Issue 04, 2023

KIDARCHY TAKES OVER

KIDARCHY TAKES OVER

THE KIDS ARE IN CHARGE AND READY TO SHAKE THINGS UP

TRAVEL EVENTS

skiing is not for everybody, trust us

Cross-country

Celebrating kid culture and the finest Icelandic design

Kids running for parliament and voting in Eurovision

Cover Photo: Krakkaveldi took over the April 2023 issue of the Grapevine and infused it with their over-thetop creativity and intelligence. For the cover, some of the young contributors

were photographed inside Alþingi — an institution that could benefit from their fresh ideas.

Photographer: Kazuma Takigawa

Arndís Ey Stylist Assistant: Magnea Birgis

Stylist:

6: Won’t somebody think of the cats!?

8: The Krakkaveldi kids go to Bessastaðir

10: This is what happens when kids are empowered

16: This is what'll happen when kids take over Alþingi

28: An adult went cross-country skiing and fell (a lot)

32: This just in: McDonald’s is better than Metro

EDITORIAL

When I heard Krakkaveldi was going to take over Grapevine’s April issue, I thought: “Okay, am I really going to write articles for a paper?! That’s crazy and really exciting!”

At first, I was a bit stressed that my interview questions weren’t good enough, but then it all turned out well, and I think our articles are actually really good!

What Krakkaveldi is writing about is all very different and exciting. A few kids are writing about Eurovision, some are writing about mental health, but no matter the subject, they are all very fun and thoughtful.

It’s important that kids get to learn and write about things they find interesting. It matters to us that people read and respect our articles and thoughts, and that they listen when we say something needs to change.

If I was an adult, I would find kids writing the articles way more interesting and readable than if an adult had written them. The bottom line is this: Krakkaveldi is the best and will rule the world one day. You adults just wait till you read our articles, we are amazing!

Brynja Steinunn Helgesson Danielsen, 12, Co-Editor in Chief

ISSUE 4, 2023 A local favourite for over 20 years BOOK YOUR TABLE TAPASBARINN | Vesturgata 3B | Tel: 551 2344 | tapas.is

I didn’t know what to expect when Iryna showed up at the office with an interesting new haircut and pitched the idea of a group of kids writing for the Grapevine. As a mom of two amazing kids, I know just how creative younger humans can be — it’s unfortunately a trait that’s dulled in some of us as we transition into adulthood and are fooled into believing we’ve outgrown fun and play and imagination.

But the ideas the Krakkaveldi kids brought to their first pitch meeting at the Grapevine weren’t just creative or fun — they were inspiring. Here was a group of 8- to 15-year-olds wanting to interview the president (page 8-9), draft a manifesto for taking over Alþingi (page 16-17), shine a

spotlight on youth mental health (page 7) and learn about the prison system (page 38). Plus, interview a whole bunch of their favourite actors and singers. Ideas poured out of them that were far more deep than anything I was thinking about at their age.

It was inspiring. It is inspiring

And I hope that’s what you, dear reader, will take from this issue. If the kids of today are the leaders of tomorrow, then the world is in very good hands. It would serve us well to listen to them more now.

Experience Icelandic Bathing Culture

Minutes from the City Centre

Þórhallsdóttir

2 Ceramic — Aldís Bára Einarsdóttir

3 Tarot candle — Þórunn Árnadóttir

4 Pillow case — Signý Þórhallsdóttir

A great selection of design and local craft

Birgir Logi Barkarson is 12 (about to be 13 in May). He goes to the Waldorf School Sólstafir. He’s been a member of Krakkaveldi from the start in 2018. Birgir Logi has been playing the piano since he was seven. Right now he is taking a comic book course which he enjoys a lot. His favourite pastime is playing darts and hanging out with his family and friends. When he grows up he wants to be an actor.

Benóný Ingi Þorsteinsson is 12-years old. He goes to Engjaskóli in Grafarvogur. He is interested in everything about acting — and now journalism as well. He would like to be a professional golfer when he grows up. He is now practising golfing quite a lot, and would like to interview a famous golfer, like Viktor Hovland from Norway, a professional golfer and Scandinavia’s pride!

Brynja Steinunn Helgesson Danielsen is 12 years old. She’s been a part of Krakkaveldi since she was 8 years old. Her hobbies include reading, drawing and hanging out with her friends. She also enjoys watching anime and reading true crime and horror.

Eldlilja Kaja Heimisdóttir is 15-years old. She has been a part of Krakkaveldi’s activities since she was 10. She enjoys theatre and film, and experiencing adventure. Her after-school activities include practising taekwondo.

