancing on tables and to-the-death foosball such as Durian, Carambola or Coconut, as probably way-too-many wonderful cups of of quite the prolific menu, but I’d reconsider battles. CF well as year round products such as frozen Haitian coffee, but they’re always as nice, the playlists to tell you the truth, too much spring rolls, various kinds of rice sold in so the two kilos were definitely worth it. SKK of Nickelback really hurts. SKK bulk bags, sauces and spices galore, egg and rice noodles, Asian snacks, clothes and other knick-knacks. In short, a wide array of what are still considered rare delicacies in Reykjavík. AK ART  GALLERIES & MUSEUMS IN FEBRUARY & MARCH  Cocktail pleasures and more. Visual stimulation On permanent view. Gerðarsafn, Kópavogur How to use the listings: Venues are listed Face of the land: Water, Earth, Sea alphabetically by day. For complete listings and Sky and detailed information on venues visit Paintings, watercolours, drawings and www.grapevine.is photographs by Daði Guðbjörnsson Gunnlaug Scheving, Jóhannes Kjarval, Rúrí and Vilhjálmur Þorbergur Bergsson. OPENINGS Runs until February 20 002 Gallerí Gerðuberg February 5 & 6, 14:00 Ormurinn Ógnarlangi (The Fearfully Ragnar Kjartanson and Snorri Ás- Long Worm) mundsson exhibition Tales From Norse Mythology by Kristín Gallery Crymo, Laugavegur 41a Ragna Gunnarsdóttir Ömmukaffi fyrir Gróu (Grandma's Runs until March 13 coffee for Gróa) Hafnarborg Visual arts exhibition by Halla Birgisdóttir Fragments Of Nature February 4, 20:00 Eiríkur Smith's abstract paintings 1957- Runs until February 14 1963 Gallery Fold Kjarvals February 7 & 8, 18:00 Stefán Jónsson's 3D reworkings of Art Auction Jóhannes Kjarval's landscape paintings Kjarvalsstaðir Both run until February 6 February 5 Iðnó 50 Years Of Icelandic Art At The Cellophane  Venice Biennale Sundays and Thursdays, 20:00 Runs until April 25 Comedy show. February 6, 15:00 Kling & Bang  Mundi-Morri-Ragnar Fjalar Libia Castro & Ólafur Ólafsson dis-  cuss their exhibit at the Venice Biennale MoMS Penetration Installation  Kling & Bang Runs until February 13 February 26, 17:00 Mokka

A Learning Project Fish / Fiskar  Project focusing on sensory experiments Exhibition of fish drawings by Eduardo and intuitional learning Perez Baca  The Living Art Museum Runs until February 17

 February 26, 20:00 Museum of Design and Applied Art, Kjarvalsdeilin Garðatorg 1, Garðabær A groupshow featuring the work of 14 Harpa Design Competition artists from around the world Exhibition of the Harpa Concert Hall  Runs until March 26 furniture design competition entries, The Nordic House including the winning entries by Kristín  February 12 Alda Guðmundsdóttir and Helga Sigurb- I Vesterveg jarnadóttir. Runs until March 6 Tour Operator Nordic Contemporary Art  National Gallery of Iceland Environmental Award Runs until March 12 Icelandic Tourist Board Karl Kvaran Retrospective EarthCheck  Reykjavík Art Museum SILVER CERTIFIED  Runs until February 13 2009 Hafnarhús February 17, 20:00 Áfangar/Strides Design Lecture in collaboration with Permanent exhibition of Icelandic the Iceland Design Centre modern painting at the turn of the 20th February 20, 15:00 century Without Destination The National Museum Artists’ talk with Kristinn E. Hrafnsson The Photographer Bárður Sigurðsson and Inga Þórey Jóhannsdóttir Carved Chests & Coffers February 5 Runs until August 31 Kjarvalsstaðir Make Do & Mend Venice Works Repaired objects from the collections of Workshop in conjunction with the ex- the National Museum hibition 50 Years of Icelandic Art at the Runs until June 30 Venice Biennale Nordic House Runs until April 25 Landscapes Skaftfell Graphic art exhibition by Jens Damkjær February 20 Nielsen Rhubaba Collective Runs until February 13 Runs through March 14 Church Dresses March 6 by Herder Andersen Icelandic Academy and the Deiter Runs until February 6 Roth Academy exhibition NYLO/The Living Art Museum Runs through May 2 'VIDEORHIZOME' by Marcellvs L. Runs until February 6 Nútimalist Galeria ONGOING Photography Exhibition by Valdís Thor Artótek, Nordic House Reykjavík Art Museum Oil paintings by Freyja Önundardóttir Ásmundarsafn Runs until March 6 "I choose blossoming women..." ASÍ Art Museum Woman as Symbol in the Art of Ásmun- Installation by Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir dur Sveinsson Video art by Hildigunnur Birgisdóttir Thoughts In Forms Both run until February 6 Informative recreation of Ásmundur Archetypos Jónsson's art studio Textile doors by Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir Sleep Light Electrical Fingerprints by Hildigunnur Lighting installation by Ráðhildur Ing- Birgisdóttir adóttir The Art of Games All run until April 17 All run until February 6 Hafnarhús The Culture House Wihout Destination: Various artists Medieval Manuscripts - Eddas and contemplate tourism in Iceland Sagas Runs until April 10 Some of Iceland's medieval manuscripts Erró: Collage on display Runs until August 28 On permanent view Hop Hopsi (part of D19 project) ICELAND :: FILM by Hulda Rós Guðnadóttir A look at the past 100 years in Icelandic Runs until February 27 filmmaking Erró: Assemblage Child of Hope - Youth and Jón Sig- an extension of Erró - Collage urðsson Runs until April 10 Exploring the life of Icelandic national Kjarvalsstaðir hero, Jón Sigurðsson, made accessible New Acquisitions 2005-2010 to children, families, and school groups Exhibition of some of the 800 new art Flora Islandica by Eggert Pétursson acquisitions 271 drawing of flowers in Icelandic Kjarval - Key Works nature, is on display. Runs until April 25 See My Black Ass Reykjavík Museum Of Photography Exhibition of the book See My Black Ass, The Light of the Righteous Shines... featuring art from the book and odds Photos of 2008 protests in front of Alth- and ends from Icelandic folk heritage. ingi by Karl R. Lilliendahl Runs through February Runs until March 9 The Library Room Spark Design Space Displaying books of Icelandic cultural The Secret Shop/Salakauppa history dating from the 16th century to Finnish designers, Johan Olin and Aamu today. Works include oldest published Song, founders of Company, open their versions of the Sagas, Eddic Poems, and secret shop. Runs until March 15 Listasafn Reykjavíkur Reykjavik Art Museum Ásmundur ART & MUSIC Sveinsson IN FEBRUARY & MARCH

5 25 25 26 Feb Apr Feb Feb Kjarval - Key Works

Hulda Rós Guðnadóttir - D19 The Merchandise Of Venice Hjaltalín and other stuff at Erró – Assemblage 50 Years of Icelandic Art at the Venice Café Rosenberg Biennale February 25 and 26, 22:00 Exhibit with artist/curator talks and sympo- Café Rosenberg, entrance usually 1.500 ISK siums on select Sundays Café Rosenberg may not be this town’s February 5 – April 25, Kjarvalsstaðir, hipster mecca. To be sure, the atmosphere Miklatún, 105 Reykjavík, Free. there is more reminiscent of bars in even smaller town Iceland. You may not have the For the three months leading up to this honour of lining-up in the freezing rain to year’s International Art Exhibition in Venice, have your toes trod upon or your freshly the Reykjavík Art Museum will be offering a dry-cleaned jacket drenched in beer, and you unique retrospective on Iceland’s contribu- may even be forced to hold your own in a 50 Years of tions to the Venice Biennale throughout the Icelandic Art semi-audible conversation. But Rosenberg’s at the Venice years. It will be located in Kjarvalsstaðir and indoor line-up is worth expanding your cool Biennale - feature photos, documentaries and actual Ragnar radar for. They’ve gradually raised the bar for Erró – Without Destination - Kjartansson pieces by the score or so of delegates we’ve live music, while still making room for smaller Collage Þorgerður Ólafsdóttir had, five of whom will be giving special artist acts for a while now. talks during the course of the exhibition. This month, Rúnar Þór and Megas will This offers a fascinating must-see for any perform at Rosenberg on Feb. 4, and Hjaltalín art enthusiast, Icelandic or otherwise, as the over the weekend of Feb. 25 - 26, offering us Biennale has been home to some of the most a chance to enjoy big sounds in a little, cosy Reykjavik Art Museum accomplished and dedicated artistic visionar- space. Rosenberg also hosts a bunch of live ies of the century. Visit www.artmuseum.is for jazz and blues nights if that’s your thing. And more details. other stuff. It might sometimes look like the Hafnarhús Kjarvalsstaðir Ásmundarsafn SE haunt of a 30+ kind of crowd, but at least they don’t do minimum 25, dress code or VIP 18 Sept 2010 – 28 Aug 2011 3 May 2010 – 25 Apr 2011 1 May 2010 – 17 Apr 2011 pretence. At least I don’t think so. Erró – Collage Kjarval – Key works “I choose blossoming AK women …” – Woman as 20 Jan – 10 April 5 February - 25 April Symbols in the Art of Without Destination 50 Years of Icelandic Art Ásmundur Sveinsson at the Venice Biennale 20 Jan – 28 Feb 20 May 2010 – 17 Apr 2011 D19 Hulda Rós 5 February - 25 April Sleep Light – Guðnadóttir Venice Works - Workshop Ráðhildur Ingadóttir

26Feb 20 Jan – 10 April Erró – Assemblage

Hafnarhús Kjarvalsstaðir Ásmundarsafn Tryggvagata 17 Flókagötu Sigtún Open daily Open daily Open Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Thursdays 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

www.artmuseum.is [email protected] T +354 590 1200 F +354 590 1201

Kjarval Division: Not Just Another Kjarval Tribute Opening, February 26 at 20:00, Free The Living Art Museum, Skúlagata 28 Quality coffee roasted on the premises

His name is Jóhannes Kjarval. Born in 1885, he is arguably Iceland's most renowned landscape painter. He also had a knack for hiding trolls and other mythical elements in his paintings, not “We tried this place unlike those 3D optical illusion prints. There is a museum in Reykjavík named after him and he's been paid his due. But as Snorri Ásmundsson, an artist involved in the forthcoming tribute purely on the back to Kjarval points out: “He never painted animals and so we have painted them for him.” Kjarval Division is the title of the exhibition taking place at Nýló, The Living Art Museum, and it involves of its excellent fourteen artists, foreign and local, who share a certain 'spiritual vision' regarding Kjarval. The exhibition will be mixed media and involves paintings, performances, video and slideshows. AK review on

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ART67 Gallery Kling & Bang Nútimalist Galleria and weren’t Laugavegur 67 | F6 Hverfisgata 42 | E5 Skólavörðustígur 3a | F4 CAFE HAITI by the Old Harbour Mon - Fri 12 - 18 / Sat Thurs–Sun from 14–18 Restaurant Reykjavík disappointed. “ 12 - 16 this.is/klingogbang/ Vesturgata 2 | D2 Geirsgata 7b, 101 Reykjavík Artótek Gerðuberg Cultural Centre Tryggvagata 15 | D2 Gerðuberg 3-5 Reykjavík 871+/-2 tel: 661 5621 / 588 8484 Mon 10–21, Tue–Thu 10–19, Fri Mon–Thu 11–17 / Wed 11–21 / Aðalstræti 17 | D2 Opening hours: 8.00 – 23.00 11–19, Sat and Sun 13–17 Thu–Fri 11–17 / Sat–Sun 13–16 Open daily 10–17 www.sim.is/Index/Islenska/ www.gerduberg.is Reykjavík Art Gallery Artotek Hitt Húsið Skúlagata 28 | F6 ASÍ Art Museum – Gallery Tukt Tuesday through Sunday 14–18 Freyugata 41 | G4 Pósthússtræti 3-5 | E3 Reykjavík Art Museum Tue–Sun 13–17 www.hitthusid.is Open daily 10–16 Árbæjarsafn i8 Gallery www.listasafnreykjavikur.is Kistuhylur 4 Tryggvagata 16 | D2 Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculp- The Culture House Tue–Fri 11–17 / Sat 13–17 and ture Museum Sigtún Hverfisgata 15 | E4 by appointment. www.i8.is Hafnarhús Tryggvagata 17 | D2 Open daily 11–17 Living Art Museum QUALITY TIME IN THE www.thjodmenning.is Kjarvalsstaðir Skúlagata 28 | F6 Flókagata | I7 Dwarf Gallery Wed, Fri–Sun 13–17 / Thu HEART OF THE CITY Grundarstígur 21 | H6 13–22. www.nylo.is Reykjavík Maritime Museum Grandagarður 8 | C3 Opening Hours: Fri and Sat Hafnarborg One of Reykjavik’s finest, the chic 1919 Restaurant 18–20 Strandgötu 34, Reykjavík Museum of Pho- features top international and neo-Nordic cuisine. www.this.is/birta/dwarfgallery/ Hafnarfjörður tography dwarfgallery1.html Tryggvagata 16 | D2 The trendy 1919 Lounge provides a variety of Mokka Kaffi Weekdays 12–19 / Sat–Sun cocktails and the perfect atmosphere for you to relax The Einar Jónsson Skólavörðustíg 3A | F4 Eiriksgata | G4 13–17 - www.ljosmyndasafn- in and enjoy timeless luxury. Tue–Sun 14–17 The National Gallery of reykjavikur.is www.skulptur.is Iceland Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum Fríkirkjuvegur 7 | F3 Laugarnestangi 70 Gallery Ágúst Tue–Sun 11–17 www.listasafn.is SÍM, The Association of Baldursgata 12 | F4 Icelandic Artists Wed–Sat 12–17 The National Mon-Fri 10-16 www.galleriagust.is Museum Hafnarstræti 16 | D3 Suðurgata 41 | G1 Gallery Fold Spark, Design Space Rauðarástígur 14-16 | G7 Open daily 10–17 1919 natmus.is Klapparstíg 33 | E4 Mon–Fri 10–18 / Sat 11–16 / www.sparkdesignspace.com RE STAURANT Sun 14–16 The Nordic House AND LOUNGE www.myndlist.is Sturlugata 5 | H1 Gallery Kaolin Tue–Sun 12–17 Ingólfsstræti 8 | E3 www.nordice.is/ Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Pósthússtræti 2, 101 Reykjavík, Tel: 599 1000 REVIEWS Chinese And American Food New restaurant critic Madeleine T goes international

