I&I Issues and Images
Iceland
1 • 2010
Contents
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4 On and off Three Icelandic Albums among Decade’s Best Iceland Tops Environment Charts Icelander Receives 2010 Carnegie Art Award Successful Business Women Awarded 6 A Tough Task Iceland’s Chief Negotiator in the Talks with the EU Looks Ahead 8 Bronze-Age Iceland AD 2010 For the second time in a row, the Icelandic national team came home with a medal, this time bronze. 9 Spreading the Word Eager to turn the economic crisis into something positive, Iceland’s trade representatives around the globe are firmly placing the country on the world map. 10 The Image of an Ice Cube Iceland participates in the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China. 12 Cooling Down Ocean swimming in the north Atlantic is becoming increasingly popular in Iceland. Devoted swimmers describe this affair as a refreshing bliss. Visit Nauthólsvík beach, take a dip and check out if they are telling the truth. 13 Guardian Angels Iceland is a nation of few, without an army, so it’s the search and rescue volunteers we depend on when disaster strikes. 14 The Migrating Artist With an illustrious career spanning almost 50 years, contemporary artist Sigurdur Gudmundsson continues to amaze, inspire, and even shock the world with his art. 15 Moving Mountains Is your weekly routine missing a high? Would you make a vow to climb one mountain per week for a year? Two hundred people did just that. 16 A Popular President Reaches a Milestone On April 15 2010 former President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir turns 80. She is still active as a cultural ambassador for Iceland and gives her time to many worthy causes.
Photo: Páll Stefánsson
17 A Day at the National Gallery If you are an art connoisseur or simply interested in learning more about Icelandic culture, you should drop by the National Gallery of Iceland on your next visit to Reykjavík. 18 God’s Shelter A perfect place on Earth.
Geysir, Haukadal.
Issues and Images Vol. 6 1-2010 Editor: Benedikt Jóhannesson benedikt@heimur.is Staff writer: Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir eyglo@heimur.is Contributing writers: Mica Allan, Páll Stefánsson ps@heimur.is Design: Erlingur Páll Ingvarsson Photographers: Geir Ólafsson, Páll Kjartansson and Páll Stefánsson TCI Editorial Consultant: Lilja Vidarsdóttir lilja@icetrade.is On the cover: Photo by Páll Stefánsson. From Eskifjördur, East Iceland. Back cover: Photo by Páll Kjartansson Printing: Oddi Published for the Trade Council of Iceland by Heimur Publishing Ltd. www.icelandreview.com Copyright Heimur Publishing. No articles in the magazine may be reproduced elsewhere in whole or in part without the prior permission of the publisher. icelandreview@icelandreview.com
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Trade Council of Iceland Borgartún 35, IS-105 Reykjavík. Tel +354 511 4000 Fax +354 511 4040 icetrade@icetrade.is www.icetrade.is
INVEST IN ICELAND AGENCY Borgartún 35, IS-105 Reykjavík. Tel +354 561 5200 Fax +354 511 4040 info@invest.is www.invest.is
Ministry for Foreign Affairs Rauðarárstígur 25, IS-150 Reykjavík. Tel +354 545 9900 Fax +354 562 4878 vur@utn.stjr.is www.mfa.is
20 A Diary of Business and Politics The top stories in business and politics in Iceland from December 2009 to March 2010 21 Who is Where? TrackWell MRM (Mobile Resource Management) mottos are: ‘Ease of deployment’; ‘Ease of use’; ‘Cost effectiveness’; and ‘Every day, up-to-date content and technology’. 22 Our Train System Air Iceland is your Link to all the major destinations in the west, north, east and south of Iceland as well as Greenland and the Faroe Islands. 23 Icelandic Design Kraum is the leading store with the very best of Icelandic design and crafts.
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On and Off
On and Off
Music:
Arts:
Three Icelandic Albums among Decade’s Best
Icelander Receives 2010 Carnegie Art Award
Rolling Stone magazine selected the 100 best albums of the decade. Three albums by Icelandic artists were on the list. The album, Ágaetis byrjun, by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós ranks 29th in the listing compiled by around 100 music experts. Another of the band’s albums, ( ), ranks 76th. Sigur Rós are not the only Icelandic musicians included in the Rolling Stone’s listing; Vespertine by Björk is in 67th place. Orri Páll Dýrason, Sigur Rós’s drummer, said the inclusion is a great honor, although he usually doesn’t contemplate much on such listings. Icelandic music critic Arnar Eggert Thoroddsen stated that the selection shows that this respected music magazine considers Sigur Rós, “among the best bands in the world.” Sigur Rós front man Jónsi is currently working on a solo album to be released in 2010. c
In May 2009 Icelandic artist Kristján Gudmundsson (born 1941) was announced the winner of the 2010 Carnegie Art Award, which promotes Nordic contemporary art, for his unique sound-dampening paintings. The prize, SEK 1 million, was presented to him by Queen Margrethe of Denmark on September 17. At the same time, an exhibition of the work of the 23 Nordic artists who were shortlisted for the 2010 Carnegie Art Award opened. The exhibition then traveled to the capitals of the Nordic countries and to London, Beijing and Nice. The exhibition arrived at the National Gallery of Iceland in Reykjavík on January 9, 2010, and ran through February 28. Another Icelandic artist, Egill Saebjörnsson, also participated in the exhibition. c
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Morgunblaðið/Brynjar Gauti
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Business:
Successful Business Women Awarded
top performer:
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From left: FKA’s chairwoman, Hafdís Jónsdóttir and the 2010 Grand Prize winner Vilborg Einarsdóttir, managing director and co-founder of the software company Mentor.