Sóley Hulda Nielsen Viðarsdóttir is a 8-year-old student in the third grade in Langholtsskóli. Her interests include acting, Krakkaveldi, and playing video games. She loves baking, doing crafts, travelling, babysitting and doing fun stuff. Her favourite colour is yellow, and she wants to be an interior architect and an actress when she grows up.

Jakob Friðrik Jakobsson is 11 years old and has two homes, one in Reykjavik and one in Kópavogur. He loves teddy bears, Pokémon, computers and fashion. He is going to be a lawyer and a K9 cop and likes his privacy. He dislikes crowds and noise. His favourite shop is Build a Bear and favourite city is London.

C o n t r i b u t o r s

Skólavörðustígur 7

Skólavörðustígur 12

Kringlan

Harpa

Flugstöð Leifs Eiríkssonar

Jakobína Lóa Sverrisdóttir is a 13-yearold Eurovision fan. She goes to Háteigsskóli and enjoys drawing, singing and sleeping in. Her favourite colour is zaffre (google it) and she can’t possibly decide what she wants to be when she grows up.

Nína Marín Andradóttir is a 12-yearold student at Háteigsskóli. She’s a huge Eurovision fan and often hosts Eurovision parties with her cousin. Nína’s hobbies are reading, quizzes, and arts and crafts. Nina’s favourite Eurovision songs this year (other than Iceland, of course) are “Queen of Kings” (NO) and “Évidemment” (FR).

Magnús Sigurður Jónasson always goes by the name Maggi. He is 14 years old and is a student at Háteigsskóli. He likes acting, films and TV. He is interested in politics and comics.

Margrét Aðalgeirsdóttir will be 9 in October. She goes to Langholtsskóli and plays the clarinet. She also practises hip hop dance and acting. When she grows up she wants to be an actress. She joined Krakkaveldi in 2022 and loves all the fun things she can do with Krakkaveldi.

Yrsa Rún Gunnarsdóttir is an 11-year-old student at Austurbæjarskóli. When she grows up, she wants to get into Harvard and be a university professor of psychology. She plays basketball and is a Scout. She’s also in a band called “SPOTLIGHT.” These days her biggest hobby is baking cookies. Borghildur Lukka Kolbeinsdóttir is 8-years old and goes to Langholtsskóli. She loves to read Andrés Önd and play with her sister. She does not love chocolate but loves to live life. In the future she would like to be a politician or a heart surgeon.

PODCAST & LISTINGS Rex Beckett

EDITORIAL INTERN Gitte Van der Meersch

SALES DIRECTORS Aðalsteinn Jörundsson adalsteinn@grapevine.is

S TORE MANAGER Helgi Þór Harðarson helgi@grapevine.is

FO UNDERS Aldís Pálsdóttir

Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson Hörður Kristbjörnsson

Gunnarsdóttir

PHOTOGRAPHERS Joana Fontinha

Gitte Van der Meersch Kazuma Takigawa

whole or in part without the written permission of

the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed in and around Reykjavík and at key locations along Iceland's route 1. It is also available at all major tourist attractions and information centres around the country. The Grapevine is an independent publication. You may not agree with what we print, but at least our hot takes aren't paid for. None of our editorial is directed or influenced by sponsors or advertisers, and all opinions expressed are the writer's own.

Reykjavík ó Reykjavík Signý Þórhallsdóttir fyrir Rammagerðina

Reykjavík ó Reykjavík Signý Þórhallsdóttir fyrir Rammagerðina

N ATURALLY DELICIO US

ICELANDIC

LAMB – BEYOND COMPARE

The taste of Icelandic lamb is unrivaled. Our pure bred lambs graze free in the pristine wilderness of Iceland, eating luscious green grass, berries and wild herbs such as red clover, Arctic thyme, sedge, willow, thrift and angelica. The end result is a tender ne-textured meat, infused with the avours of nature.

Icelandic lamb is a dining experience beyond compare.

Giving The Cats Of Reykjavík A Chance

Meet the organisation looking after lost pets and cats in need of new homes

Concerned about the number of cats looking for new homes throughout the capital area, Krakkaveldi journalist Eldlilja turned to Hanna Evensen at Kattholt, the Icelandic Cat Protection Society, for the inside scoop on their work rehoming cats and socialising strays.

Did the number of cats at Kattholt increase since the pandemic?

Yes, the number of cats has increased. After COVID, people who had gotten a cat hadn’t thought about what happens when they would start travelling or working again. You still have to take care of the cat and love it. Cats often come to us heartbroken and have difficulty trusting humans again. It’s very sad to witness.