One of the best restaurants in Iceland

“For the best burger west of Vatnajökull, Order now! I know where to return” Tel.: 511 5090 Since its television debut, that scars the Reykjavík skyline at E-mail: [email protected] Hamborgarafabrikkan has been all the Borgartún. This is your chance to Hamborgarafabrikkan Website: www.einarben.is rage in Reykjavík. With interminable experience Icelandic architecture at Höfðatún 2 waiting lists and queues out the door, I its worst. We wait in the company of a have been expecting a punchline from nursery of toddlers floundering about an outdated Seinfeld rerun, and the for lack of colouring books, parental hype to simmer down to a reasonable guidance, or batteries for their portable wait. Instead, this burger craze game systems. The acoustics of the I enjoy a good burger, but I also value continues into yet another season. A unfinished open concrete lobby are 45 minutes. And I already know that burger joint is not the place for one to amplified, and after 15 minutes, I am hands down, nothing can beat the make a reservation, not now, not ever, ready for a sedative. Was it the lack of reindeer burger at Hamborgarabúllan regardless if Ferran Adria himself is a proper waiting lounge that brought in Egilsstaðir. How close to Egilsstaðir A genuine Nordic 3 course feast flipping burgers. Simple principle, full out my impatience? The stiff office would I be had I decided to drive there stop. lobby furniture felt like a long wait for a instead? Plus, my neighbourhood starting from 4.900,- Almost a year on, they must be boring job interview or legal deposition, bodega already makes the best burger doing something right. Curiosity not a dinner. west of Vatnajökull, and it would be piqued and expectations high, I gave The dance beat carries on, and I digested by now. So what is all of this the table wait another go. Greeted loosen another button on my collar. buzz about? My name is called. by loud dance music, I thought I was My anxiety oscillates between hunger, The place has the look and in the wrong queue. This was early and the thought of this empty tower gimmick-laden feel of an American Thursday evening, and we are told it being as structurally sound as the chain restaurant, except the staff is would be a 45-minute wait for a table for apartment blocks on Skúlagata, the not wearing goofy hats or constantly two. Hoping this was an exaggeration, ones with the tiles constantly blowing bothering you. The ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ I thought we would wait ten minutes, off. I am far enough away to only hear lighting on the ceiling is a nice touch, otherwise leave. No burger is worth the kick of the bass drum, imagining but not when reflected off the golden waiting longer than ten minutes for, is the tiles loosening with each beat, but I mirrored tabletops. Is anyone this vain it? am close enough to smell the burgers. to want to look at themselves while The waiting area spills into the Perhaps I should have brought a book, eating? I was afraid that if I ordered lobby of that carbuncle of a building ‘In Search of Lost Time’. a Coke, the waiter would rail up some

Food & Drink | Venue finder Pósthússtræti 11 101 Reykjavík Tel: 578 2008 www.silfur.is

3 Frakkar Balthazar Geysir Bar/Bistro Icelandic Fish & Chips | E4 Sjávarkjallarinn Baldursgata 14 | G4 Hafnarstræti 1-3 | D2 Aðalstræti 2 | D2 Tryggvagata 8 | B2 Aðalstræti 2 | D2 Nonnabiti Aktu Taktu Bæjarins Beztu Garðurinn Indian Mango Sólon Frakkastígur 12 | F5 Hafnarstræti 9 | D3 Skúlugata 15 | E6 Tryggvagata | D3 Klappastigur 37 | F4 Bankastræti 7a | E3 Jómfrúin O Sushi Alibaba Brons Glætan book café Lækjargata 2A | E3 Sushibarinn Veltusund 3b | D2 Pósthússtræti 9 | E3 Laugavegur 19 | F5 Lækjargata 4 | E3 Laugavegur 2 | E4 Pisa American Style Café Cultura Grái Kötturinn Kaffi Hljómalind Sushismiðjan Laugavegur 21 | E4 Lækjargötu 6b | E3 Tryggvagata 26 | D2 Hverfisgata 18 | E4 Hverfisgata 16A | E4 Geirsgötu 3 | B2 Kaffifélagið Pizza King Argentína Steakhouse Café d'Haiti Grillhúsið Hafnarstræti 18 | D3 Svarta Kaffi Noodle soup with chicken IKR 930 Barónstígur | F6 Tryggvagata 12 | D2 Tryggvagata 20 | D2 Skólavörðustígur 10 Laugavegur 54 | F5 | F5 Pizza Pronto Austurlanda- Café Loki Habibi Sægreifinn Noodle soup with beef IKR 930 Kaffitár Vallarstræti 4 | E2 hraðlestin Lokastígur 28 | G4 Hafnarstræti 20 | E3 Verbúð 8, Geirsgata Hverfisgata 64A | F5 Bankastræti 8 | E4 Pizzaverksmiðjan | B2 Café Paris Hamborgarabúlla Lækjargötu 8 | E3 Á Næstu Grösum Austurstræti 14 | E3 Tómasar (“Bullan”) Kaffivagninn Tapas Grandagarður 10 | A1 Prikið Laugavegur 20B | E4 Café Roma Geirsgata 1 | B2 Vesturgata 3B | D2 Kofi Tómasar Frænda Bankastræti 12 | E3 B5 Rauðarárstígur 8 | G7 Hlölla Bátar Thorvaldsen Bankastræti 5 | E3 Ingólfstorg | D2 Laugavegur 2 | E4 Ráðhúskaffi | E2 Austurstræti 8 | D2 Deli Tjarnargata 11 Bakkus Bankastræti 14 | E5 Hornið Kornið Tíu Dropar Lækjargata 4 | E3 Santa Maria Tryggvagata 22 | D2 Domo Hafnarstræti 15 | D3 Laugavegur 27 | E5 Krua Thai Laugavegur 22A, | F5 Ban Thai Þingholtsstræti 5 | E3 Hótel Holt Tívolí Laugavegur 130 | G7 Bergstaðarstræti 37 Tryggvagata 14 | D2 Serrano Laugavegur 3 | E4 Einar Ben Hringbraut 12 | H3 Basil & Lime Veltusundi | E2 | G3 La Primavera Vegamót Austurstræti 9 | D2 Shalimar Home of the best noodle soup! Klapparstíg 38 | E4 Eldsmiðjan Humarhúsið Vegamótastígur 4 | E4 Amtmanstígur 1 | E3 Lystin Austurstræti 4 | D2 Babalú Bragagata 38A | G4 Við Tjörnina Skólavörðustígur 22A Hressó Laugavegur 73 | F6 Silfur Templarasund 3 | E2 Fiskmarkaðurinn Pósthússtræti 11 | E3 | G5 Aðalstræti 12 | D2 Austurstræti 20 | E4 Mokka Vitabar Skólavörðustígur 21A Skólavörðustígur 3A Bergþórugata 21 | G5 FD For your mind, body and soul lines on our mirrored table, as it was in Chernobyl, novelly square in shape, or your romance has not quite reached fitting to the music. but twenty times the size. I double that intimate level of talking yet. The I stuck to a water, and the simplest fist it, an overdue anticipation draws table doubles as a mirror to check for of burgers, the ‘Morthens’. All of the it towards my salivating mouth, and gristle in your teeth, sauce on the beard, other burgers are complicated melodies juices run down my arms before I can or smudged lipstick. For a good honest of toppings that seem like they are even tear the flesh, close my mouth, burger in an equally humble setting, I either arranged to disguise a mediocre and fully swallow. Steamy. Charred will stick to my neighbourhood bodega. burger, or frustrate the chef with to perfection. Well worth every second For the best burger west of Vatnajökull, endless customizations. There should of the wait. I retreat into a gluttonous I know where to return. And like the just be an option to design your own ecstasy where time slows and all savvy traveller, I will come prepared for burger, like a pizza pie, right? I choose sounds disappear like a winter’s night. delays, armed with good headphones to the self described, most honest and My date mouths something inaudible. cancel the cacophony of noise, perhaps straightforward of all of the burgers, I am oblivious to all surroundings. a good book, and an inflatable neck named after legendary pop star Bubbi The sensory deprivation is short lived, pillow for the wait. Morthens. With 39 solo records credited derailed by a bingo call announcing yet to his name, one might expect as many another birthday. I knew this sensation toppings, but this burger seemed the would not last forever. most basic of the bunch. This is a great place for an awkward MAdeleine T It arrives, looking like a Whitecastle date where conversation is un-obligatory hvalreki

FYRIR AF MATSEÐLI 2Í HÁDEGINU ALLA 1DAGA

“It would be a pity for anyone to miss this” sushismiðjan I must have walked by this place a toss. My request was a gamble anyway hundred times since it opened on since I usually order the wrong thing Kína Flavour Lækjargata in September, learning when it comes to Chinese takeaway. I Lækjargata 10 RESTAURANT of its existence only through word of eat half, and then live with the guilt of VIÐ SMÁBÁTAHÖFINA mouth. I usually cringe at the mention tossing the rest while there are starving OPIÐ TIL 22:00 of Chinese takeaway because it always children in China. tends to be a desperate last resort at Proprietor Ying Li, wife, and young variety of fresh seasonal vegetables, a some obscene hour when you are either son disappeared into the kitchen. I dish of twice cooked pork, and another not ready to put your clothes back on, sat alone in the restaurant, watching of fried shrimp. Each dish carried an or it is the only menu that has not footwear pass-by, guessing the sounds authentic, homemade signature. This found its way into the recycle bin. But of what vegetables were being chopped. was not garden-variety bottled china this is Reykjavík and not Manhattan. Something crisp, something fresh. sauce found at a grocery store, but a This is the first time I have even seen Woks sizzled, and smells emanated. family recipe. We spent the weekend Chinese takeaway in Iceland. Is this If only this aroma could reach the eating this, and look forward to plenty really a first? Or, did the previous wave streets there would be queues. All more. come and go overnight, washing over three emerged with enough boxes to It would be a pity for anyone to Reykjavík like the great bagel craze feed us all, yet packed them away for miss this, and without a proper sign of 2002? Regardless, there are more their lone customer of the evening and or cooking with the door open to lure By the choices in an American election than her unseen companion. Details were in the passer-by, this gem may just options for Icelandic carry out, so I given about each container, and which go unnoticed. Hopefully, word will welcome everything new: rollerblades, sauce is to accompany each dish, with carry, and Kína Flavour will become a sea and stone washed jeans, Chinese takeaway. the reassurance of no MSG. But, was permanent option when one considers A fantasy of Szechuan Hotpot this really just for two people at hotdog takeaway in Reykjavik. a delicios and hundred year old eggs danced prices? I was eager to get home with through my head before entering this my bounties. basement hideaway, but the modest, We began with homemade familiar decor kept my expectations at dumplings of fresh pork seasoned to lobster a pedestrian canter. I glanced at the perfection, tucked inside a fresh rolled bleak, laminated menu before asking pasta pouch, and lightly sautéed. There At the Restaurant Fjöruborðið in Stokkseyri the proprietor to just surprise me. I was no need for the sauce. I could have like surprises. I actually like when a made a meal out of the dumplings chef prepares whatever they feel like alone. The other dishes were cooked < Only 45 minutes drive from Reykjavík 2EYKJAVqK cooking, as if the meal is for the family. as if we were foreign dignitaries at a Eyrarbraut 3, 825 Stokkseyri, Iceland · Tel. +354 483 1550 MAdeleine T 3TOKKSEYRI You either taste the love, or you taste the Chinese Trade Summit. A lamb dish %YRABAKKI Fax. +354 483 1545 · [email protected] · www.fjorubordid.is leftovers that the restaurant is about to with hints of Szechuan pepper and a hvalreki The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 2 — 2011 Nathan Hall is a composer and artist on a Fulbright Fellowship By Dr. Gunni (Based on his book Eru ekki allir í stuði from 2001). We hear the to Iceland this year. He can be reached through www.nathan- good doctor is working on an updated version of the book for 2011! hall.net. 22