Photo: Geir Ólafsson
According to the latest Environmental Performance Index, compiled biannually by Yale and Columbia University researchers, Iceland is the top performer this year. The deciding factor was the fact that nearly all of the country’s energy comes from renewable sources. Other European countries also scored high, including Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Meanwhile, the world’s largest economies have moved further down the list; the US ranked 39th two years ago but is now in 61st place and China dropped from 105th to 121st place. “Countries that take seriously the environment as a policy challenge do improve, and those that don’t deteriorate,” Daniel C. Esty, director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, who oversees the index project, said in description of the ranking. c
Photo: GPáll Stefánsson
Iceland Tops Environment Charts
The Icelandic Association of Women Entrepreneurs (FKA) held its annual award ceremony in the Perlan events center and restaurant on January 21. Mayor of Reykjavík Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir addressed the assembly and the FKA’s chairwoman, Hafdís Jónsdóttir, announced the jury’s decision. Minister of Economic Affairs Gylfi Magnússon and Director of Íslandsbanki Birna Einarsdóttir presented the awards. The 2010 Grand Prize went to Vilborg Einarsdóttir, managing director and co-founder of the software company Mentor. Its IT system for schools has made communications between teachers, parents and students much easier. The company increased its turnover by 160 percent in 2008 and by 30 percent in 2009. The 2010 Encouragement Award went to Marín Magnúsdóttir, managing director of event organizer Practical; the 2010 Acknowledgement Award went to Bára Magnúsdóttir, managing director of the dance studio Jazzballetskóli Báru; and the 2010 Leap of Luck Award went to Svana Helen Björnsdóttir, managing director of IT safety systems company Stiki, for reinforcing the power of women within its ranks. c
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EU membership
A Tough Task Iceland’s Chief Negotiator in the Talks with the EU Looks Ahead
What about fishing—an issue that strikes at the heart of Iceland’s national identity—can Iceland sign up to a centralized EU fisheries policy? We know fisheries will be among the most challenging issues. The people of Iceland have depended on the ocean for their livelihood for a long time. Income from fisheries accounts for more than EUR 2,400 per person in Iceland, which is 100 times more than the EU average. Running a sustainable fisheries policy has been key to our prosperity. The EU has never had to deal with an applicant nation so dependent on fisheries and so geographically isolated. Let us not prejudge the willingness to find a solution that both can live with. Isn’t the EU just a safe haven from the harsh economic winds that forced Iceland to rethink its traditional skepticism about the EU? The European Union is a family. Iceland has had a standing invitation to join the family gathering but has chosen to stay in the entrance hall for a decade and a half. Our relations with the EU are as close as can be, short of full membership. Many believe it is high time to join the other family members. We share a common heritage, common values and common interests. As a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), Iceland has already incorporated more or less 6
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22 out of 35 chapters of the so-called acquis communautaire into our national legislation. We are also part of Europe’s border-free Schengen-zone, and we participate in numerous EU agencies and programs. What will we bring to the rest of Europe?
What benefits would Iceland’s membership bring to the European Union? Iceland is a young, developed and educated nation, with valuable knowledge of sustainable use of natural resources. I already mentioned the fish; also, over 80 percent of our energy comes from renewable sources—nearly 100 per cent of our electricity. Iceland has a lot to contribute in environmental affairs, climate issues and arctic matters. Iceland is the only state to be entirely within the Arctic region, a region of rapidly growing significance. What’s in it for Iceland? EU membership is a part of Iceland’s strategy towards much needed long-term economic stability. Globalization requires more economic cooperation, not less, and Iceland protects its interests best by having a seat at the family table. We also look at this as a broader issue of security. While remaining committed to NATO, Iceland’s EU membership would serve Europe’s mutual security interests in the High North, including environmental security, maritime security, pandemics, organized crime etc. Will Iceland just be another Norway—a big effort for a final No? Maybe. But we could equally be another Sweden or Finland. The electoral margin has always been narrow in all the Nordic countries. But our application is serious and it is real. The decision to apply was taken by the democratically elected parliament. Make no mistake, EU membership remains a controversial issue in Iceland. Nevertheless, we are optimistic that in Iceland, as in other countries before us, the negotiation phase will also be a learning process; it will lay the groundwork for an informed and rational debate on the pros and cons of membership. The agreement has to be right for Iceland, right for the EU—and it has to be communicated honestly. Subsequently, the people of Iceland will determine their destiny in a national referendum. c
Photo: Geir Ólafsson
T
he European Commission recommended in late February that the European Union move ahead with accession talks with Iceland. This means that barring any unforeseen difficulties negotiations will begin within the next few months. For such a task Iceland needs an experienced negotiator, and has found one: Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson, Ambassador of Iceland to the EU in Brussels. Jóhannesson will serve as Iceland’s Chief Negotiator in the upcoming negotiations, bringing a wealth of experience to Iceland’s negotiation team. He began his career with the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1986. He has led free trade negotiations on behalf of Iceland and the EFTA states with a number of third countries, worked on the Agreement on the European Economic Area which entered force in 1994 and was appointed chairman of the Working Group on Russia’s accession to the WTO in 2003. I & I had the chance for a short interview on some of the tough issues that will likely come up.
Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson, Ambassador of Iceland to the EU in Brussels.
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Trade
Sports
From left to right: Rahul Chongtham, Deepika Sachdev and Pétur Yang Li at the Trade Council of Iceland in January 2010.
Spreading the Word Eager to turn the economic crisis into something positive, Iceland’s trade representatives around the globe are firmly placing the country on the world map.
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Bronze-Age Iceland AD 2010
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ue so we can get a great result at next year’s World Cup in Sweden.” Ólafur Stefánsson, the team captain, said, “It is strange to end this tournament so happy with a bronze, to win a game, I am more happy than the silver in Beijing, but in the long run silver is of course better. But I think our play in the first half against Poland is the best the Icelandic team has ever played. Especially in defense. But the moment of the tournament is when Alexander Petersson steals the ball from a Polish player, with one and a half minutes to go. We will never forget this moment in the history of Icelandic sports. This is the coolest thing I have ever seen. This says everything about his stamina, creativity and enthusiasm. No one could do it except him. Alexander is the team’s robot, he never gives up, our MVP.” And what medal we will come home with from Sweden? A gold, the only missing medal. Hopefully. c
Photos tBy Geir Ólafsson
M
aybe it was a sign, a great start for Icelandic handball. Ólafur Stefánsson was voted Sportsman of the Year 2009, just before the European Championship in Handball started in Austria last January. And for the second time in a row, the Icelandic national team came home with a medal, this time bronze. A year and a half ago, at the Beijing Olympics, we lost the final to France, winning silver. A fantastic result. Now, we lost only one game, in the quarter final, against the World, Olympic and now European Champions, France. In the last game, with the bronze medal at stake, the Icelandic team beat Poland, 29 - 26. Gudmundur Gudmundsson, the Icelandic coach, said after the final game, “We can be proud of this result, it was a more difficult tournament than the Olympics, and the handball was first rate. It’s a privilege to work with this team. And I sincerely hope that everyone will contin-
Photos tBy Geir Ólafsson
For the second time in a row, the Icelandic national team came home with a medal, this time bronze.
lthough not for optimal reasons, Iceland made the headlines all around the world after the banking collapse of 2008. The subsequent depreciation of the Icelandic króna made Icelandic products less expensive and all of a sudden the foreign media started recommending Iceland as an affordable travel destination. Riding that wave of positive coverage and keen on finding an upside to the economic downturn, trade representatives stationed at the Icelandic embassies around the world have been using their knowledge of their respective domestic markets to promote Iceland to investors and travelers. “There is a huge interest among Icelandic companies to enter the Chinese market because it is such a big economy,” says Pétur Yang Li, Iceland’s trade representative in China. He is currently working on the project ‘Made in Iceland’ to promote Icelandic exporters in his country. More than 30 companies from different industries signed up for the project during Li’s visit to Iceland in January. He says that some Icelandic companies are already established in the Chinese market, mentioning prosthetics manufacturer Össur, food producer Bakkavör and shipping company Eimskip.
“They can teach others,” Li adds, emphasizing that more concentrated efforts are needed. “For example, there are three water companies involved in the project, which might compete against each other. But ‘Made in Iceland’ is open to all, a common platform to work together.” President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson went on an official visit to India in January where he received the respected Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. He used the opportunity to meet with top Indian business leaders to encourage trade between the two countries, including Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates. “It was very successful,” Iceland’s trade advisor in India, Rahul Chongtham, says of the president’s visit. “The leadership of India is supportive of initiatives in the renewable energy sector, geothermal and hydro.” During the president’s stay, an agreement on geothermal energy development in India was signed between the Icelandic energy company Reykjavík Geothermal and the Indian company Thermax. Agreements were also signed between Icelandic and Indian companies from other sectors. On the tourism front, three Icelandic com-
panies participated in the biggest travel exhibition in South Asia, SATTE, which took place in Delhi January 28-30. “India has ten million outbound tourists annually, 20 percent of whom go to Europe,” says Deepika Sachdev, Iceland’s tourism representative in India. “It cannot be marketed as a stand-alone destination—travelers are skeptical of Iceland and there are no direct flights—but we try to promote it along with other destinations,” she explains. “There are many Indians who have relatives in London and stay there for one or two months at a time. We try to encourage them to travel onwards to Iceland for three or four days.” The domestic film industry might help convince Indian tourists to visit Iceland; two regional movies have already been shot in Iceland and the country is being promoted as an exotic location among Bollywood filmmakers. Whether as a backdrop for a dramatic Indian love story, a source of quality seafood or of expertise in geothermal energy, Iceland does have a lot to offer and the country’s efficient trade representatives are making sure to spread the word. c Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir.