What happens when a pregnant cat comes in?

We find the perfect foster homes for pregnant females, where they can have their kittens in peace and quiet. The fostering time is up to four months and Kattholt provides everything the

mom cat and kittens need. Then, when the kittens are big enough — about 12 weeks old — they come back to us so we can find the perfect home for them.

How many cats usually stay in Kattholt?

Our operations are twofold. We have the refuge and we have the cat hotel. If all the spaces are full, it’s around 100 cats.

Do you neuter all cats that come in?

If a cat is found or brought to us unneutered, then we neuter it before it goes to a new home. We also deworm, vaccinate, microchip and inspect the cats for any health issues. We want the cats to be as prepared as possible for their new homes.

When a lost cat is brought to Kattholt, does the owner need to pay to get it back?

If a cat is presumed lost and brought to us, we scan its microchip. If the cat is chipped, we call the owner and let them know it’s here. If they know their cat is here but they don’t pick it up right away we’ll charge a facility fee of 1.500 ISK per day. Most of the time, people pick up their cat before the day is over.

How do you handle feral cats?

All cats deserve opportunity, patience and time. That’s what a feral cat

receives when it comes to Kattholt. We need to be very patient and never give up. We start by chatting to the cat every day, introducing our voices, trying to maintain eye contact and blinking slowly to demonstrate that it can trust us. Then we try feeding the cat by hand. When it feels comfortable doing that, we can start petting it slowly. This process can take many months.

How do you handle kittens?

The kittens that come to us get the same treatment as adult cats. We start by deworming, microchipping and inspecting them for health issues. Then, when the kitten gets a new home, it goes home with an appointment to be spayed or neutered when it reaches the appropriate age and weight.

How do you finance the operations?

We finance the work with an annual fee to Kattavinafélag Íslands, which is 3.500 ISK every year. We also receive income from the cat hotel. Then there’s also lovely people out there who support us monthly, for example with direct deposits or by bringing us food, litter or dens. We couldn’t operate without the kindness of the people around us.

The Útlendingur’s Guide To Getting Shit Done

Are you ready to be an Íslendingur?

Words: Catharine Fulton Images: Art Bicnick

Have you lived in Iceland for seven consecutive years*? Then, my fellow immigrant, you may be interested in Icelandic citizenship.

Back in my day, would-be citizens had to show up in person to that bureaucratic abyss known as Útlendingastófnun, but it turns out they like seeing us about as much as we like seeing them, so the process has been digitised.** Just head to UTL.is and click “Ríkisborgararéttur” — or switch to English and click “Icelandic Citizenship.” We’re not here to judge.

You’ll need a documents at the ready: a copy of your current passport, a certificate of your legal registration in Iceland, an Icelandic language test certificate, foreign criminal record certificates,*** 12 months of payslips, three years of tax returns, and a certificate from your municipality confirming you haven’t received financial assistance.

Most of those things are easy enough to obtain. You presumably have a passport on hand, proof of your legal registration can be obtained on Skra.is and the tax returns from RSK.is. For the language test, contact Mímir to find out when they’re holding sessions. As for the criminal record checks, that’s a bigger headache the more countries you’ve lived in — you’ll need one from everywhere you lived in since you were 15.

Once you have those documents and 27.000 ISK at the ready, complete the online application form and settle in for the long wait. In six to 18 months, you may just be an Icelandic citizen. * less if you’re married to or cohabitating with an Icelander ** ÚTL will still need some originals dropped in their mailbox *** you’ll need a criminal record check from every place you lived since you were 15

Words: Eldlilja Kaja Heimisdóttir Images: Art Bicnick

Are The Kids All Right?

Shining a spotlight on the state of kids’ mental health

We need to talk more about why kids sometimes need to seek help for mental health issues. Sometimes, not everybody is ok. That’s why we went and spoke with Chien Tai Shill, a child psychologist and a social worker at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Department (BUGL) about their work and helping kids with their mental health.

What’s it like working at BUGL?

I find it very pleasant to work here because I get the opportunity to meet a lot of kids. It’s great to watch them when they start to feel better, because they come in when things are difficult, they don’t feel too well or are struggling. It’s fulfilling to see that change.

What is the most common reason that kids come to BUGL?

It varies. We have some kids who join what’s called the emergency team. Those are kids who feel very ill —

find ways to help them and point them toward appropriate services. Then we have an outpatient service for kids experiencing emotional distress, like anxiety or depression. We also meet kids who are diagnosed with ADHD or autism, and kids who identify as trans.