Music | Dr. Gunni’s History Of Icelandic Rock / Part 27 Music | Live Review Dark Music Days The Sugarcubes Reykjavík’s Dark Music Days Festival (Myrkir SATURDAY Músíkdagar) is a bit like Iceland Airwaves, if The highlight from Hnúkaþeyr Wind Octet World Domination Or Death! Airwaves catered mostly to hip classical mu- was ‘Andar’ by Anna Þorvaldsdóttir, contain- sicians, threw in a ton of contrabass instru- ing ideas ‘under the influence of breathing ments, and was operated entirely by about four and tidal waves’. It was also a perfect nod to Scoring a ‘Single of the Week’ in the people. This year, the usual multi-week festival the sounds of pounding waves of rain on Kjar- English music press doesn't necessary was squashed into three-and-a-half days, ex- valsstaðir’s roof. Dark Music Days this year was mean the instant access to the big time, hausting my ears in the same way as Airwaves sponsored by Iceland’s worst winter weather: but in The Sugarcubes’ case it did. Af- did, only this time with more sixteenth notes wind, rain, slush, and snow coming at you from and fewer earplugs. ter ‘Birthday’ got the honour, One Little all directions. Kira Kira’s late-night concert at Norðurpól- Indian Records was swamped with in- THURSDAY linn was…eclectic. I bet that she could leave terview requests and offers from record The festival kicked off with a grand concert out the heavy reverb and echo effects and companies, both indies and majors. In by the Iceland National Symphony. Daníel still have interesting pieces left over. For most the same week in October 1987, The Bjarnason’s conducting of György Ligeti’s ‘At- of the evening I thought to myself, if I would Sugarcubes graced the front covers of mospheres’ squeezed out of the double bass feature all these low-sounding instruments: both The NME and Melody Maker. As section a low sustained note more fantastically double basses, cornet, contrabass clarinet–I’d would become customary, Björk was vulgar than I’ve ever heard in orchestral mu- definitely have a tuba as well. put in the forefront while the band stood sic. Steingrímur Rohloff’s ‘Clarinet Concerto’ could have just given me the parts of the piece in the back, a bit out of focus. As music SUNDAY featuring growling, didgeridoo-like squeals for Pulling myself together after a long night (it from Iceland was an exotic novelty, most the bass clarinet, and I would have been per- was the weekend, after all), I took a bus to CA- of the interviews became a tourism pro- fectly content. The composition, and Rúnar Ós- PUT’s performance of Atli Heimir Sveinsson’s motion for Iceland—"Such a strange karsson’s performance as soloist, particularly ‘5-hjóladrif’ at Norðurpóllinn. The two dancers country, they eat puffins and drink showcased the bass clarinet as well-balanced on stage sadly only performed during a fifth of Brennivín all the time, etc, etc..." This against the forces of the full orchestra. the work, but Atli Heimir’s multi-genre, vigor- would be the standard style of Icelandic Daníel conducted his own ‘Birting’, the ous and virtuosic (read: ‘crazy’) writing held music coverage for decades to come. crowning achievement of the evening. Daníel’s my interest. work was full of primordial shifts of light and The final concert of the festival was held darkness, mysterious and unexpected sounds Surrealistic pop at the National Gallery (Listasafn Íslands), an at just the right moments. I went home com- acoustically dull but obviously artful venue As was to be expected, the attention forted. for the Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra. Hlynur from abroad increased the band’s Ice- Vilmarsson’s ‘Héxié’ for piano, strings, and landic fan base. The venues were sud- FRIDAY low-frequency pulsing electronics conveyed denly packed with hipsters when the The onslaught of events began on Friday at a stillness that resonated the best through the band played local shows. All kinds of lunchtime, with one-hour events placed at museum’s space. Arnold Schoenberg’s ‘Verk- wild record deal offers were dutifully roughly three-hour intervals until late in the lärte Nacht’ was the final work on the pro- covered by the Icelandic media, and El- night. At Kristín Jónína’s lecture, Þorkell Sig- gramme, with intense anguish that melted into lert B. Schram, editor of the newspaper urbjörnsson mentioned that for years he had to sighs of romance, and finally into an uplifting have an unlisted phone number after receiving DV, wrote an outraged editorial when spiritual breath. It was also the bookend to the threatening calls—apparently nothing made symphony concert a few nights before; it tied the band declined an offer that amount- Icelanders angrier than his hosting an avant- together many of the works over the weekend ed to "a brand new trawler". For years to garde music programme on the radio during that seemed to explore inhalation and exhala- come Sugarcubes bassist Bragi Ólafs- rush hour. tion, the passions of simply being alive. son would send Ellert postcards from were put in rock star mode with end- year (1989) that all of my time was being Sigurður Sævarsson’s ‘Missa Pacis’ was These kinds of festivals are a rare oppor- all over the world, relaying made-up less tours all over the globe. The second spent on a hobby." hauntingly beautiful, performed in the darkly- tunity to hear so much contemporary music excess stories of the band on the road. album saw release in October of 1989. Björk's musical search led her to- lit Neskirkja. The restraint of the vocal writing for such a reasonable price. Much like I expe- Eventually, as "artistic freedom" was It was released in English as ‘Here To- wards the electric scene. She made made the work’s deliciously full moments shine rienced at Airwaves, I found it best to just be a regarded over cashmoney, the expand- day, Tomorrow Next Week’ (quoting some music with 808 State in Man- even more. It is soon to be a Hljómeyki Choir hit ‘sponge’, soaking up all of the highs and lows of when it’s released on CD. new classical music in Iceland today, and taking One Little Indian Records went on Toad from ‘The Wind In The Willows’) chester just to get it off her chest. "I had The electro-acoustic performances at ing them home to ponder. to sign the band for Europe while Ele- and in Icelandic as ‘Illur arfur!’ (“Evil to do it ‘cos my head was about to ex- Hugmyndahúsið in the late evening included ktra Records got the American deal. Heritage!”). It was the Sugarcubes only plode," she later remarked. several works featuring altered found sounds. The Sugarcubes’ first album, ‘Life's Icelandic language LP, even though the Ríkharður Friðriksson stood on stage for his Too Good’—a title derived from poet band always sang Icelandic when they Bono calls piece, writing out computer code that pro- Jóhamar's sigh of enjoyment after a performed back home. There was still one more Sugarcubes pelled the work in real-time. Strangely en- Nathan hall hearty meal—was released in April 1988 A new album meant more tour- album to be made according to their thralling. and scored glowing reviews in Europe. ing. “Around this time we turned into a contract. Recording commenced in The album contains such classic surre- rock band machine and lost sight of the May of 1991 in a studio in Woodstock, Music | CD Reviews alistic pop songs as ‘Cold Sweat’, ‘Deus’ creative side," Einar Örn later admitted. New York. Björk tried to get her electric and ‘Motorcrash’, which were all re- The second album sold a bit less than ideas across, to little avail. The record- leased as singles. The video for ‘Motor- the debut, and in the English media the ing process was a tiring chore and after crash’ featured the slick American se- backlash hit full force. Einar especially the album was finished, Björk decided dan cars that the Sugarcubes had spent got the brunt of the UK press’ ire—Mel- to quit the band. However, she agreed to some of their record deal advance on. ody Maker's John White went as far as do a few promotional tours beforehand. The video was directed by Björk's new suggesting the singer should be shot ‘Stick Around For Joy’ came out in boyfriend, Óskar Jónasson, who would so his yap would stop. All the endless February 1992 and included still more later direct videos for ‘Planet’ and ‘Regí- touring got on people's nerves, so after happy pop, with one of the songs, ‘Hit’, na’ as well. In other love affair news, the the band finally reached Iceland in May sailing to #17 on the English chart, new girlfriend of guitarist Þór Eldon, 1990, it took a well-deserved break. matching Mezzoforte's chart success of Margrét Örnólfsdóttir (of Risaeðlan), 1983. turned up on keyboards that the sum- My head was about to explode Offers for American support slots mer, completing the band’s line-up. In retrospect the band was mentally came in from The Cure and The B-52's, Ask The Slave Prins Póló Besides spending their new found finished at this time, but still it would but it wasn't until U2 called that The The Order Of Things Jukk pop money on American cars, The dangle on until 1992. During their break, Sugarcubes said: “OK, let's do it.” So Sugarcubes were always very kind and Björk sang Icelandic fifties pop songs during October and November of 1992, asktheslave www. prinspolo.com supportive to up-and-coming Icelandic on the ‘Gling Gló’ album with The Guð- The Sugarcubes appeared in 17 of the Fuck the haters If a winning formula ain’t broke, bands. They released their music on mundur Ingólfsson Trio (an album that 'Zooropa' concerts across America, don’t try to fix it. their Smekkleysa imprint and brought keeps selling to this day, and remains performing for a total of 700.000 people. This is the type of music that ex- some of them along on tour, like my her bestselling album in Iceland), and A remix album, ‘It's It’, (some members perts and self-appointed authorities With ‘Átján og hundrað’, Prins Póló cre- own band S. H. Draumur, which sup- her and most of the other ‘cubes got to- referred to it as “It's Shit”) was released on what’s cool make fun of or are ated one of Iceland’s more hideously ported them in England in May 1988. gether in a 14 strong big band, Konrad before Christmas 1992, and the band intimidated by. ‘The Order Of Things’ catchy songs of 2009. Fast forward a Later, Ham, Risaeðlan (Reptile) and B's Big Band (‘Konrad B’ being Bragi played its final concert at Reykjavík club is equal part a display of: the joyous- year and Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson’s (of Bless (me again) would take baby steps the bassist on drums). The band's can- Tunglið at that same time. No death cer- ness of playing with individuals that Skakkamanage) one-man project (now on foreign soil with support from Smek- tor was Sugarcubes drummer Sigtryg- tificate was issued, but the band was no gel together, yeswecanism (evident called Prins Póló) again enchants with kleysa, playing for more than the usual gur, appearing as “Bogomil Font”. After more (at least not until their 2004 come- in how they rejoice in riffs, vocals and the same lo-fi acoustic pop, this time crowd of 200 Icelanders and having the Sugarcubes, Bogomil would lead his back gig in Reykjavík). song structures most avoid) and an with the debut album ‘Jukk’. their records released abroad under the own band, The Millionaires, performing Björk was well on her way with her unashamed homage to their influences However on this occasion there’s far-fetched war cry of "world domina- mambo, salsa and cha cha cha, gaining debut LP (second if you count her 1977 (Theater Of The Absurd, Mr. Bungle, a more expansive, psychedelic bent tion or death!" a considerable local following. One of album). For her, it was no hobby mu- Fantomas and metal). Going in, I had to the music, as if Svavar has just few Sugarcubes gigs at this time was at sic, but the real thing. The album, ‘De- my reservations. Coming out, I was discovered the Beta Band’s ‘3 EPs’ Shoot the singer! their old hangout, tiny club Duus Hús, but’, was scheduled for release in July happy as a donkey in an ‘80s arcade. for the first time. The songs sound After Europe, The Sugarcubes went to where they played at the request of the of 1993 on One Little Indian. The most At first the herky-jerky nature of the loose and free, usually starting with a conquer America. The highlight of the French president Jacques Mitterand optimistic people at the label thought it whole thing annoyed me but quickly simple continuous acoustic riff that’s tour was undoubtedly in September and French Culture Minister (and might shift 20.000 copies. it made all the sense in the world. It allowed to roam the hills before the of 1988, at New York’s The Ritz. David Sugarcubes fan) Jacques Lang. flows and these guys have a panache other instruments realise it’s missing Bowie—who had jokingly been put on Björk was especially tired of the sta- Photos: rarely found in Icelandic bands that and decide to wander off to find it. all of Kukl's guest lists—finally showed tus quo. "The Sugarcubes were a group 1. Happy Happy Joy Joy – The Sugar- don’t fit particular trends. Despite the greater ambition, it’s still up, and Iggy Pop—an old favourite—did of people that met at my place," she said cubes in 1989. If you couldn’t stomach proggy as ramshackle as ever (the tambourine too. At the time, ‘Life's Too Good’ had in a 1990 interview. "We were different 2. The Sugarcubes’ three studio albums, music that’s also abrasive and scatter- bashings on ‘Njótum afans’ sound so sold about 100.000 copies in England people, did not have much in common ‘Life's Too Good’, ‘Here Today Tomorrow brained, you will not like this. But if you out of time it’s practically in time). and 350.000 in America. Eventually the musically, had very different ideas of Next Week’ and ‘Stick Around For Joy’. want to try, it’s the best place to start. Many albums often try to do the whole album would sell well over a million how to do things, but decided to form ‘The Order Of Things’ is energetic, ‘happy loose pop’ shtick, but Jukk not copies. Finally, after decades of struggle a pop band as a joke. We thought this twisted, eventful, oddly catchy and fun only pulls it off, it make it look easy as and starry-eyed expectations, Iceland was very funny, but we were always in as hell. It’ll give you plenty to chew on. well. had its first universally known—even fa- the process of forming other bands. - Birkir fjalar viðarsson - bob cluness mous—rock band. Accidentally this hobby thing just be- At this point in time The Sugarcubes came the main thing. I realised last The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 2 — 2011 The good people of Havarí assure us that they will re-open sometime this year. Phew. Icelandic Travel Market - www.itm.is 23

Music | End Of Days

PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE WITH US

You Don’t Know What You’ve Got ‘Til It’s Temporarily Closed For Relocation After Having To Make Way For A Hotel Lobby’ -Havarí interviewed, for posterity’s sake

Glacier Walks By the time this goes to print, Ha- turned my studio into their warehouse. varí will be shut. Temporarily closed But it’s a very cosy warehouse. The cosi- Svavar:… that are designed accord- while they seek a new locale, the in- est warehouse in town. I want it to be ing to some imaginary concept of what Super Jeeps dependent record store/bookstore/ like a downtown creative workspace. tourists need. You can’t imagine that all small venue/art gallery/recording tourists want to do is hang out in hotels studio/coffee shop has been forced So you do definitely think there is a and collect puffin dolls. Golden Circle to make way for a new downtown place for a creative workspace like hotel after seventeen months of Havarí in Reykjavík? Shitting One’s Collective Northern Lights centrally located awesomeness. Svavar: Yes, especially if you do it care- Pants (Or Failure To Do So) lessly enough… don’t take it too se- Kristján: It’s a degrading portrait of Initially opened as an outlet store for riously, then people will like it more. tourists; I don’t think tourists are idiots. Whale local record labels Kimi and Borgin, We were always ready to give it all up Cultural tourism has grown a lot, and Watching Havarí gradually became all the above- tomorrow. We took things day-by-day, Havarí is a direct response to that. Tour- mentioned things as time progressed, week-by-week. If we don’t feel like do- ists come here and piss themselves out with the collective of artists/musicians ing this tomorrow, we’ll just close. We of happiness… they aren’t buying some who ran it, keeping an open mind as never made any kind of commitment… puffin… I mean, some of them do, but Blue Lagoon to the nature of the place. Word spread but we love running this place, and we not everybody who comes to Iceland and people rather started taking them will keep doing it. buys a puffin keychain and a picture of Car Rentals for granted, but their last month in busi- Geysir. It is a fact that most tourists who ness saw a flurry of press attention as Prostitution and drugs come to Iceland come for the culture: Bus Tours everyone suddenly realised what was Kristján: I personally think it’s a crying music and other art. It’s sad that there is being lost here. The Grapevine, spine- shame what’s happening, what with the no presentation of these things in down- less conformists that we are, jumped on hotel and all. You would’ve thought that town Reykjavík. The only people who so and more ... the bandwagon and hastily discussed with the Best Party in City Hall, this kind far haven’t shit their collective pants in some sad facts with proprietors Svavar of thing would change, but nothing has Iceland are the artists. Pétur Eysteinsson and Kristján Freyr happened. The only real progress be- Halldórsson. ing made, has been exactly this kind of Svavar: When Iceland is advertised, or activity, the kind Svavar and his ilk have attempts are made to improve our im- The cosiest warehouse in been involved in the downtown area, age abroad, it’s the artists who get the town [vintage clothing store] Gyllti Kötturinn call. They’re asked to do pro bono work The general attitude now is that the and these design spaces, young people to present Iceland as having a flourish- record store is a dying thing. Was trying to establish themselves. The fact ing culture, but the people in charge do Havarí your way of trying to save the of the matter is, however, that places like nothing to support these artists or give record store? that [Kristján points across the street to them creative space. Sure, there is some FREE Svavar: I have no particular aspirations a vacant storefront that once housed a funding, but… on behalf of The Album, in the physical Subway], the rent there costs 1.000.000 BOOKING SERVICE sense of the word. I don’t want to rescue ISK a month. If you can’t sell teenagers Kristján:…but in the end, city officials it; it’ll just go its own way. Maybe this is a oblong pieces of bread, then what can have yet to formulate a policy regarding natural result of the fact that the record you do? Are we going to have to resort these matters. It’s Reykjavík’s existential store is dying, it has to adapt and evolve to prostitution and drugs? I don’t want crisis: what kind of downtown do we into something else, something cultur- to get political, but we need to think want. ally and musically active. We’ve used this about what kind of downtown Reykjavík space for various different things, we’ve we want to have. Do we want hotels and BOOK YOUR TOUR HERE recorded albums in the basement. And puffin shops [derogatory term for tourist sindri eldon Bankastræti hörður sveinsson then, of course, Kimi Records came and shops]...

S k ó la v ö r ð u s t íg u r L a u g a v e g u r

Music | CD Reviews The beginning of Lifun’s debut Klassart’s blues-y country (or << Klassart album seems designed to bring is that country-style blues? out feelings of despondency Who can tell?), seems to have Bréf frá París with trite pop pap that’s as disposable Spör ehf. mistaken mellowness and intimacy for as last week’s newspapers. Improve- boredom and a complete and total lack fridaklassart ments occur, but while they can play of dynamism. Tiresome, plodding blues The sound of slow death and sing nice melodies you get the guitar lines, with country melodies that feeling that this group of musicians re- INFORMATION AND BOOKING CENTER have shrivelled up from being out in ally isn’t stretching itself that much. the sun for too long. Oh dear. Icelandic Travel Market Lifun >> - bob cluness - bob cluness OPEN 8 - 19 Fögur fyrirheit Bankastræti 2 - Downtown lifungerirutfrakeflavik Tel: 522 4979 Acoustic pop as mains hum ... [email protected] - www.itm.is The Reykjavík Grapevine ‘Practicing Nature-Based Tourism’ is an international, interdisciplinary conference held in con- Issue 2 — 2011 The project is currently unfolding in the Reykjavík Art Mu- junction with the exhibition and dedicated to nature-based tourism and Iceland’s role as a tourist seum’s Hafnarhús. The exhibition will run until April 10, and destination. One of the conference’s keynote speakers will be Lucy R. Lippard. It takes place at 24 the conference takes place the first week of February. Hafnarhús, February 5-6.

A rt | As means of philosophising about stuff

WHERE TO, FOLKS?

Words “In Iceland today a tour guide can still take groups Markús Þór Andrésson to both kinds of sites, where on the one hand people

Illustration will leave with a personal impression of a place in Þorgerður Ólafsdóttir, You've Got their mind, and where on the other hand they will a Face With a View, 2011 take with them an identical image of a destination on their cameras. The change I notice in the last fifteen years within the field of local tourism is that it is increasingly leaning towards the latter notion.