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Expo 2010
The Image of an Ice Cube Iceland participates in the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China
T
he theme of the Icelandic Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo Shanghai, “Pure Energy – Healthy Living”, is reflecting the deep relationship Icelandic people have with the natural forces that forever shape their island and how they have learned to harvest its energy to improve their lives. Iceland is home to some of the world’s most active volcanoes and geysers, it features Europe’s biggest glaciers that in turn feed rivers and waterfalls. Together they create an abundant resource for non-polluting energy production, both hydro and geothermal. The concept for the Icelandic Pavilion is to create the image of an ice cube made of backlit printed fabric on the exterior that captures the complex ice patterns that are only visible within a glacier. Inside the Pavilion a short movie will be projected on to white screens along the walls and ceiling that make up an all encompassing sound and image capsule. The idea is to transfer visitors to Iceland. The atmosphere inside the pavilion will be cooled down and dehumidified below common
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practice to create a cool and tranquil little Iceland at the heart of the World Expo. Visitors to the Pavilion in Shanghai will get the feeling that they are approaching a cool refreshing sanctuary within the hot and humid city of Shanghai. The front entrance will be clad with Icelandic lava stone which will incorporate TV monitors displaying information on Iceland’s nature, culture and economy. The highlight of the Icelandic participation will be: • Tourism Day on 17 June 2009, which is also the National Day of the Republic of Iceland • Energy Days during the week prior and on 11 September 2009, which is the special Iceland Day at the 2010 World Expo Shanghai • Design & Innovation Days during the week after and on 11 September 2009, which is the special Iceland Day at the 2010 World Expo Shanghai See more at www.expo2010.is c
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Travel
ICE-SAR
Cooling Down Ocean swimming in the north Atlantic is becoming increasingly popular in Iceland. Devoted swimmers describe this affair as a refreshing bliss. Visit Nauthólsvík beach, take a dip and check out if they are telling the truth.
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Reykjavík, where it all happens. She somewhat endearingly refers to the pastime as “cooling down,” which makes me smile quietly as cooling down in my vocabulary is having an ice cream or beer on a warm day. She explains its benefits: “It’s like getting an injection of endorphins, it’s totally refreshing and it helps me think clearly and gives me a rush of ideas. Afterwards, it feels like I have slept for a week and I always feel very relaxed for the rest of the day.” “Since I started going last summer up to five times more people now attend. Everyone looks so happy, I just see smiling faces in the water
Mica Allan.
Guardian Angels Iceland is a nation of few, without an army, so it’s the search and rescue volunteers we depend on when disaster strikes.
I
Photo courtesy of ICE-SAR
Siv Fridleifsdóttir, member of Parliament, regularly attends Nauthólsvík.
and then afterwards in the hot tub your body just melts and your skin is so soft.” Yet amongst all this merriment, there is also a clear awareness about safety. “It is everyone’s own responsibility to look after themselves and make sure they don’t stay in the water too long,” Fridleifsdóttir says. In addition, there is staff in attendance at Nauthólsvík to keep an eye on things. However, although they keep a watch on what’s happening, they aren’t lifeguards. Their duties involve looking after an information wall detailing wind chill factors, temperatures outside and in the ocean and in the winter they even put lights on the beach so that we can see.” This natural phenomenon is free—apart from the coffee in the hot tub for which a nominal fee is charged. Everything from the breathtaking first few steps into the water, the icy, immersed exhilaration and the warm buzz achieved from the caffeine in the hot tub are all delights that await the intrepid traveler. So, if your stay in Iceland gets you hot under the collar in any way and you are looking for a way to cool down, look no further. Nauthólsvík is near the domestic airport in Reykjavík. Opening hours from September 1: Monday 5 - 7 p.m. Wednesday 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 5 - 7 p.m. Friday 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. c
Photos: Páll Stefánsson
I
celand is surrounded by water. The people who first discovered this land of fire and ice were hardy sailors. It was no mere Sunday jaunt or a gentle glide across a glassy sea. Generations later, the Iceland that is captured by sepia photographs shows a nation of fishermen against the backdrop of the ocean. And when Mother Nature is your boss and controls the terms and conditions of your livelihood it generates a whole new kind of respect for the water. Cold can be a relative term, yes, but when there are icebergs and glaciers in the actual country itself, I think most people would be in broad agreement that the word cold is a suitable description. Indeed there may be more colorful descriptions that arise in conveying an authentic experience of acquainting yourself with the North Atlantic. And you’d have to be truly mad to willingly do that. Perhaps not. Ocean swimming is becoming increasingly popular in this land. And it’s not just for the most daring and death-defying people, with children and seniors also joining the ranks of this growing phenomenon. And, to make it clear, ocean swimming means you and your costume getting into the water. Siv Fridleifsdóttir, member of Parliament for the Progressive Party, is an enthusiast and regularly attends Nauthólsvík, the beach in
magine getting lost in a blizzard in Iceland. You can’t see anything and the cooling power of the wind is so immense that it takes your breath away. You try to shield yourself from the storm, waiting and hoping someone will find you before it’s too late. Just when you think all hope is lost you see a light in the distance and you cry out for help. Redclad people appear out of the snow and bring you to safety. These red-clad people are members of Slysavarnarfélagid Landsbjörg, or ICE-SAR in English, which can trace its origins back to 1918 when the Westman Islands Rescue Team was founded. There is no army in Iceland and only a small Coast Guard, so the members of ICE-SAR are the ones we depend on in an emergency. ICE-SAR is the umbrella association for the
independent search and rescue crews all around Iceland comprised of thousands of volunteers dedicated to preventing accidents and saving human lives. They are always prepared—in a country of extreme weather conditions and ruthless natural forces they have to be. If a hiker is reported missing, there has been an accident at sea, a village has been buried by an avalanche or shaken by an earthquake, the ICE-SAR crews, along with police forces and the Coast Guard, are the first to arrive. But their services are not just limited to Iceland. When Haiti was hit by a series of earthquakes in January 2010, the Icelandic government dispatched the ICE-SAR Crisis Response Unit: a team of 35 people trained to rescue people from the rubble of collapsed buildings. The team is registered with the International Search and Rescue Advisory
Group of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The Icelandic team was one of the first to arrive in Haiti and thanks to its efforts three lives were saved. Along with search and rescue teams from other countries, its members combed through the rubble, provided first aid, distributed water to survivors and left a large part of their camp and equipment behind so that it could be used by other teams. While it may be a drop in the ocean considering the devastating circumstances and massive loss of life in one of the worst natural disasters in modern history, it is invaluable to know that there are people out there prepared to help whenever they are needed. And Icelanders are proud and grateful for the selfless work undertaken by their guardian angels. c
Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir.