Our desire to travel and the on people. of flux. The interplay of identity, place nature of our relationship The fact that in Stórurð we met and time are made to provide unlimited with the places that we go only one other group, whereas in Dim- possibilities for unique experiences to see is the topic of an in- muborgir there were around thirty, where- and whenever. As the ventrilo- ternational art exhibition, conference might have had something to do with it. quist Willie Tyler was quoted saying: and publication entitled ‘Without Desti- Or was it the fact that someone recently “The reason lightning doesn't strike nation’ at Reykjavík Art Museum’s Haf- decided that Dimmuborgir should be twice in the same place is that the same narhús. The project proposes an insight the home of “The Icelandic Yule Lads”? place isn't there the second time.” into man’s need to position himself Now, you can follow the trail down in This is how Fiete Stolte, a young within the world, into how he relates to the valley guided by signs displaying German artist, displays a series of Pola- his environment and how this relation- the rascals goofing around. A shop roid photographs taken from the same ship has developed towards what we selling Yule Lad kitsch has risen on top lighthouse tower in the West Fjords. today know as tourism. of a cliff overlooking the valley, making Eight similar sequences show the same Coming from an art background as sure that it does not escape your sight surroundings depending on time of curator, I collaborate with the geogra- wherever you may find yourself in this day and weather conditions. The same pher, Gunnþóra Ólafsdóttir, on the proj- magical landscape. place, yet always different. ect as a whole. Having both worked as In Iceland today a tour guide can Húbert Nói Jóhannesson creates tour guides in Iceland, we find it inter- still take groups to both kinds of sites, paintings that refer both to specific esting to observe the local changes in where on the one hand people will places within the museum–literally is heading today as a tourist destina- and curator Lucy R. Lippard debates the field of tourism over the last fifteen leave with a personal impression of a one-to-one paintings of architectural tion. With the steady increase of local whether the term sustainable tourism years. I had not been on the road for place in their mind, and where on the details of the building–and also to far- and international travellers wanting to may be an oxymoron, given the inevi- a while so I decided last summer to do other hand they will take with them an away places, specified with accurate visit the island, some places are already table change the industry brings about a ten day tour with a group of people identical image of a destination on their GPS markers. facing overexposure and reaching their wherever it is introduced. Here in Ice- from all parts of the world, partly as cameras. The change I have noticed in The origin of tourism as we know it limits of sustainability. Still, it becomes land we still have the chance to at least preparation for the project ‘Without the last fifteen years within the field of today is the topic of the Swedish art- more and more apparent that tourism try and rope the two notions together. Destination’. local tourism is that it is increasingly ist Johan Furåker and local artist Unnar is not as much defined by the number leaning towards the latter notion. Örn who both study historical archives of tourists as it is by the mindfulness of Where to, folks? Mountain high, valley low in their work. When the European mid- the toured. How is Iceland living up to The exhibition ‘Without Destination’ at Talking to travellers about their expec- Another time, another place dle class started having leisure time the challenge of being a popular des- Hafnarhús is divided into four parts: tations and experience is very inter- The elements at stake in a personal and could save some money, travelling tination? ‘Wanderlust’ focuses on tourists and esting, reflecting the extent to which engagement with the environment are soon became an important factor of its While the element of individual en- travel while 'Place' examines the rela- people attempt to match a certain im- subject to many contemporary art- identity. Certain places became land- terprise may be charming it is another tionship between the traveller and the age that they have in their minds with ists and the aim with the exhibition is marks through which a person could thing when a nature reserve of rare environment. Both themes are repre- what they encounter. It is very different to bring together works that elaborate establish their status in society. beauty like Dimmuborgir becomes sented through new and recent inter- how much room people leave beyond on this engagement. In many different This trend also came to Iceland, if someone’s playground for the market- national works on display in the galler- the preconceived idea when taking in case studies offered by artists they re- somewhat later than it began in Eu- ing of the Icelandic Yule Lads. In an ies. the environment. It also matters a great fer to our capability to find ourselves in rope, and people would create their era of expanding experience economy ‘Travelogue’ presents diverse in- deal how people are introduced to the two places at the same time–one physi- own leisure destinations on the island. it seems somewhat anachronistic to dividual experiences in narrative form places they go to, what sort of history cally in the here and now, while in our The notion of travel and the relationship steer tourism down the road of prod- with a programme of film, video and and infrastructure you find between a minds we can be in another place and people have with places remains quite uct-centred economy. The valley, in this sound art running all day long in a spe- traveller and a place. another time entirely. Some projects similar today as it did in the heyday of case, has changed from being a place cially designed black box. The schedule A walk in Stórurð in the East Fjords, aim at uniting both senses in the same tourism over a century and a half ago. of limitless experience, to which visi- is presented online. where we stopped the coach in a moun- moment within the museum experi- These similarities are underlined in tors may relate on their own terms and Finally, ‘Trail’ guides the viewer tain pass and followed a trail to a valley ence, while others play with this double works that bring the viewer back and turned into a fixed destination ready for from place to place within the museum of extraordinary beauty, left everyone feature relating to a faraway place in forth in the history of wanderlust. consumption. through a poster exhibition created by with a different personal experience. the present work. It is in the hope that such develop- the Institut für Raumexperimente [The However, a walk through the valley of Another repeated element in the The journey, not the destina- ment does not happen by mere over- Institute for Spatial Experiment], which Dimmuborgir near Lake Mývatn, which works is the notion of the creative relation sight, that the project ‘Without Desti- is an educational research facility at the offers no less a magnificent landscape, tionship of an individual with his or her ‘Without Destination’ is a project that nation’ is introduced. In her book ‘On Berlin University of the Arts, directed seemed to make no special impression surroundings within a constant state raises questions about where Iceland the Beaten Track’, American writer by artist Ólafur Elíasson. The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 2 — 2011 25

Ideas | Damn good ones Here Today Gone Tomorrow Or Next Week The rise and fall of Reykjavík’s House of Ideas

In early 2009, a new institution washed ashore in the Reykjavík harbour, a little lifeboat providing some refuge from Iceland’s economic shipwreck. It’s called Hug- myndahúsið ('The House of Ideas'), and was established to give rise to 50 companies that would in turn create 500 new jobs over a period of two years. It’s an idea that grew out of an unlikely alliance between two universities in Reykjavík; the fine arts oriented Iceland Academy of Arts and business-minded Reyk- javík University.

Hugmyndahúsið is ostensibly open to everyone—including foreigners— and getting involved is practically free. Too good to be true? The Grapevine recently toured the somewhat hidden House of Ideas with project manager, Daníel Björnsson, who helped shed some light on its foundations.

From buzzwords to basics According to Daníel, another way of describing Hugmyndahúsið is an “open innovation centre.” I ask him to describe the ideological objectives of such a centre and he says: “to connect people.” troduced (6.000 ISK per month) because crafts storehouse, is a recording stu- Capitalism and the arts held in Klink and Bank, basically on offer Yet, Daníel shies away from the term "people were booking space and not dio. "CCP has a lot of equipment but no I ask Daníel whether enlisting corpora- through Landsbankinn, which at least networking and underlines the sponta- showing up." Each group can use their space, so a group of young filmmakers tions such as Íslandsbanki, N1 and Össur goes to show that the bank was also na- neous rather than calculated possibili- allotted space for up to nine months, help out CCP in exchange for use of their to provide prize money for Hugmyndas- ive in their understanding of what was ties that such an open space provides. whereupon the group "graduates." equipment." miðjan risks compromising both the ar- going on there." “This environment works better with So far 56 companies have graduated, tistic freedom of individual participants creative people,” he says, “like creative the most successful being Clara, an IT The House of Ideas goes fish- and the academic integrity of the two Closing time industries—another buzz word—but it’s start-up now operating independently. ing universities behind Hugmyndahúsið, but It has not been easy to keep Hugmyn- true, when you have this kind of rough Along with IT people, architects form Last June, the Associated Icelandic he does not believe this is an issue. He dahúsið and its subsidiary Útgerðin space, creative people seem to be drawn another group that seems to gravitate Ports in Faxaflói harbour gave Hug- underlines the fact that Hugmyndahúsið running, for as Daníel remarks about to it because you can create your own towards Hugmyndahúsið, and a tour myndahúsið free lease on an old fish- remains a non-profit organisation that the latter, "it may look like a squat, but space out of it.” Although it is safe to say of the room revealed all sorts: accoun- ing net warehouse on Grandagarður receives no private funding: "the uni- it's not. We need to meet the minimum that Hugmyndahúsið was conceived in tants, knitting aficionados, board game 16. The warehouse, known as Útgerðin versities are its sole benefactors." And health and safety codes as well as pay the wake of the 2008 economic crash in creators, product designers, art festival (“The Fishery”), amounts to 2500 square although he likens the alliance between for heating and electricity, and this has order to create jobs and boost morale, organisers, Icelandic cinema promoters, meters of raw, loft space and Hugmyn- Iceland Academy of Arts and Reykjavík been tricky." Moreover, the free lease Daníel hesitates to call the institution a software developers and more. And as dahúsið has been allocating units of University to "two separate species talk- runs out this February, so the people force for social change, “It’s more of a Daníel stresses, they don't have to be space to individuals and groups practi- ing to each other," he maintains that the currently using the space will soon have result of social change. We haven’t been companies or "have something to do cally for free: "You pay 2.000 ISK for the results have been largely positive. to pack up their projects and leave. pushing anything in any particular di- with money." They can be projects, such key, and then you get a thousand back Incidentally, Daníel was also involved Hugmyndahúsið itself is currently facing rection.” as Betri Stofan's brightly painted public if you return it in the end." Despite the in the Klink and Bank project, which the probability of shutting down, as the In material terms, Hugmyndahúsið benches and garbage bins, which sud- worn down appearance of the space, it saw Landsbankinn give Kling and Bang universities will stop funding the project oversees two large warehouse-type denly appeared on Laugavegur this past has attracted all sorts of people from vi- gallery free lease on a 5.000 square this month. Although Hugmyndahúsið spaces on Grandagarður. In addition to summer. sual artists (especially recent graduates metre building in downtown Reykjavík has applied for state funding, the pros- the cubicle room that houses a rotat- Nor does one have to rent a square of Iceland Academy of Arts), architects between 2004-2005. Klink and Bank pect of receiving it does not look prom- ing set of about a dozen various upstart to make use of the facilities. Adjoin- (Borgarmynd) and designers (PopUp was then offered as a free studio and ising. companies and projects, the main building the cubicle room, an exhibition hall Markaðurinn) to hackers (Hakkavélin), exhibition space to hundreds of artists. And yet, Daníel remains resignedly ing houses a café and several pockets regularly hosts visual arts exhibitions, alternative media initiatives (Krítík) and Still, Daníel asserts, "the artists work- optimistic. "These grassroots things of seemingly empty space. "We provide architecture conferences, and politi- theatre groups (Áhugaleikhús atvin- ing in Klink and Bank were not compro- come and go...all Hugmyndahúsið does chairs, a fridge and internet, but basi- cal meetings. For example, the newly numanna). Indeed the space is large mised by what Landsbankinn was do- is provide the housing. And a house is cally what you see is what you get." The formed association for democracy and enough to accommodate live theatre ing. Maybe we were just naive, but there merely a house, people are the main key is providing space: "You have the sustainability, ALDA, "has been using rehearsals and performances. was very little cultural awareness about thing." It seems if people really want to opportunity because you have the space the hall for its meetings almost every- This past fall, Útgerðin hosted Hug- the implications of branding." And the keep Hugmyndahúsið going, they will to work your ideas out." day," Daníel tells me. He points to one myndasmiðjan, a start-up seminar that sponsor, Daníel adds, did not prevent have to take it upon themselves to find corner of the building where boxes of involved some 200 individuals and 40 grassroots organisations such as Sav- another space. From knitting parties to poli- stuff line the walls: "This is SARE's con- business ideas. At the end of the six- ing Iceland (which gathered opposition tics tent provider. It is filled with recycled week long seminar, six ideas were cho- against the Kárahnjúkar dam) and Nýhil When Hugmyndahúsið first got started, material that companies were going to sen as the best and rewarded 450.000 (which publishes the politically leftist booking space in the cubicle room was throw away, but was brought here in- ISK from various sponsors in order to book series Afbækur) to make use of the free, but a small fee was eventually instead and now pre-schools in Reykjavík continue developing their projects. space. Moreover, he says, "at one point, Arlda K avec have access to it." Next to this arts and courses in civil disobedience were being alisa Kalyanova

SUPER JEEP & SNOWMOBILE TOURS Mountaineers of Iceland • Skútuvogur 12E • 104 Reykjavík • Iceland Telephone: +354 580 9900 [email protected] • www.mountaineers.is • www. activity.is The Reykjavík Grapevine This trip lasts around ten hours—five hours driving, four hours hiking and stops at waterfalls. Issue 2 — 2011 Tour provided by Icelandic Mountain Guides (www.mountainguides.is) and costs 19,900 ISK. The trip provides transport, an experienced guide, and hiking and rain gear. Lunch not 26 included, but you can grab something along the way if you forget to pack one.

Travel | Glaciers Water, Water, Everywhere Foggy hiking on Sólheimajökull

Words Steve Ganey

Photography Hvalreki

Maybe it was the experience” of being in a land seemingly lost to time and space, or maybe it was the humorous absurdity of standing soaking wet on a field of ice, but never did the group seem upset

We all dream of the perfect vacation, filled with un- Come hell or high Water thick fog closed in around our group, and in no our seats, we met another tour group who had forgettable moments and taking brochure-worthy Nevertheless, our hosts, Icelandic Mountain time we found ourselves engulfed in a world of the visited some museums, comfortable and dry. They photos to make our Facebook buddies super jeal- Guides, made the very best of what they were elements. There was nothing ahead or behind but must’ve thought we had gone mad as we arrived ous. But let’s face it: Sometimes the weather just dealt. They provided everything we needed for fog, and nothing at hand but wind and rain and laughing and drenched to the core. doesn’t cooperate. Rain may dampen your socks, glacier-hiking: crampons, rain gear, boots, and ice. This was not the most scenic of hikes, as was On the way back, the bus stopped at two of but it doesn’t have to dampen your spirit. What you even ice axes, which turned out to be more of a evident in many of Maxim’s sentences starting Iceland’s scenic waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and get out of any vacation is entirely up to you. photo prop than a necessary survival tool, but with, “On a clear day, from here you can see…” Skógafoss, for both tour groups to get out and As I waited outside for my bus in the early fun for taking a few whacks in the ice. Our gla- but I found myself strangely pleased. take pictures. Already soaked, my glacier com- morning, I put up my hood to shelter from the rain. cier guide, Maxim, was cheerful and informative. Maybe it was the experience of being in a land panions and I were the first off to get some great It was chilly and windy, and the rain showed no Meanwhile, the rain came down. It rained when seemingly lost to time and space, or maybe it was shots, heedless of the rain and spray from the sign of letting up: Not the ideal conditions for hik- we started; it rained during the hike; and it rained the humorous absurdity of standing soaking wet falls. One of my fellow ice-hikers, Clint Wilson ing on a glacier. C’est la vie. I wasn’t about to let when we left. Despite this, our tour group of nine on a field of ice, but never did the group seem up- of New York, whose spirit was a ray of sunshine a little water keep me from having a fun day. I’ve faced the conditions with a remarkable optimism set. In fact, looking around all I could see were on an otherwise dreary day, summed up the day always tried to find the bright side in any situation, and sense of adventure. smiling faces. We laughed as we took photos of perfectly. “Remember when you were a kid, and and today would be an occasion for such “silver- We stepped off the bus and crossed a soggy ourselves drenched from head to toe. It’s a great it was no big deal to get wet? I’m actually having lining” thought. field of volcanic ash left by Mýrdasjökull’s cranky way to look at it: You’re going to be wet no matter fun!” Clearly, Clint has the right attitude to take on The hike was on Sólheimajökull, a “crawling neighbour Eyjafjallajökull, with Sólheimajökull what, so why not laugh about it? vacations. So when the weather laughs at you, just tongue of the main glacier, Mýrdalsjökull,” as our looming ahead. Maxim was quick to point out laugh with it. bus driver, Ævar called it. On the way back we that only twenty years ago, the glacier covered What rain? would stop at two waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and this field. With my crampons on, and my rain gear The hike lasted about two hours, perhaps cut a Skógafoss. The drive from Reykjavík to Sólheima- only slightly delaying the rain as it made its way bit short by the fact that very few of the tour’s jökull took a little more than two hours. Along the through my layers of clothing, we stepped onto the sights were visible, and could be described as a way, Ævar pointed out numerous landmarks that ice. casual stroll rather than a hike. It wasn’t especially could be seen from the bus… on a sunny day, that strenuous, although the increasing weight of my is. Today, few of those sights weren’t hidden by the A cold shower coat as it absorbed more and more water did feel rain and fog. Not long into the hike, the wind picked up. The great to shrug off once back on the bus. Back in

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www.airiceland.is [email protected] / tel. +354 570 3030 Contact Air Iceland or travel agent for reservation. The Reykjavík Grapevine Flights provided by Air Iceland – www.airiceland.is Issue 2 — 2011 Car provided by Hertz – www.hertz.is Accommodation provided by Mjóeyri Guesthouse – www.mjoeyri.is 27 Check out Oddsskarð on-line – www.oddsskard.is

Travel | Snowboarding Oddsskarð: The Park At The End Of The World

Momentum singer Hörður Ólafsson is gen- the edge of town, owner-operator Sævar hatches we follow in the tracks of his Telemark skis, the Words tly chanting at me through my super-sized a game plan for Sunday. Off-piste activities are the 900 metre vertical descent hits us with barrels of Bogi Bjarnason Sennheisers. His message is something regard- order of the day he feels and we are all too happy fun and moments of danger. ing “holding back”, but the virgin powder unfold- to agree. We are subjected to flocks of ptarmigans, and Photography ing endlessly in front of me in a mad mountain- Eskifjörður itself is a village of limited possi- the tracks of reindeer and foxes. The sketchi- Alisa Kalyanova ous panorama begs for deflowering and on such bilities as far as recreation goes. So, after wind- est feature is a narrow chute between cliffs that a bluebird day, there is nothing on God’s green ing down at the local swimming pool hot tubs, we brings us down the side of the smaller waterfall earth that can hold a man from letting loose. head on over to Reyðarfjörður. It is a virtual me- and is unquestionably the scariest piece of snow- But allow me to backtrack to……right… tropolis in comparison, where one can enjoy the boarding both Brian and I have attempted. The run about…..here! Saturday 10:30 AM at Egilsstaðir best pizza pie east of Reykjavík at the local piz- ends at an abandoned farmhouse whose slanted Airport. We venture into town, and after a brief zeria Tærgesen. You can also venture next door to roof I scale so that I might drop down it on my stop at the local Krónan we hightail it in our shiny Kaffi Kósý, where we—along with a host of locals— snowboard. Once topside I almost chicken out. Definitely a top- ride for Eskifjörður and its ski area at Oddsskarð. break lose in boundless fits of revelry over Ice- But with Sævar and Brian—video cameras aloft— ”notch option for your We do make a quick pit stop at Guesthouse land handing Hungary their asses on the handball egging me on towards glory, I dot the i of this trip Mjóeyri to suit up, where the friendly innkeeper field. However, you shouldn’t take your business to by launching into it feet first. Easter break, unless you Sævar welcomes us. Grillskálinn, where a sour, middle-aged clerk will enjoy the endless lift Daffi, head of operations at Oddsskarð, seems ignore you or give you an evil eye. none too pleased to see us, however. Perhaps be- Sunday morning is always a bastard. Well usu- lines at Hlíðarfjall and cause his ambitious snow park project, featuring ally anyway. A mild hangover and a deep-seated big jumps with up to 36-metre clearance, has all disgust with getting out of bed slowly yield to the the accommodation in but disappeared under fresh snow, taking the plot promises of a blue sky evident through the bed- Akureyri that books solid point of this entire article with it. room window. Still, a powder drenched area with no lift The day is perfection wrapped in joyful rapture weeks in advance queues and myriad backcountry possibilities—with served on a gilded platter of contentment. There minimal hiking involved—seems worthy enough a are still patches of unmolested cherry powder subject for yours truly. Definitely a top-notch op- alongside the groomed runs, and a crew of local tion for your Easter break, unless you enjoy the teenage huckster all garbed out in DC attire have endless lift lines at Hlíðarfjall and the accommoda- fashioned a kicker just out of bound. All giddy like tion in Akureyri that books solid weeks in advance. schoolgirls, we slay the powder and bomb the Given, there are only a short lift serviced children’s kicker until the moment of truth arrives—the de- run and two main tows, the latter of which (the scent of Fagridalur. one that takes you up to the top) seems to be on We now find ourselves back to the opening permanent hiatus. stanza of this saga. Momentum are again under- Fog, that old party crasher, makes repeated scoring the majesty of the awe-inspiring scenery appearances throughout the day, ultimately caus- assaulting us from all directions. I turn their epic ing an early retreat for us boarders. dirge down as Sævar, our gracious host, has in- Back at Mjóeyri, a quaint, charming retreat at structions and warnings of waterfalls to relay. As

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Blue Lagoon FAROE ISLANDS ÍSLENSK A www.airiceland.is [email protected] / tel. +354 570 3030 Contact Air Iceland or travel agent for reservation. The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 2 — 2011 Egill Helgason is a man of many talents, in case you were wondering. Besides running a political talk show on Icelandic State TV, he also runs a literary programme there. And he blogs a lot for 28 website Eyjan.is. Busy man!

Analysis | Egill Helgason

Another Year Has Passed: Where Are We Now?

In October 2008, on the eve of the economic crash, then Words Prime Minister Geir Haarde Egill Helgason appeared on television and gave a speech to the nation, closing Illustration with the words: “God bless Iceland!” Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir The phrase stuck. The nation collec- tively thought: what terrible mess have we gotten ourselves into? This year, Haarde will appear before a special court, never before convened in the history of the Iceland, to answer for charges of gross negligence. Two years later, the crisis ("kreppa" “Therefore nationalism in Icelandic) is bottoming out. Unem- ployment is at a record high, produc- has become rampant, tion is considerably down, and there and the person at its is great discontentment within society; politicians and institutions are not forefront is Iceland’s trusted at all. One of the greatest wor- president, Ólafur Ragnar ries is emigration—the next-door neighbour to Iceland is Norway, and there is Grímsson.” a steady stream of doctors, technicians, nurses and workers moving across the North Atlantic.

Confiscated private jets government refers to itself as ‘a govern- This is very different from the boom ment of Nordic welfare policies’, it has years when the Icelandic currency been forced to considerably cut bud- was totally overvalued, foreign money gets for healthcare, social affairs and flowed into the economy through the education. banks, and financiers bought up shop- In a political climate like this, no ping chains and airlines abroad, flaunt- government can expect to be popular. ing their wealth in private jets and Unexpectedly, political veteran and so- yachts. The jets do not fly into Reykja- cial democrat Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir vík airport any more. They have all been became Prime Minister in 2009, mainly sold or confiscated. due to her reputation for being incor- These financiers, often referred to ruptible and for being a friend of the as modern day Vikings, have been os- needy and poor. Her nickname at the tracized. Most of them now live abroad, time was ‘Holy Johanna’, but now things and in any event they are thoroughly have changed and in the current vi- despised and would not be welcome in cious atmosphere she is often referred a group of their countrymen. Many are to as ‘Lady Gaga’, due to her head of under investigation by a Special Pros- white hair. The main source of discon- ecutor who is investigating the crash—it tent is the household debt, which shot is likely that some of them will end up through the roof when the króna col- Central Bank, where he was positioned was perceived as a shameless cheer- tir. It still has to be admitted that its in prison. Among those who have been lapsed along with the banks. after pushing through his agenda of leader for the business Vikings, but agenda is an ambitious one. They are interrogated are bank directors such privatisation and deregulation as PM. now, through his stance on national not only struggling to restore the na- as Sigurður Einarsson and Hreiðar Már The second fiddle stands Geir Haarde is a modest man who debt, he has managed to restore his tion’s economy and financial systems, Sigurðsson of Kaupthing and tycoon trial seems to have lost his nerve in office reputation and is even considered a but also negotiating with the EU, re- Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson of now-bank- In March of 2009, French/Norwegian whereas Davíð is ruthless, intelligent folk hero by some. writing the constitution, restructuring rupt retail empire Baugur. prosecutor Eva Joly stepped into this and unrepentant. Geir has mostly dis- the civil service, all the while pushing atmosphere of mistrust. She was in Ice- appeared from view, while Davíð refus- High hopes—tangible anger for the redistribution of fishing quotas From Holy Johanna to Lady land to do a television interview on how es to leave the stage—after he was fired There has been a radicalization of poli- from the extremely powerful group of Gaga to deal with financial crime. A few days from the Central Bank he assumed po- tics, starting with the so-called ‘Pots vessel owners—a huge issue in Iceland. There are some peculiarities in the way later, due to public pressure, she was sition as chief editor of daily newspaper and pans revolution’ of January 2009. But the coalition government of the Iceland is handling its crisis. One rea- appointed advisor to the office of the Morgunblaðið, where he scorns his op- Passionate mass meetings were staged Social Democrats and the Left-Greens son might be pure luck. At the time of Special Prosecutor. Almost overnight, ponents on a daily basis. in the aftermath and the blogs teemed constantly has to deal with revolt within the crash, the government employed Joly, with her knowledge and gravitas, with ideas about the new and improved its own parties. One of the reasons it emergency legislation to disentangle became a national hero—her moral au- A nationalistic folk hero? Iceland that might be built on the ru- has not yet fallen is that the opposition itself from the collapsing banks’ for- thority was unequalled. It is mostly due Another issue that complicates mat- ins. That atmosphere begat Novem- doesn’t really wish to take over. With- eign commitments. Well, Iceland could to her efforts that the Special Prosecu- ters is Iceland’s application to join the ber’s elections for representatives in in the political class there is also fear never have repaid this kind of money— tor now has a staff of ninety people in- EU. The motion to apply was narrowly a Constitutional Assembly, which was that we might be in for a repeat per- which maybe adds up to ten times the vestigating the banks’ financial misdo- passed by Alþingi, and the whole pro- scheduled to convene this February. formance from the Reykjavík municipal nation’s GDP—and admittedly, Geir ings—but Joly has left and stands to run cess is very tentative, with polls show- The elections were sadly declared null elections, where a party of comedians Haarde's government tried desperately for president of France in 2012. ing a sizable majority against joining. and void recently by the High Court, a gained 40% of the vote and took over to secure funding from abroad in the A Special Investigative Committee Many Icelanders feel betrayed by their bastion of conformism, solely due to city council. months leading up to the crash in or- appointed by Alþingi published a 2.600 neighbouring countries— especially technicalities. The strong man of the govern- der to prop up the banks. But nobody page report on the collapse early last Britain, whose government used ter- Demonstrations returned with a ment is Finance Minister Steingrímur wanted to lend to Iceland, which was year. The report describes fraudulent rorist legislation to freeze the assets second wave last October. It was an al- J. Sigfússon, who was never invited already considered a basketcase. This practices by the banks, and a failure of Icelandic banks—and by Iceland’s together different affair: the mood was to govern during the boom years. He turn of events now sees Iceland in a of politics and governance. It is on the traditional allies in Scandinavia, who much gloomier, there was little opti- and his party, the Left Greens, were different position to Ireland, where the basis of this report that former PM Geir have been pressuring Icelanders to pay mism and more tangible anger. The big always on the sidelines, criticizing the government assumed responsibility for Haarde will stand trial. But while Alþingi a huge debt incurred through Lands- grievance regarded spiralling house- excesses of the prevailing free market the banks’ debts. The Icelandic govern- condemned the political practices that bankinn’s Icesave accounts. hold debts, and the feeling that in the ideology. Now Steingrímur is finally in ment’s failure to secure funds and prop led to the crash, it also descended into Therefore nationalism has become end business and finance will prevail government. He has to try to clean up up the banks, and its refusal to honour party bickering that resulted in a group rampant, and the person at its forefront while the general public will be trapped the mess. But then he is adhering to their commitments, might wind up se- of ex-ministers escaping prosecution at is Iceland’s president, Ólafur Ragnar for years to come. The political atmo- the IMF’s program, so many people in curing the nation a speedier recovery. the last moment. Geir will thus have to Grímsson. Traditionally, the role of the sphere has turned nasty. Old elites and his party feel that he has betrayed their However, the economy is still in dire face charges alone. president has been a symbolic one, but interest groups that were subdued af- cause. Working to resurrect capitalism straits. Iceland is now working within Some might consider this unfair, as Ólafur Ragnar has changed that, veto- ter the collapse have found their voices is probably not what this socialist son of the framework of an agreement with Haarde always played second fiddle to ing bills passed by parliament and trav- again. Parties are back at their old bick- a farmer envisaged himself doing dur- the IMF. The debt situation is crip- his predecessor Davíð Oddsson, Ice- elling around the world embarrassing ering. The blogs are ill tempered. ing his long years in opposition, when pling for the government, for private land’s Prime Minister from 1991–2004. the government with his utterances. few heeded his warnings that Iceland enterprise and for many households. Indeed, it was Davíð who created the Ólafur Ragnar is a consummate po- An ambitious agenda had lost its way. There are strict currency restrictions, system that failed, a system he kept litical acrobat. He started out as a so- Nobody has very high hopes for the and even though the present left-wing on managing as a director of Iceland’s cialist, during the time of the boom he government of Jóhanna Sigurðardót- 124,5x195mm

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F.R.I.E.N.D.S. | Valur Gunnarsson Branding | Eiríkur Kristjánsson Friendship In The 21st Century Gapping And Ellipsis