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Hiking
Art
Moving Mountains
The Migrating Artist
Is your weekly routine missing a high? Would you make a vow to climb one mountain per week for a year? Two hundred people did just that.
With an illustrious career spanning almost 50 years, contemporary artist Sigurdur Gudmundsson continues to amaze, inspire, and even shock the world with his art.
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with granite. By Reykjavík’s seashore lies the winning proposal in a contest the city ran, celebrating the new millennium. “I brought a few rocks from the wave breaker with me to China and polished them hundreds of times. At first sight, all rocks appear dull and nondescript. However, once they have been polished their true colors emerge and it turns out that each one is unique and beautiful. I link this with my philosophical view of human beings. If you pay attention to somebody, nurture and respect them, you discover their inner beauty and realize that everyone has their own special character.” On a final note, Gudmundsson emphasizes that his work is open to interpretation. “Every time I understand a work of art, I get disappointed. I want to experience the artwork, I want to believe it, but never understand it. I find explanations tedious and restrictive. My artwork is an emotional space, a spiritual territory which I can enter again and relive that particular feeling. It is like having a green card for the other continent. The emotional one.” c
“O
Photo Courtesy the Icelandic Touring Association
“On each egg there is a bronze plate with the Icelandic and Latin names of the respective bird inscribed, making sure that people of all nationalities can enjoy them,” he explains. “Made of granite, the sculpture is maintenance-free and will stand there at least for longer than I will stand on my feet. I made the eggs in China and sent them to Iceland this spring. Despite the eggs weighing a total of 17 tons, the transportation went smoothly. I enjoyed the installation process very much.” Gudmundsson discovered Djúpivogur by chance. “We often travel to Iceland by the ferry Norraena, which docks in East-Iceland. One time, driving to Reykjavik, we spent the night in our car at Djúpivogur. The next morning I woke up at five o’clock just as the sun was rising. I was deeply moved by the way the light caressed the ground. We immediately decided that this is where our house should be; we had been searching for a suitable house for a very long time. The perfect house awaited us at Djúpivogur, beautifully located on the seashore. Gudmundsson is no stranger to working
Photos: Páll Stefánsson
“M
y wife and I have a house at Djúpivogur and try to spend as much time there as possible. I love it there and my wife and I will probably move there someday. I was therefore delighted when the village officials asked me for an idea for a work of art. It was supposed to stand on the new pier. I returned the next day with an idea fully developed in my head, which is highly unusual. My artwork usually needs a long gestation period, followed by considerable labor. But somehow this whole concept clicked immediately, like it was always meant to be there.” Gudmundsson smiles, his fondness for the village obvious. Consisting of thirty-four enlarged granite replicas of various birds’ eggs, Gudmundsson’s sculpture was inspired by the fact that Djúpivogur is a renowned haven for migrating birds which come there to nest. The village boasts a bird-watching house and a fascinating bird museum. The sculpture representing the egg of the Black-tailed Godwit, Djúpivogur’s favorite nesting bird, has an honorary status, being both larger and heavier than the others, weighing one and a half tons.
ne guy exclaimed haddock was his favorite food and if he didn’t stick to the plan he would never eat haddock again,” managing director of the Icelandic Touring Association Páll Gudmundsson says, describing the dedication of the participants in the association’s ‘One Mountain Per Week’ project. Five hundred people showed up for the introduction and 200 decided to register. “It was a New Year’s resolution. People made an agreement with themselves to hike regularly, exercise and spend more time outside.” The 200 hikers, aged between 18 and 70, are divided into three groups. Children are also welcome to the lighter hikes and children as young as six have participated. “They have incredible stamina,” comments Gudmundsson. “Jump around like mountain goats.” The Touring Association has chosen 52 mountains for the project, each of which has to be ticked off before the year is over. The challenge began with relatively easy hikes, such as Úlfarsfell (295 meters), Helgafell by Hafnarfjördur (340 meters) and Keilir (379
meters). Later in the year more demanding mountains are up, including Snaefellsjökull glacier (1,446 meters), the volcano Hekla (1,491 meters) and Iceland’s highest peak at 2,110 meters, Hvannadalshnjúkur. An ambitious plan, for sure. “People show up for each hike,” Gudmundsson says convincingly. “If they can’t make it for some reason, they have to do the hike later by themselves. People call each other and provide encouragement.” The determination is such that one of the participants, a woman who lives in Vík, makes the three-hour drive to Reykjavík every week to join the hikes, most of which take place in the vicinity of the capital. The weather has also been playing along; so far the winter has been unusually mild. “We’ve started longing for some real Icelandic winter,” Gudmundsson laughs, then explains reassuringly that they would never take unnecessary risks. Spirits are high among the hikers. “We sing on every summit, always a new song,” Gudmundsson says. “People bring lunch bags but sometimes there are pancakes and kleinur [twisted doughnuts].