One of the things visitors to Ice- and drink and your going away present, you In January there was a discus- land, especially those venturing owed a favour in return to your host. sion in Iceland about whether from southern climates, often Since city culture here is relatively new, H&M would set up shop in comment upon is that Iceland- one might surmise that the idea of casual Reykjavík or not. Here are ers seem very hard to approach. That is, friendship might be too. Icelanders tend to some thoughts. until the clock strikes twelve at midnight on enter into strong friendships, loyal to the Let's start with an excerpt from a recent a Friday or Saturday and everyone starts point of stupidity at times, and bonds to Financial Times column: speaking very loudly and largely incoher- friends and family usually trump any con- "Last week, for the first time ever, the ently at the same time, as if everything that nection people might feel to society at large. mob on Twitter and Facebook forced the has been kept in during the week must be This has its benefits, obviously, but it can management of a big company into defeat. let out at once. Surely, this is due to the cli- also lead to the sort of crony corruption evi- This victory of democracy over autocracy mate (well, it’s actually not that bad these denced during the recent economic boom. was scored over something people feel days), the darkness and so on. This may be It can also explain why people don’t really strongly about: whether three letters belong true, but history probably has something to feel comfortable in the company of strang- inside or outside a box. do with it as well. ers, at least not while sober. For the past 20 years, the letters G-A-P Many social historians in larger coun- have resided in a dark blue square, but two tries suggest that 'friendship' as we know it The Facebook era weeks ago the management of the cloth- only came about in the 18th century, with If casual friendships among men are coming company announced that the letters the emergence of a middle class and city paratively rare, they are even rarer among had escaped and that a smaller blue square culture. Before then, people had little need men and women. Largely, you see them would henceforth sit above the P. All hell for friendship in the modern sense. This is sitting in groups according to gender, until then broke loose. Thousands of people pro- largely corroborated by the Sagas. Family that all-important hour of midnight strikes tested online and, a week later, Gap backed is here of the utmost importance. People and they start to mix, usually with an obvi- down. The big box was going to stay." make friends, but then they are incorporat- ous purpose in mind. (‘Listening To Customers Can Be Bad Busi- ed into the family structure. The most obvi- These things only change over genera- ness’ - Lucy Kellaway) ous example is the institution of Fóstbræður tions, but technology has come to our aid. Note that the opposing sides are "the (“Foster-brothers”), one of the strongest Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga games (the management" vs. "the mob" (GAP is an "au- formance through education and informa- Chinese company, Blue Star, had acquired bonds that can exist between two men. To ones you see on Facebook), says that with tocracy" where the workers are irrelevant). tion. a Norwegian company, Orkla, that runs a initiate such a thing, men must first mix their the advent of the telephone, the number of GAP is not the only company doing this: 2. If changes in public perception are factory at Grundartangi. It is reported that bodily fluids. This is done by digging a hole people you frequently interacted with rose Starbucks is deleting the words "Starbucks" not possible, change the symbols used to Orkla's owners will be paid handsomely in the ground, opening up yours and your to 125. Whether this applies to Iceland or and "coffee" from its logo. When the going describe business performance, thereby for the company. Not too long ago, people partner’s veins, spilling the results into said not, Icelanders certainly have kept up with gets tough, the tough change their name to making it congruent with public perception. were wondering whether they wanted the hole, and then mixing it all together. This new phone technologies and embraced the "going". Note that no change in actual performance Chinese investing in Iceland. Well, this an- gives both parties all the rights of family mobile phone with its text feature almost as In a similar vein, an infamous debt col- is called for. nouncement renders any such discussion towards one another and has, sadly, been fervently as the formerly silent Finns did. In lecting firm in Iceland, Intrum, has changed 3. In case both (1) and (2) are ineffec- irrelevant (I suppose one can be for the Chi- discontinued. the Facebook era, says Pincus, we now have its name to "Motus". According to a spokes- tive, bring about changes in business per- nese or against Grundartangi, if we keep to regular contact with around 500 people person, this is done (my paraphrase) "to en- formance, thereby closely matching it with the common standard of discussion in this Friendship and sobriety apiece. Small wonder then that the Icelan- sure the company's independence and effi- society's expectations." country). In a rural farming society such as existed dic nation has more or less logged on in its ciency going forward to be able to meet the Sidenote: Kellaway thinks that "when Who knows. Maybe we'll get our pre- in Iceland up until the 20th century, one entirety. It’s a way to keep in touch without needs of the market at each time.” Whatever a company panics and surrenders", as in cious H&M. If they are "feeble" enough, we had little need for paying social calls on the having to be drunk all the time... that means, it cannot be done with the same GAP's case, it is "not progress". "It is fee- might have a say in how they use symbols neighbours, there usually being no neigh- old name (though Motus will supposedly do ble." One is reminded of Chomsky compar- "to describe business performance". Then bourhood to speak of. Instead, Iceland- its best to associate itself with the old name, ing governments to corporations (which he the Chinese might acquire H&M and get ers held occasional feasts which went on let's see how that goes). often calls totalitarian institutions): "The a bit of smelting going downtown. By then, for days, the guests then being sent away Alex Carey (‘Taking the Risk out of De- government has a defect: it's potentially I will hopefully have moved to Mallorca, bearing precious gifts from the host. Your mocracy’, 1995), citing a study, lists some democratic. Corporations have no defect. where (if Halldór Laxness has his facts social standing depended on the opulence "Business Strategies" to be used if a com- They are pure tyrannies." One person's tyr- straight) they're not at all stingy with their of your feasts (or, failing this, on where you pany is doing poorly: anny is another's autocracy. rum. sat at a feast), and an invitation came with "1. Do not change performance, but In January, it was also announced that a responsibility. If you accepted, got your food change public perception of business per-

Poetry | Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl The Art Of Any Impact

The most important thing to The same goes for writing. Or, for that intimately familiar with) to perform any painters, musicians and performance art- fill their poetry with social consciousness keep in mind during a fistfight matter, living. (I have now assumed the good (nevermind great) writing you need ists seldom stop to think about why they or political messages. I'm not saying art (or while writing a poem) isn't position of life-changing prolonged met- to find a comfortable base-stance from do what they do, what it is they seek to can't (or shouldn't) be made for the sake what to do with your arms and aphor—do not stop reading!) whence you throw your jabs, strophes, accomplish. That is to say: where they of art. I'm saying art shouldn't be made knuckles, but where to place your feet. If Writing does of course not cause plots and uppercut in-rhymes. want to place their right foot, and where for the sake of nothing-better-to-do or you keep them too close together, you're much bodily harm. In fact writing entails And yet. And yet. And yet. they want to place their left foot. Rather, being-an-artist-seems-fun (or, at the liable to fall over—and if you keep them only a bare minimum of bodily harm and And yet most poets, most writers— they seem to have perfected their quick- very least, if so, then be it decisively so). too far apart you leave your genitalia it's mostly harmful for the person doing it and indeed perhaps most people (not jabs and knockouts—their paintstrokes, What I'm saying (with any and every vulnerable (you don't want to do that, (long bouts of writing have been linked excluding me, a lot of the time)—tend to metaphors, plots, frills and moaning, ounce of whatever authority I may have, not even if you're a girl). If you have one to bad blood flow, back aches, haemor- put a great deal of effort into perfecting without seemingly having the slightest and a lot of assumed authority I have nev- foot directly in front of the other, you rhoids, alcoholism, sleeplessness, severe their punches (the most obvious aspects idea why they are doing so. And so the er had) is that the fundamentals of what might keel on your side, whereas if you angst and frequent panic attacks), while of their technique) while failing to seek world slowly but surely gets filled—not you do are more important and deserve keep them side by side, you risk falling the person reading need not worry. At good grounding. Now what I'm trying with revelatory art curious about life, its more of your attention than your techni- on your ass—or alternately, your face. So least not much. (and failing, obviously) to aggrandizingly bits and pieces, but hollow posing. cal prowess. When you know what you while your fists may be doing most of the But just like when you punch some- metaphorize towards (besides changing Now, lest I be misunderstood (oh! the want to do, you may accidentally stumble bodily harm, your punching is pointless if one in the face (which I'm supposing is your life), is that (sometimes) I get the horror of possibly being misunderstood!): upon a great way to do it. But if you don't, you don't mind your footwork. a reality most Grapevine readers are distinct sense that most writers, poets, I'm not saying everyone should now go you most definitely won't.

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STUFFED WITH STUFF ISSUE 2 YOUR FREE COPY

PAGE 6

What we tend to end up doing most often is in effect to stretch our budget by providing duty-free alcohol for receptions at exhibit openings and art festivals. Because alcohol is highly taxed in Iceland, our gifts of wine for receptions IT TOOK AROUND strike Icelanders as far more generous than they actually are. The US Embassy in Reykjavík explains how to win friends and influence people in Iceland.

PAGE 8

A life without skyr is a life half lived. Well, thank whoever’s your god for Siggi’s. If you’re in the US, anyway. 500.000ORDERS TO BREAK THIS PIN! PAGE 8

Far from depicting a careful anarchist conspiracy to attack Alþingi, what transpired was a classic picture of the kind of bumbling, unnecessarily brutal overreaction and incompetence that characterises the way governments react when the public seeks to exercise its constitutional right to protest. The husband of an accused Rvk9-er on the internationally infamous trial

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The economic benefits to being the safe-haven for free speech are very well known because the last country that did it is still the dominant empire on the planet. So says Smári McCarthy, co-founder of the Icelandic Digital Freedom Society, ex-WikiLe- aks volunteer, and one of the authors of the IMMI proposal

PA GE 22

At Kristín Jónína’s lecture, Þorkell Sig- urbjörnsson mentioned that for years he had to have an unlisted phone number after receiving threatening calls—apparently nothing made Icelanders angrier than his hosting an avant-garde music programme on the radio during rush hour. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone

w ww .th who remembers said programme el a u nd ro m a tc a f e .c o We have now bought a new one m

Skólavörðustígur 10 & Hafnarstræti 5, 101 Reykjavík

Reykjavík www.vetrarhatid.is Museum Night Friday 11. February

the most productive and originative souls to wild ogresses. The works span furniture designers in Iceland. He has Opening Ceremony, Friday February 11th at 19:00 Kópavogur Art Museum - the entire career of the sculptor. Also on left his mark on the visual perception and The dark winter days have accompanied Icelanders since ancient times but Gerðarsafn Sat & Sun. daily life of many Icelanders. rays of light have always managed to sift through. Art group Norðanbál will 19:00 - 00:00 22:30 - 23:00 kick off the Winter Lights Festival in an event where the story of a nation will 20:00 - 22:00 Sleep Light – Ráðhildur Guided tour: Furniture by be told through a light bulb. Soundscape created by renowned musician and Visage of the Land: Water, Ingadóttir former drummer of the Sugarcubes; Sigtryggur Baldursson. Earth, Sea and Sky Gunnar Magnusson The installation, Sleep Light, by Ráðhildur Asdis Olafsdottir, curator of the Artists: Daði Guðbjörnsson, Gunnlaugur Ingadóttir comprises the dome of the exhibition, will walk with guests around Scheving, Jóhannes Kjarval, Rúrí, Ásmundarsafn art museum, the sound the exhibition. Vilhjálmur Þorberg Bergsson of the space, a computer, a hand mirror, Curator: Guðbergur Bergsson. Garðatorg 1, 210, Garðabær a light projection and a shadow. Also on Guided tour at 20:00 and 21:00. Sat & Sun. Hamraborg 4, 200, Kópavogur ASÍ Art Museum 20:00- 20:30 19:30 - 20:30 Guided tour for the family: The Settlement Exhibition Movie Night with Goethe 19:00 - 00:00 + Ásmundur Sveinsson Reykjavík - 2 871 Institute Opening: A present for you, your Guided tour for the whole family through The film Sommer vorm Balkon (Summer majesty. the exhibitions “I choose blossoming in Berlin) will be screened. 21:00 - 21:30 Gunnhildur Hauksdóttir and Kristín women …" Woman as Symbol in the Art Language: German. Subtitles: English. Pots and pearls Ómarsdóttir. A stage that can take on of Ásmundur Sveinsson, and Thoughts in Artifacts belonging to women from the 20:00 - 20:30 different shapes is a set for a number forms. Settlement Time (at 17:00, 22:00 and No, I'm from Skagafjordur! of video works. The public is invited to 21:00 - 22:30 Ethnologist Símon Jón Jóhannsson gives 23:00). perform monologues and plays during S.L.Á.T.U.R in Sleep Light a lecture on Icelanders and how they see the exhibition. Aðalstræti 16, 101, Reykjavík Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson, core themselves. 19:00 - 00:00 member of S.L.Á.T.U.R, will perform a Alliance Française 21:00 - 21:30 Opening: The Family Quintet sound piece for live audiences in the Robert The Roommate - A Folk Laxness Museum- Curver Thoroddsen exhibits a video- darkness of the dome. Max. 10 people 19:00 - 23:00 Quartet Gljúfrasteinn installation called The Family Quintet II. at once. French cinema in Reykjavík for The Folk Quartet Robert The Roomate, The artist and his family improvise jazz 21:30 - 22:15 100 years. plays 60's and 70's classics in their own 19:00 - 00:00 with instruments they do not know how Architecture - Guided tour way. to play on. By taking the family out of its Join us on our trip to the past through Laxness Museum - Gljúfrasteinn Guja Dögg Hauksdóttir, head of natural circumstances and putting them posters and programs. 21:30 - 00:00 Gljúfrasteinn was the home and architecture dep. at the Reykjavik Art workplace of Halldór Laxness (winner in exotic roles, their characters and the Tryggvagötu 8, 101, Reykjavík Movie Night - Goethe Institute Museum leads a tour of the house. of the Nobel Prize for Literature in pattern of human relations within the The film Solino. Languages: German and 22:30 - 23:00 1955) and his family for more than half family are made visible. Reykjavík City Museum - Italian. Subtitles: English Guided Tour- Ásmundur a century. 19:00 - 00:00 Strandgata 1, 221, Hafnarfjörður Sveinsson Árbæjarsafn Audio tours of the house are available in Opening: We made our own Icelandic, English, German, Swedish and Guided tour through the exhibitions, "I Kópavogur Library games. choose blossoming women…" Woman 21:00 - 00:00 Danish. Páll Haukur Björnsson opens an as Symbol in the Art of Ásmundur The Secrets of the Darkness 21:00 - 22:00 exhibition in Gryfjan with a video 19:00 - 19:30 Sveinsson and Thoughts in Forms (in Guided twilight tour around Árbær Concert - Svavar Knútur installation called, "We made our own The Icelandic poets society Icelandic). Museum at 21:00, 22:00 and 23:00. Svavar Knútur in concert at Gljufrasteinn games." Iðunn Sigtúni, 105, Reykjavík Kistuhyl 4, 110, Reykjavík - Laxness Museum. Freyjugata 41, 101, Reykjavík Performs in the Hot pot. Mosfellsdalur, 270, Mosfellsbær Garðabær Library 19:30 - 00:00 Reykjavík Art Museum- The Einar Jónsson Hafnarhús Hands On Hafnarborg - The Museum 20:30 - 21:00 Opening of the art show, "Hands On" by Hafnarfjordur Centre of Viktoría Guðnadóttir in Djúpið. 19:00 - 00:00 Vífilsstaðir - tuberculosis Culture and Fine Art 21:00 - 22:00 20:00 - 20:30 Without destination sanatorium Classical Concert in the Einar Blikandi stjörnur The inspiration for the project, "Without Journalist and author Steinar J. 19:00 - 19:15 Jonsson Museum Lúðvíksson gives a short recital. The singing group Blikandi stjörnur will Destination," is the ever-increasing sing a few songs. The conductor of the Lunch Time Concert in the Anna Jónsdóttir, soprano and Sophie flow of domestic and international 21:30 - 22:00 group is Ingveldur Ýr. Afternoon Schoonjans, harp. tourists through Iceland. Numerous Music - Sigríður Thorlacius 20:30 - 21:00 Short concert with Gréta Hergils Eiríksgata, 101, Reykjavík contemporary artists and scholars singer Paedopriest Valdimarsdóttir, soprano, and Antonía have studied the complex relationship Singer Sigríður Thorlacius (from the Hevesi, pianist and artistic director The garage band Paedopriest will keep National Gallery of Iceland between humans and the environment in Icelandic group, Hjaltalín) sings. She for the lunch time concert series at up the fun. this context. Also on Sat & Sun. is accompanied by Guðmundur Óskar Hafnarborg. 21:00 - 21:30 19:00 - 20:00 19:00 - 00:00 Guðmundsson on guitar. 19:00 - 21:00 Russian music Landscape Through the Eyes of Erró – Collage and Assemblage Again at 22:45. Copy Cat - Like Him/Her! Viktoria Tsarevskaja and Ivetta Lishe Children The exhibition, Erró - Collage, Garðatorgi 7, 210, Garðabær Workshop for children where you can play the cello and piano with Liudmila Guided tour of art works created by offers, for the first time, an opportunity construct your own variation of Stefán Tsarevskaja singing Russian music. children and a workshop in the Education to discover a holistic selection of Erró's Hafnarfjörður Library Jónsson's sculptures, Kjarvalar. A variety collages from Reykjavik Art Museum's 23:00 - 00:00 Center. of material is available and there are Erró collection. Also on Sat & Sun. Hókus Pókus 20:00 - 21:00 19:00 - 00:00 guided family tours of the exhibition at Vastness 19:00 - 00:00 Photography Exhibition - Lárus The band, Hókus Pókus plays until 19:00 and 20:00. midnight. Students from The Dance Academy D19 – Hulda Rós Guðnadóttir Karl Ingason 20:30 - 21:00 The D19 project, Hops Hopsi, is a Hamraborg 6a, 200, Kópavogur of Reykjavik capture the energy in the An exhibition of the works of Behind the Scenes galleries. Choreography: River Camalt. 10-channel video installation by Hulda photographer Lárus Karl Ingason. Books An opportunity to look behind the scenes Seltjarnarnes Library 21:00 -21:30 Rós Guðnadóttir created in 2010. Also on containing some of his photos will be on and see the collection of Hafnarborg in Dialogue with Art - Guided Tour Sat & Sun. display. Also on Sat 11am-3pm. the museum's storerooms accompanied Visitors select their favorite work of art 19:00 - 00:00 20:30 - 21:00 by the staff of Hafnarborg. Maximum 10 11:00 - 15:00 and write about it. Texts will be collected. Message of Mothman FÍH Old boys' Bigband guests at a time. Fun fun fun in the Children's 22:00 - 23:00 Artists Hannes Lárusson and Some of the most experienced brass 21:00 - 22:00 Library Icelandic Artists at the Tree of Ásmundur Ásmundsson join forces for players in town play together in a band. Artist's Talk – Kjarvalar How about playing cards? No problem! Life this event and create a mixed media There are plenty of playing cards 19:00 - 00:00 The artist Stefán Jónsson will lead an Artist Snorri Ásmundsson gives a lecture interactive installation. The installation available and ready to use. Museum in a Museum informal discussion about his work in his on Icelandic Art. requires participation from both children 19:00 - 00:00 Exhibits from the Seltjarnarnes Natural exhibition, Kjarvalar. and adults. A drawing competition will 23:00 - 00:00 Quality Saga Time Museum shown in the Library. 21:30 - 22:00 be held in conjuction with the event. A Open Window The Sagas played from CDs in the music Eiðistorg, 170, Seltjarnarnes Behind the Scenes committee of internationally renowned Gallery talk led by museum director department. An opportunity to look behind the artists will choose the best picture and Halldór B. Runólfsson. 19:00 - 00:00 Reykjavík City Library scenes and see the collection of an award will be given to a talented child. Fríkirkjuvegur 7, 101, Reykjavík An Exhibition of Hand-Painted Hafnarborg in the museum storerooms Also on Sat & Sun. Porcelain 19:00 - 20:00 accompanied by the staff of Hafnarborg. 19:00 - 00:00 Ghost Stories Maximum 10 guests at a time. Reykjavík Art Museum - Film, Video and Sound Art / Katrín Bjarnadóttir exhibits the crème de Ásmundasafn la crème from her China collection, all of A story hour with Icelandic ghost stories 22:00 - 00:00 Without Destination which are hand-painted and processed in the children's department at the The Guitar Islancio trio Multi-purpose room / Hafnarhus by her. Reykjavík City Library. All children and Jazz concert at the café, Maður Lifandi, 19:00 - 00:00 19:00 Skipholt, John Bock, 2005 (55 19:00 - 00:00 their guardians welcome! with Guitar Islancio. The trio have Thoughts in forms mín.) Art Exhibition 20:30 - 22:00 released five albums, four of them In the pyramid, Ásmundur’s studio has 20:00 Hringurinn / Ring road, Friðrik Þór containing jazzed-up Icelandic folk been recreated, to give an idea of his 12 year old students from Hraunvallaskóli Poetry Slam Friðriksson, 1985 (80 min.) songs. working environment in Sigtún. Also on elementary school exhibit their drawings Young people compete in performing Gallery B / Hafnarhús: Sat & Sun. in which they demonstrate what they their original poetry at Reykjavík City Strandgata 34, 220, Hafnarfjörður 19:00 - From Hetty to Nancy, Deborah consider to be the "typical Icelander." Library's annual Poetry Slam. The theme 19:00 - 00:00 Stratman, 1997 (44 min.) 20:00 Das Echo ist der Zwerge Sprache, 19:30 - 20:00 this year is Independence. Museum of Design and “I choose blossoming women Teil I: Island - Land ohne Eisenbahn, Dance dance dance Tryggvagötu 15, 101, Reykjavík Applied Art …” - Woman as Symbol Wolfgang Müller, 1999 (22 min.) Young dancers from Listdansskóli in the Art of Ásmundur 20:30 - Skagafjörður, Peter Hutton, 2003 Hafnarfjarðar demonstrate how to dance 20:00 - 00:00 Sveinsson (35 min.) properly. Opening. Exhibition on Gunnar Many of Ásmundur Sveinsson’s works of 21:15 - Hekla, Haraldur Jónsson, 2001 art depict women – from loving mothers Magnusson furniture designer (10 min.) Gunnar Magnusson (b.1933) is one of to domestic labourers, from sensitive 21:30 - Searching for Hjetna, Rory Middleton, 2010 (45 min.) displays a selection of pillars and Exhibition of 32 painters. Also on Sat & A new exhibition at the National Museum 22:30 - Counter Clockwise, Ragnheiður columns, carved in wood, which are a Sun. of Iceland where various mended objects Reykjavík Museum of Gestsdóttir, 2011 (20 min.) variation of former mentioned sculptures 19:30 - 21:30 from the past can be viewed. Also on Sat Photography In between films: and are intended to reveal the creativity Coast Guard Vessel Ódinn & Sun. Aero, 2008, Ghostigital/Finnbogi of the sculptor. Guided tour by former crew members. 19:00 - 00:00 19:00 -00:00 Pétursson/Skúli Sverrisson Laugarnestanga 70, 105, Reykjavík 20:00 - 20:30 Chests and Caskets Karl R. Lilliendahl – The Light of 19:30 - 20:15 Puppet Theatre A new exhibition at the National Museum the Righteous Shines ... Gallery talk and orienteering The Pharmacy Museum One of the most beloved of the Sagas, where guests can view various old Photos taken of the protest in November game for the family Laxdeala, comes alive at the Maritime Icelandic chests and caskets from the where the photographer adds sentences Gallery talk and orienteering game 19:00 - 21:30 museum. museum collection. Also on Sat & Sun. from the testament of Solomon in the built around the exhibition Without Pharmacy Museum 20:30 - 21:00 19:00 - 00:00 Bible. Destination. Pharmacists will guide guests around the Concert - Male Choir Be ye Welcome, my Good 19:00 - 00:00 21:00 - 21:30 exhibition and a 60 minute DVD will be The Kjalarnes Male Choir sings aboard Friends! Do you recognise this person? Gallery Talk: Erró Collage & shown about how the manufacturing of Coast Guard Vessel, Odinn. Carving is an age-old tradition in A chance to look at photos from the Museum Night Assemblage drugs has been through the years. 21:00 - 21:30 Iceland and the carvings have strong archives of the Museum and identify the Gallery Talk through the exhibitions Erró Neströð, 170, Seltjarnarnes Puppet Theatre identifying features. A special craft and people or the places on them. Collage & Assemblage. The exhibition, One of the most beloved of the Sagas, tradition developed in Iceland in carving 19:00 - 00:00 Erró - Collage, offers, for the first time, Molinn Cultural Centre Laxdeala, comes alive at the Maritime cattle horns. The exhibition comprises Orri – Interiors a selection of the National Museum's an opportunity to discover a holistic museum. For over a decade, photographer Orri has collection as well as horns on loan from selection of Erró‘s collages from 20:00 - 00:00 21:30 - 22:00 been taking photographs of deserted the National Museum of Denmark. Also Reykjavik Art Museum‘s Erró collection. Giving cute things sharp teeth Concert farmsteads in Iceland, and in Interiors on Sat & Sun. 22:00 - 22:45 Welcome to Júlíus Valdimarsson's first Kjalarnes Male Choir sings at the he shows a selection of the photographs 19:00 - 00:00 Gallery Talk: Without art exhibition. The exhibition consists of Bryggjan café. taken 1999-2010. Orri seeks to capture Photographs from the Lake Destination bizarre creatures in a variety of colors. 22:30 - 23:00 the colourful spirits and aura of the Gallery talk through the exhibition, Live music, pancakes and coffee. Singing on the pier Mývatn area deserted that lives in the interior of the Photographs from the Lake Mývatn area Without destination, a project made in Hábraut 2, 200, Kópavogur Members of the Kjalarness Men´s Choir houses. by the photographer Bárður Sigurðsson collaboration between curator Markús sing with museum guests in the Pier Hall 20:00 - 21:00 (1872-1937). The photographs represent Þór Andrésson and geographer Dr. National History Museum of the Museum. Leifur Þorsteinsson - Guided Gunnþóra Ólafsdóttir. the every day life of Icelanders in the of Kópavogur Grandagarður 8, 101, Reykjavík Tour beginning of the 20th Century. Also on 22:30 -22:50 On the 30th anniversary of Reykjavik Sat & Sun. Live event by Rafmagnssveitin 19:00 - 00:00 Museum of Photography, Leifur The Culture House 19:00 - 19:30 Rafmagnssveitin includes artists "Indigenous Icelanders" Þorsteinsson will exhibit his first part of Children's film-Ráðagóða Sigurður Guðjónsson, Magnús Árnason, "Indigenous Icelanders" are five in the series 2011. At 8pm Leifur will and writer Ófeigur Sigurðson. subterranean, freshwater amphipods stelpan discuss his exhibition and the technique Tryggvagata 17, 101, Reykjavík (Crustaceans), one of the few endemic An Icelandic childrens film, Ráðagóða behind the photographs. species in Iceland. stelpan. The film is about a very Tryggvagata 15, 101, Reykjavík Reykjavík Art Museum - resourceful girl who gets into many Kjarvalsstaðir Nordic House adventures. No subtitles. Reykjavík Municipal 20:00 - 20:30 Archives 19:00 - 00:00 19:00 - 00:00 A Lecture on Nationalism 50 Years of Icelandic Art at the I Vesterveg A lecture on nationalism by Guðmundur 19:00 - 21:00 Hálfdánarson, historian. Venice Biennale "Vesterveg" in Viking times and Children Games As groundwork for the exhibition is early Middle Ages meant to travel to 21:00 - 21:30 In the children's corner there will be a newly published research on Iceland’s countries west of the North Sea. This Live music number of toys, such as legs and shells, participation in the Venice Biannale in touring exhibition is the culmination of Live music event at the National Museum to remind us of the games children played Italy, which is the first of its kind ever a collaborative project involving 7 artists of Iceland in the old days in Iceland. Children will to be made on the subject. Icelandic from Shetland, Iceland and Norway. Also 22:00 - 23:00 also be able to draw and color. artists have had a representative at this on Sat & Sun. Who was Jonas? 19:00 - 00:00 19:00 - 00:00 major international contemporary art 19:00 - 00:00 A film about Jonas Hallgrimsson, a 19th Crazy Youth Child of Hope – Children’s exhibition for fifty years but their regular Landscape century Icelandic poet. The film is in Majority of Icelandic youth attended participation did not start until the year The Danish artist Jens Damkjær Nielsen´s Hopes Icelandic. No subtitles. Tónabær, centre for young people, and 1984. Also on Sat & Sun. exhibition is in the foyer of the Nordic Inside the exhibition, Child of Hope, Suðurgötu 41, 101, Reykajvík observed and participated in shaping 19:00 - 00:00 House. It includes major black and white about national hero Jón Sigurðsson, the Icelandic culture of young people Kjarval – Key Works linoleum prints, which bear the common children are invited to suggest ways to The National Archives each time. Exhibition of documents from The Reykjavik Art Museum draws title, Landscape. Also on Sat & Sun. better today’s society in the spirit of Jón Tónabær about bands, concerts, and Sigurðsson’s campaign for independence on its extensive collection of works Sturlugata 5, 101, Reykjavík 19:00 - 21:30 behaviour of the young people. and human rights. The children write by Jóhannes S. Kjarval for ongoing An introduction to genealogical 19:00 - 20:00 their wishes on a piece of paper, fold the exhibitions at Kjarvalsstaðir. The The Music History Remember Tónabær? paper and seal it with sealing wax. The research exhibition in Kjarvalsstaðir’s east gallery DJ Þráinn Óskarsson will play music Museum of Iceland Culture House’s guide will assist and talk Find your ancestors in church records. features key works from the museum’s from the good old vinyl records which with guests. 19:00 - 23:00 collection. Also on Sat & Sun were most popular at the youth centre 19:00 - 00:00 19:00 - 00:00 Private archives 19:00 - 00:00 Tónabær in the 70´s and 80’s. Ideal The National Anthem - ICELAND::FILM rolling Do you have interesting records that Italian Cafe at Kjarvalsstaðir composer Sveinbjörn you would like to submit to the National to show younger generations what The cafe at Kjarvalsstaðir will take The exhibition gives an overview of turntable, vinyl records and real music is Sveinbjörnsson Archives? Consult the specialists at the up an Italian theme in relation to Icelandic filmmaking from its beginning like! Again at 21:00. The Music History Museum of Iceland to the present. Selected clips screened National Archives. Kjarvalsstaðir's exhibition: "50 Years of 19:30 - 20:30 now prepares an exhibition on Sveinbjörn continuously and movies in full length. 19:00 - 00:00 Icelandic Art at the Venice Biennale." In the shelter of the glaciers Sveinbjörnsson, composer of the Over 100 titles. Old Handwriting 19:00 - 19:30 Film about vanished life and work of Icelandic National Anthem, and the first 19:00 -00:00 Try to read old handwriting. Try to imitate Gallery talk for the family - 50 Icelander to study musical composition. old handwriting. Prize quiz. people in Skaftafell in Southern Iceland, Years of Icelandic Art at the Nation and nature made in the years 1952-1958. Good Guests will be able to see the exhibition A nature film by filmmaker Páll 19:00 - 21:00 Venice Biennale documentary about life in the countryside take shape; the curator and the director Steingrímsson will be screened Preservation of old records Gallery talk designed for the whole family in older times. Again at 21:30. of the museum will share insights. continuously. Steingrímsson captures Specialists of the National Archives of in relation to the exhibition, "50 Years of 20:00 - 20:30 At 21:30, the Ugly Choir will perform the contact between man and nature in Iceland clean old documents. Icelandic Art at the Venice Biennale." Sharp Icelandic songs, accompanied by a sensitive way where respect for the Show from the Ballet Academy of 19:30 - 20:15 “unusual” instruments. Also open on Sat. subject matter comes first. A film the Hafnarfjordur. Four to six dancers show Architecture - Guided Tour Hábraut 2, 200, Kópavogur entire family can enjoy together. two dances, one sharp and colorful and through Kjarvalsstaðir 19:30 -21:30 Guja Dögg Hauksdóttir, head of Nesstofa the other lyrical and technical. See My Black Ass Tryggvagata 15, 101, Reykjavík architecture department at Reykjavik Art The authors of the folk tale children’s