We also meet outside the hikes, have a good time and dance.” The Touring Association has the entire year mapped out. Even though one mountain per week will be conquered on average, it isn’t strictly one mountain each week. For example, the three groups will go to the valley of Thórsmörk for an entire weekend and climb five mountains during their stay. And one Sunday, the plan is to climb three mountains in one day. “Then we will take a break over the summer and the hikers will be given homework,” Gudmundsson explains. The grand finale is on New Year’s Day and the last mountain remains a secret until the final hike of the year is up. “Then we will celebrate,” Gudmundsson concludes. c Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir.
The popularity of hiking and outdoor recreation in Iceland is constantly on the rise. To learn more about the Icelandic Touring Association’s programs and tours, visit fi.is
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ART
President
A Day at the National Gallery A Popular President Reaches a Milestone
If you are an art connoisseur or simply interested in learning more about Icelandic culture, you should drop by the National Gallery of Iceland on your next visit to Reykjavík.
On April 15 2010 former President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir turns 80. She is still active as a cultural ambassador for Iceland and gives her time to many worthy causes.
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A
Photo Páll Kjartansson
stressed the need for Iceland to keep abreast of technical innovations and was one of the first Icelanders to become interested in multimedia. She has always been aware of the need to treat nature with respect and promoted the planting of trees. During her presidency Finnbogadóttir travelled far and wide to advance Iceland’s cultural relations with various countries, both its closest neighbors and those on far away continents. She always put Icelandic interests above her own personal advancement, and was very popular with her hosts wherever she visited. Since Vigdís Finnbogadóttir decided not to run again for the Presidency in 1996 she has been busy on various fronts. She has worked on women’s rights, ecology and education, and has always made every effort to promote values among the young. She is an ardent supporter of multilingual education and linguistic diversity and regularly takes part in international conferences concerning these issues. In 1996 she became founding chair of the Council of Women World Leaders at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Two years later she was appointed president of the UNESCO World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology. c
Photo Páll Stefánsson
V
igdís Finnbogadóttir was the first woman in the world to be elected head of state in a democratic election. Despite being a divorced single mother (she adopted a daughter in 1972), Finnbogadóttir was nominated as a candidate for the presidency of Iceland. She was elected by a narrow margin over three male opponents. Finnbogadóttir was subsequently reelected three times, uncontested in 1984 and 1992, and with about 95% of the votes cast in 1988. She retired in 1996. Although the Icelandic presidency is largely a ceremonial position, she took an active role in promoting the country as a cultural ambassador and enjoyed great popularity. Before Finnbogadóttir was elected president she had a background as a teacher and as director of the Reykjavík Theater Company. She became known across the country when she taught French courses on RÚV, the Icelandic state television service. Finnbogadóttir studied French and French literature at the University of Grenoble and the Sorbonne in Paris from 1949–53, history of theater at the University of Copenhagen, and she holds a BA in French and English from the University of Iceland. As president, Finnbogadóttir enjoyed great popularity for trying to stay close to the people and to keep the presidency out of political debate. She
screaming pink wall piece with black splotches, a woven prison cell complete with a toilet and a landscape made of colorful buckets were among the artworks on display during the Carnegie Art Award exhibition at the National Gallery of Iceland in January and February 2010. This year’s winner was an Icelandic artist, Kristján Gudmundsson, and so his entry—a sculptural sound-absorbing four-piece painting—was exhibited along with the entries of 22 other Nordic artists. The National Gallery of Iceland was founded in Copenhagen in 1884, its collection consisting mostly of donated artwork, primarily by Danish artists. It remained an independent institution until 1916 when Althingi, the Icelandic parliament, determined that the gallery should become a department of the National Heritage Museum. In 1961 the National Gallery became independent again and in 1987 it was moved to its current location on Fríkirkjuvegur 7 by the Reykjavík
Pond. The main building, originally a freezing plant, was designed by the renowned Icelandic architect Gudjón Samúelsson while the newer part of the gallery is the work of architect Gardar Halldórsson. The National Gallery mainly focuses on 19th- and 20th-century Icelandic art, although international art is also displayed on occasion. The gallery holds the country’s most valuable collection of Icelandic art and its collection also includes works by some notable foreign artists, including Pablo Picasso, Edward Munch and Richard Serra. Exhibitions often feature samples from the gallery’s collection and the gallery also hosts solo exhibitions by Icelandic and international artists. A day at the National Gallery is an enjoyable experience. The white, arched building is a notable sight and the surroundings don’t spoil the view: the white and green Fríkirkjan timber church, covered with corrugated iron; the peaceful pond where children
like to feed the ducks and swans; and the green Hljómskálagardurinn public park on the pond’s bank. The gallery is on three floors and an exhibition will lead you through many small exhibition halls with a personal and homey flair. Marengs, a café which recently opened on the top floor, has a comfortable artistic atmosphere. The menu is not set but consists of whatever dish the caterers thought of making in the morning. Sweet treats are available along with hearty dishes, some of which are quite unusual but tasty all the same, such as yellow turnip soup. Whatever you prefer, dropping by the in-house café is a good way to end a day at the National Gallery, to soak in the atmosphere and reflect on the artwork. c Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir.