Museum leads a tour of the house. 19:00 - 23:00 book, See My Black Ass, read from their 20:00 - 22:00 Stars and meteors in Nes book inside an exhibition with pictures SÍM (Association of Guided tour: Reykjavik Art Stjörnuskoðunarfélag Seltjarnarness from the book and odds and ends from Icelandic Visual Artists) Museums storages (Amateur Astronomical Society) bring Icelandic folk heritage. Brynhildur Heiðar Guided tour through the Reykjavik Art telescopes and meteors to Nes. and Ómarsdóttir selected and retold the 19:00 - 00:00 Museum storages for its art collection. 19:15 - 19:45 folk tales and Þórey Mjallhvít Heiðar and Spessi - Artist of the Month A tour is held every half hour starting Nesstofa - Guided tour for Ómarsdóttir painted the pictures. Spessi is one of our prestigious at 20:00. Max 10 people for each tour. children 19:30 -00:00 photographers and his work has been 20:00, 20:30, 21:00 and 21:30. Walk around Nesstofa. The Scriptorium in the Medieval exhibited in museums and galleries 20:30 - 21:00 20:00 - 20:30 Manuscripts exhibition is open worldwide. Gallery Talk: 50 Years of Chorus - Selkórinn in Nesstofa Try your hand at writing with a quill on 22:30 - 23:00 Hafnarstræti 16, 101, Reykjavík Icelandic Art at the Venice Selkórinn will sing few songs in Nesstofa. vellum using ink boiled from Icelandic Musician Svavar Knútur Biennale 21:00 - 21:45 herbs. The Árni Magnússon Institution’s performs Saga Museum Guided tour through the exhibition, Bjarni Pálsson in late 18th educator will assist and explain this Musician Svavar Knútur performs. "50 Years of Icelandic Art at the Venice century ancient art to guests. Laugavegur 162, 105, Reykjavík 19:00 - 00:00 Biennale," Guided tour around Nesstofa with Óttar 22:00 - 00:00 The old Sagas brought to life Flókagata 5, 105, Reykjavík Guðmundsson. Fimm í tangó (Five in tango) The Icelandic Printmaking The Saga Museum transports you to 22:15 - 23:00 throw a Tango Ball Association the Viking Age and brings back to life The Sigurjón Ólafsson Architecture - Nesstofa The quintet Fimm í tangó (Five in tango) renowned figures and major events in Museum In Nesstofa, built in 1761-1767, Danish throws a tango ball in the Library Room. 19:00 - 00:00 Icelandic history. Fimm í tangó are: Ágúst Ólafsson, vocals, and Icelandic architectural traditions are Artist Of The Year Perlan, Öskjuhlíð, 105 Reykjavík Ástríður A. Sigurðard, piano, Íris Dögg 19:00 - 00:00 brought together. Guided tour. The artist of the year at the friends of the Gísladóttir, violin, Kristín Lárusdóttir, Sigurjón Ólafsson's Pillars Nes við Seltjörn, 170, Seltjarnarnes IPA 2011 is Ríkharður Valtingojer. During cello, and Vadim Fedorov, accordion. One of sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson´s main Museum Night, Ríkharður presents his themes is columns and pillars, and his Víkin - Reykjavík Maritime 21:00 - 21:30 artwork at the Printmakers Associations most well known of such sculptures Museum Jón Sigurðsson reflects on his Gallery. Works by previous artists will are probably the Emblem of Iceland at namesake also be on display. Hagatorg and the Throne Pillars at Höfði Jón Sigurðsson, former governor of the 19:00 - 00:00 Tryggvagata 17, 101, Reykjavík House, both in Reykjavík. This exhibition Central Bank of Iceland, minister and The Icelander and the sea chairman of the Progressive Party, talks Note that this is not a about Jón Sigurðsson, leader of the complete list of events. It The Museum Bus – Free of Charge campaign for independence in the 19th may be subject to change. For A special free museum bus will be operated on Museum Night to century. further information see www. Hverfisgötu 15, 101, Reykjavík take visitors between the museums. A timetable for the Museum vetrarhatid.is. Bus will be on display at each museum and on www.vetrarhatid.is National Museum of All events in Icelandic unless Iceland otherwise stated. All events on Museum Night (11 February) are free of 19:00 - 00:00 charge. Make Do and Mend www.vetrarhatid.is Reykjavík Saturday 12. February and Sunday 13. February Winter Lights Festival

12:00 - 17:00 Saturday Reykjavík Art Museum - The Icelandic Printmaking The Constitution of the Republic The Sigurjón Ólafsson Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús Association of Iceland - Libia Castro and Museum Kjarvalsstaðir Ólafur Ólafsson 10:00 -17:00 Saturday and Sunday 14:000 - 18:00 Saturday The Spanish-Icelandic artist duo Libia 15:00 - 16:00 Saturday and Sunday 15:00 -16:00 Sunday Film , Video and Sound Art / Friends of the IPA Castro & Ólafur Ólafsson will open Sigurjón Ólafsson's Pillars - Artist's talk: Ragnar Kjartansson Without destination Printmakers will be working at the their exhibition, The Constitution of Guided tour Artist's talk with Ragnar Kjartansson, Film, Video and Sound Art Program: workshop. Programme for children from the Republic of Iceland. The work is One of sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson´s Iceland's representative at Venice 10:00 Ring Road, Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, 14pm-4pm, in which graphic artists print a collaboration with the composer main themes is columns and pillars. Biennale in 2008 in relation to the 1985 (80 min.) with children. Museum also open Sun. Karólína Eiríksdóttir. They commissioned A guided tour through the exhibition exhibition, "50 Years of Icelandic Art Karólína to write a music piece where all 11:30 Hekla, Haraldur Jónsson, 2001 (10 Tryggvagata 17, 101, Reykjavík which displays a selection of pillars and at the Venice Biennale." Icelandic min.) the 81 articles of the constitution would columns, carved in wood. artists have had a representative at this 12:00 Skipholt, John Bock, 2005 (55 min.) Grófarhús be sung. Laugarnestanga 70, 105, Reykjavík major international contemporary art 13:00 From Hetty to Nancy, Deborah Strandgata 34, 220, Hafnarfjörður exhibition for fifty years but their regular Stratman, 1997 (44 min.) participation did not start until the year 14:00 - 16:00 Saturday National Museum of 14:00 Das Echo ist der Zwerge Sprache, The Farmhouse Krókur 1984. Shadow Theatre Iceland Teil I: Island - Land ohne Eisenbahn, Flókagata 5, 105, Reykjavík A workshop for children and grown-ups. Wolfgang Müller, 1999 (22 min.) Make your own puppets and use them 13:00 - 16:00 Saturday 11:00 - 12:00 Saturday 14:30 Counterclockwise, Ragnheiður in the shadow theatre on site. Hosted The farmhouse Krókur at Gestsdóttir, 2011 (12 min.) Guided tour in English by Reykjavík City Library, Reykjavík Garðaholt - open house 15:00 Skagafjörður, Peter Hutton, 2003 A guided tour through the main Museum of Photography and Reykjavík The small farmhouse, Krókur að (35 min.) exhibition of the National Museum of City Archives. Garðaholt, is a small gabled farmhouse 16:00 Searching for Hjetna, Rory Iceland, Making of a Nation. clad with corrugated iron, built in 1923 Middleton, 2010 (45 min.) Tryggvagata 15, 101, Reykjavík Suðurgötu 41, 101, Reykajvík on the foundations of an earlier turf Tryggvagata 17, 101, Reykjavík Hafnarborg - The building. Krókur is a good example of houses in which ordinary working people ASÍ Art Museum Garðabær Library Hafnarfjordur Centre of lived in this part of the country in the first Culture and Fine Art half of the twentieth century. 15:00 - 16:00 Sunday 11:30 - 14:00 Saturday Garðavegur, 210 Garðabær Artist talk: The Family Quintet Play reading for children 15:00 - 16:00 Saturday The Family Quintet talks. The artist Anna Brynja Baldursdóttir reads for Artist's Talk: Libia Castro and Curver Thoroddsen and his family will be children. Suitable for children age Ólafur Ólafsson present to talk about the exhibition and 5-8 years, all children and adults are The artists Libia Castro and Ólafur answer questions. welcome. Ólafsson, will lead an informal discussion Freyjugata 41, 101, Reykjavík Again at 12.30 and 13.30 about their work, The Constitution of the Garðatorgi 7, 210, Garðabær Republic of Iceland.

Free entrance Saturday, 12 February 13:00 - 17:00 International Children's Day Gerðuberg Culture Center and Miðberg Leisure Center

Protective charms – Would you like to Sleeves – The Black Elves of Norse my- there will be a chance to join in the singing Chinese dragons – Come and make a little Merlin’s Magic Workshop make your own protective charm? Runes thology were skilled craftsmen who could and let rip with your own instrumental ac- dragon you can take home with you. Chi- The mythical figure Merlin was an ancient were an ancient alphabet, used mainly for make wonderful things with magic powers. companiment. nese dragons are colourful and can twist British magician who appears in the stories cutting into stone or wood. Come and put For example, they made the charmed cord Instructors: Pamela De Sensi, Hjörtur Hjar- and coil and turn just like real ones! The of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round your rune on a piece of wood that you can that bound the monster Fenrisúlfur (Fen- tarson, Heiðrún Fivelstad and Hugrún Hel- blue one is the Weather Dragon, and the Table. The magician Jón Víðis will take on wear round your neck. rir’s Wolf) in Gerðuberg. Come and make gadóttir. Manchu Dragon can change itself into other the role of Merlin and teach us some clever Instructor: Þórdís Halla Sigmarsdóttir your own dwarf and give him a real dwarf’s things. What sort of dragon is yours? magic tricks. name. Dance workshop: Southern and Sway- Instructor: Katarsyna Woźniewska Instructor: The magician Jón Víðis Jakobsson Óðinn’s ravens – Come and make your Instructor: Kristín Ragna Gunnarsdóttir ing – A dance workshop where you will own news-gathering raven! Huginn and learn some important steps to the accom- Making puppets from A to Z – It’s fun to Festival of Fire – with a Dragon! Muninn were the pet ravens of Óðinn, the Freyja’s pikelets and the Valkyries’ paniment of the subtle and hypnotic music make simple puppets out of paper. Greek World Children’s Day will end with all par- highest of the Norse gods. By day they flew mead – Freyja’s pikelets are irresistible, of South America and Cuba. At the clos- mythology is full of all sorts of intriguing fig- ticipants going out onto the square between far and wide, watching and listening to ev- especially with the golden dressing made ing festival gathering on the square outside ures: Athena, goddess of Skill and Wisdom; Miðberg and Gerðuberg at 4 p.m. There, erything on their way; in the evening they from the tears of the Goddess of Love. The there will be an opportunity to dance to the Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty, artists from the Circus School will perform, came back, perched on Óðinn’s shoulders Valkyries drank a special charmed mead accompaniment of drums and other instru- Zeus, King of the Gods ... Learn to make including Wally the Clown and a real fire- and croaked the day’s news into his ears. before they set off to the battlefield to se- ments. your own puppet of a Greek god or goddess. eater! Those who have made Roman instru- Instructor: Guðmunda Óskarsdóttir lect the bravest heroes and bring them back Instructor: Edna Mastache Instructor: Hugrún Ýr Magnúsdóttir ments will play them, and to the accompa- No ordinary animals, these! – Come and to live forever in Valhöll. Come and enjoy niment of drums, the great Dragon will be make Óðinn’s eight-legged horse Sleipnir, these refreshments, prepared out of doors Making the Festival Dragon – Dragons Dracula – Would you like to play at being brought out and the singing and dancing the two cats that drew the chariot of Freyja, over an open fire. feature in myths from many parts of the Dracula? The tale about Count Dracula in will begin. goddess of Love, or the boar Sæhrímnir, Instructors: Nichole Leigh Mosty and Anita world. Origami is the ancient Japanese art his gloomy castle in Transylvania is based which was cooked for dinner every night Krasniqi of folding paper to make figures and orna- on ancient history and also folklore about Gerðuberg 3-5, 111, Reykjavík in Valhöll, the great hall of warriors in the ments. Come and take part in making a big vampires. The Count is terribly pale, with afterlife. All these can be made out of or- Make a Roman musical instrument! – A oriental dragon and then go with it out to blood-red lips and red eyes, and his white dinary paper plates, which you will learn to variety of musical instruments were used by the festival gathering on the square outside fangs stick out from under his lip. – Dracula transform as if by magic into the animals of the ancient Romans in the worship of their at the end of the day. is horrrrrrrible! Don’t miss World Children’s Day in Norse mythology. gods. Come and make your own Pan pipes, Instructor: Björn Finnsson Instructor: Kristín Þóra Guðbjartsdóttir Gerðuberg! Instructor: Rosalie Alegre drums, rattles and wind instruments. At When the Dwarves Rolled up their the outdoor gathering at the end of the day

The Love Walk festival will be held at play known love songs. Several Reyk- the heart of Reykjavik on Sunday 13th javik choirs unite by the lake and sing February. The event starts at sunset, a few songs for us. Actress and author 17:30 and lasts for about an hour. In Bergljót Arnalds is the organiser of the Sunday, 13 February 17:30. this festival we all focus on what unites festival, with the help of several parties us; love. People gather at Austurvöl- such as AUS, the Red Cross and oth- lur where we are welcomed by a brass ers. Everyone is encouraged to wear band playing. Several noted individuals red for the occasion. Love Walk in ReykjavíkT present beautiful thoughts on love and what connects us. The love walk goes Austurvöllur, 101, Reykjavík around the lake while skilled musicians