The National Gallery of Iceland is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. listasafn.is
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Travel
Dettifoss waterfall. Ásbyrgi
Reykjavík
God’s Shelter From Ásbyrgi
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o start with, there are two theories on how Ásbyrgi was created. First, that there were two gigantic floods in the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, the first one 9,000 years ago, and the latter in the year 1000 BC. Secondly, that Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of Norse god Odin, put its foot down, and Ásbyrgi is Sleipnir’s horseshoe print. I tend to believe the latter, because standing in Ásbyrgi, its 100 meter high cliffs are perfectly horseshoe shaped. Where is Ásbyrgi? It’s in Öxarfjördur bay, north east Iceland, and is the northernmost part of Europe’s biggest national park, Vatnajökulsthjódgardur, which covers 13 percent of Iceland, or 13,600 km2. The national park was established two years ago, but much earlier, in 1973, the government of Iceland established Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, with Ásbyrgi and Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall, within its borders. Dettifoss is powerful, and the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river canyon, 120 meters deep, is not only impressive, it’s one of the most beautiful spots in the republic. From Dettifoss, there are well marked walking trails
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to Ásbyrgi inside the national park. It’s around 30 km from Ásbyrgi to Dettifoss. If the canyon is impressive, Ásbyrgi is unique. Horseshoe shaped, 3.5 km long and 1.1 km wide, with an island 250 meters wide at the start. Birch trees fill Ásbyrgi, with open spaces and a small pond, Botnstjörn, at the end. At the entrance, there is a small convenience store, gas station and a service center for the fully serviced campsite and the national park. There is a 9-hole golf course, a horse rental and a swimming pool at nearby Lundur. Húsavík, whale watching capital of Iceland, is the closest town, 60 km to the west; the closest airport is at Akureyri, 160 km away; and it takes about 9 hours to drive the 550 km to Reykjavik. Ásbyrgi is a summer place. Facing north, you have a perfect view of the midnight sun. But if you want to be alone, there is a chance that for a whole winter day, you will be completely alone there, with yourself and nature. A place to be. c PS
Photos this spread Páll Stefánsson
A perfect place on Earth
From Ásbyrgi
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Pioneers
A Diary of Business and Politics February 11: It was reported that the unemploymenxt rate in Iceland climbed to nine percent in January 2010 compared to 8.1 percent the previous month. At the end of January 16,382 people were registered as unemployed at the Directorate of Labor and that number is expected to increase further.
December 14: Canadian Magma Energy acquired 41 percent of shares in the Icelandic HS Energy on this day by taking over the shares of Hafnarfjördur municipality and Reykjavík Energy. Geysir Green Energy (GGE) holds a 57 percent stake. December 15: The Icelandic government and the European Union made an agreement during the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020. Special climate change provisions will no longer apply to Iceland. December 30: The oldest business magazine in Iceland, Frjáls Verslun (Free Trade), named Sigurbergur Sveinsson and his two sons, Sveinn and Gísli Sigurbergsson, Iceland’s Businessmen of the Year. The trio owns and runs the Fjardarkaup supermarket in Hafnarfjördur—a popular, inexpensive retail outlet with excellent service. January 5: President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson announced at a press conference at his residence, Bessastadir, that he had decided to veto the Icesave legislation passed by the Icelandic parliament on December 30 and send it to a national referendum. January 14: Prime Minister of Iceland Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir wrote a letter to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), urging him not to stall the economic stabilization program for Iceland because of the Icesave dispute. January 25: Páll Hreinsson, chairman of the Icelandic parliament Althingi’s investigation committee, which is responsible for investigating the events preceding the banking collapse and its causes, announced that the committee’s report will be delayed again. A new deadline has not been set. January 25: Director General of the Icelandic Tourist Board Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir said there are indications that the foreign exchange earnings in relation to tourism increased significantly last year in comparison to 2008, around 20 percent. January 27: The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Iceland decided on this day to lower the bank’s policy rate by 0.5 percent to 9.5 percent. The 12-month inflation measured 6.6 percent the previous day, the lowest it’s been in two years. 20
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February 12: The Icelandic special prosecutor for the banking collapse raided the facilities of Banque Havilland and one private home in Luxembourg as part of an extensive investigation. The people questioned were all involved with Kaupthing Bank. Banque Havilland took over the operations of Kaupthing in Luxembourg in July 2009. February 2: The outlook for capelin fishing was rather bleak in January but on this day the Icelandic Marine Research Institute announced it had found enough capelin for sustainable fishing. Minister of Fisheries therefore issued a quota of 130,000 tons of capelin for this season.
February 16: Statistics Iceland reported that approximately 10,600 people had moved away from Iceland in 2009 while 5,800 people moved to the country. With 4,800 people leaving in excess of new arrivals, this is the largest wave of emigration Iceland has ever seen in one year.
February 3: The Icelandic government is again calling for applications for oil exploration rights in the Dragon Zone, off Iceland’s northeastern corner, as revealed on this day. There are five permits available. A new international tender offer is also being prepared for next year.
February 18: The exchange rate index of the Icelandic króna ended at 231 points on this day—the ISK hadn’t been stronger in comparison to the euro since late July 2009. This development might lead to a lower policy rate in Iceland.
February 9: It was reported that Icelandair has submitted a request to the Ministries of Justice and Industry that operating casinos be legalized in Iceland. The company is interested in opening a casino at the Hilton Hotel Nordica on Sudurlandsbraut in Reykjavík.
February 24: The European Commission decided to recommend the opening of accession negotiations with Iceland. The Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs released a statement welcoming the commission’s opinion. Iceland’s membership application will likely be discussed during an EU summit on March 25 to 26.
February 9: Minister of Finance Steingrímur J. Sigfússon announced that Lee C. Buchheit, an American expert on debt and co-owner of the law firm Clearly Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton in New York, will lead the Icelandic negotiation committee in the Icesave renegotiations with the British and Dutch governments. February 10: Reykjavík City Council approved the application of software company Greenstone for two lots for a possible data center in the city. Greenstone, which is owned by Icelandic, Dutch and American investors, has signed declarations of intent with almost ten municipalities and companies all around Iceland and has yet to choose a location.
February 25: Statistics Iceland reported that in January this year 92 companies entered into bankruptcy proceedings in Iceland compared to 73 companies in January 2009, a 26 percent increase between years. Construction is the industry worst hit by the wave of bankruptcy. March 6: On this day 93.2 percent of voters rejected the Icesave legislation of December 30 in the first national referendum since the Republic of Iceland was founded in 1944. Only 1.8 percent of voters wanted to pass the legislation, while 4.7 percent handed in an empty ballot and 0.3 percent of ballots were invalid. The turnout was 62.72 percent. c Eygló Svala Arnardóttir
Who is Where? TrackWell MRM (Mobile Resource Management) mottos are: ‘Ease of deployment’; ‘Ease of use’; ‘Cost effectiveness’; and ‘Every day, up-to-date content and technology’.
I
f you are running a fleet of many hundred trucks and vans it is very important to know exactly where your whole fleet is at any given time. If you suddenly get an order to ship goods from one city to another, you can do it easily if you can see within seconds that you have a van going exactly that way within the next few hours. This may be easy to keep in your head when you have only ten trucks on the road, but the complexity grows exponentially with each new vehicle. This is where TrackWell MRM (Mobile Resource Management) can help. It is one of the many technology companies in Iceland. The company was founded in 1996 by an innovative team of professionals with vast experience in software and systems engineering. Their TrackWell MRM software provides companies with tools to manage their resources: employees, vehicles, vessels
and other mobile assets including functionality like time, task, and fleet management. Every day, hundreds of companies manage thousands of employees and over ten thousand land, sea and airborne vehicles via the TrackWell MRM system. The system can help a company check that its drivers are driving within speed limits, and can also let it know when the vehicle is due for new brakes, a change of oil, etc. Their innovative solutions serve as a bridge between the mobile employees and the company’s back-office systems. The objective is to help companies manage their resources more effectively and make the information for decision making more accurate, reliable and traceable. The TrackWell MRM system is comprised of a number of modules that the enterprises can start using independently. The system modules
are grouped into four main subsystems meeting the needs of different types of operations: • The fleet management system • A time and task registration system • A catch information system for fishing vessels and companies, fish markets and fishing authorities. This gives captains and fleet managers a valuable tool to keep track of catch and product registrations and generates reports to fishing authorities. TrackWell products are used in 19 countries on five continents, including the U.S., Norway, Iceland and the Faeroes. All in all hundreds of companies are using TrackWell’s solutions. The company now has about 30 employees in Iceland and abroad. www.trackwell.is c
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Business
Icelandic Design
KRAUM Design Store
Our Train System
Kraum is the leading store with the very best of Icelandic design and crafts. With over 120 selected designers to choose from.
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people travel this way to visit the place of the midnight sun. The airport in Reykjavík is conveniently located less than ten minutes drive from downtown, although the terminal is not one of the most modern to say the least. For years it has been debated whether the airport should be moved to another location. Now it seems that for the next 14 years it will stay where it is. Every year about 400 thousand passengers go through this terminal building. The staff at Air Iceland produce a little miracle every day in getting the passengers conveniently to their destinations. Many people use Air Iceland for day tours to one of its many destinations. There are at least two flights per day to most domestic destinations and in summer the frequency goes up. This is great for the busy traveler who wants to see more than just the southwestern part of Iceland. Árni Gunnarsson feels that the increase in the number of tourists every year bodes well for Air Iceland. “Our passengers are happy with our service and demand for our service seems to increase from year to year. So we are optimistic about the future.” c
Photos: Geir Ólafsson
E
ven though the company has been in operation for 70 years it is constantly developing. It is now part of Icelandair group. The head office of Air Iceland is located in the capital, Reykjavík, but the company’s registered domicile is in Akureyri, the main town in north Iceland. Both Reykjavík Airport and Akureyri Airport serve as hubs for Air Iceland’s route network. Árni Gunnarsson has been in charge at Air Iceland since 2005. He has been working in the travel business since he was a boy. His grandfather was Gudmundur Jónasson, the best known Icelandic bus driver and a pioneer in tours to the Icelandic highlands. The travel agency bearing his name is still one of the leading tourist companies in Iceland. When you travel in Iceland distances can often be long. Driving from one side of the country to the other can take more than ten hours, even if you don’t stop to have a hot dog on the way. This means that many choose the convenience of flying. You can reach all the major domestic destinations in one hour or less. To fly to Grímsey on the Arctic circle you have to change planes in Akureyri and fly the final 20 minutes in a different plane. Many
Photo: Páll Kjartansson
Air Iceland is your Link to all the major destinations in the west, north, east and south of Iceland as well as Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
KRAUM: Aðalstræti 10 101 Reykjavík Tel: +354 517 7797. Kjarvalsstaðir 105 Reykjavík Tel: +354 517 1290 kraum.is
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Photo: Pรกll Kjartansson
. Trade Council of Iceland . www.icetrade.is . invest in iceland agency . www.invest.is . Ministry for Foreign Affairs . www.mfa.is 24
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