How long do children typically stay at BUGL?

Most patients stay with us for a few months or sometimes up to two years in the outpatient ward. Kids and teenagers come for interviews and meet our professionals. We have doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, occupational therapists, art therapists, developmental therapists, speech pathologists and nutritionists. In our inpatient ward, we have kids stay from maybe a few days, up to a few weeks, depending on what they need.

How old are the kids who seek your help?

It’s common that they’re 14-17 years old.

What or who can help kids who struggle with mental health challenges?

Firstly, it’s the family. Parents are very important and knowing that they are supportive and that the children can turn to them matters a lot. Everyone who works and spends time with kids

it. We need to support kids to learn how to deal with adversity.

What effects does your job have on your mental health?

That’s an interesting question. I don’t think I would be honest if I said it didn’t affect me. Sometimes I get sad because I meet kids who are in complicated situations, which can be tough, or if I feel things aren’t aren’t improving quickly enough — that can be difficult. When that happens, I do the exact same thing as I tell the kids, I seek the support and comfort of my family. Then I’m extremely happy when things go well.

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you appreciate knowing when kids are feeling better?

Ten is not a high enough number. I’m very expressive so you can see it miles away when things go well. It’s an indescribable feeling, it’s that great.

Yrsa interviewed child psychologist Guðrún Oddsdóttir, as she wanted to find out how to deal with anxiety and how psychologists feel about being psychologists.

The most common challenge children face is anxiety – what can be done to help and what can be done to reduce children’s anxiety?

times, we’re supposed to be scared, for example when something dangerous is happening. Anxiety gives us power to leave the situation.

Some people are afraid to ask a question aloud in class, step into an elevator, or sleep in their own bed. It’s good to know why and from there we can work on eliminating that fear. That’s done with practice.

Can kids have depression? How do adults spot it?

Yes, that’s possible. Anxiety is more common in children, but there are kids who suffer from depression. It becomes more common as we get older. The symptoms of children are intense emotions.

Depressed adults often become more sad, while kids can become more

maybe we stop eating or eat too much or stop wanting to see our friends, then it becomes a problem.

If someone says something horrible during a session, how do you deal with it?

When you learn a profession like psychology, we sometimes talk to people who’ve experienced trauma. For example a child who has lost their parent. So you have resources, checklists of what you want to do for the person. Listen to them, create a secure environment, analyse and evaluate the problem and think about their needs.

You want to make a risk assessment. For example, do I need to call the child protection services or the parents, do I need to cooperate with the school, do I need to talk to the police or the emergency services, or assess the risk

perhaps they have thoughts about not wanting to live or about causing themselves harm. That’s immensely tragic. Luckily, we can support them,

can also support them and listen to them. Kids also need to learn to deal with challenges. Everyone faces adversity in life and we need to learn to face

First of all, we need to stop being afraid of anxiety. Anxiety is a necessary reaction and all living beings can become afraid — it helps us stay alive. Anxiety isn’t dangerous — we can’t die from it, but it’s very uncomfortable. It’s like if the fire alarm would constantly be on in school. It doesn’t mean there’s a fire but it’s very uncomfortable to have it running all the time. Some-

irritated or have mood swings. They can spend a few moments up to a few days being sad. Their interest and happiness towards things constantly decreases and they often feel sad and unsettled.

Anxiety is more about worries, often due to something specific, while depression is more about hopelessness, negative thoughts about ourselves and the future.

How do you know if you suffer from anxiety or depression?

It’s natural to feel bad every now and then, it happens to everyone. It’s good to experience a wide range of emotions. We may want to always be happy and in a good mood, but that’s not life. We all have bad days. Sometimes it’s because of something specific, sometimes nothing special happened but we still don’t feel well. When bad feelings start happening over longer periods of time — for a week or two or longer — without anything specific happening, and

of self-harm — stuff like that. I make sure to follow every procedure, listen, be present and build trust.

Have you cried during interviews?

It happens that I tear up with people in interviews, for example when people experience loss. Children lose a parent or a parent losing their child. It’s okay that people see that I show compassion and understanding.

What do you think is the most important aspect of being a child psychologist and what do you need to keep in mind when talking to children?

We need to put ourselves in their shoes and realise how somebody understands and receives information so it’s suitable for their age. It’s important to listen and help children tell their story. Not all kids are used to having time to explain and tell their story. I think it’s very important to respect all ages and not talk to kids like they’re stupid or belittle them.

“Parents are very important and knowing that they are supportive and that the children can turn to them matters a lot.”

“First of all, we need to stop being afraid of anxiety. Anxiety is a necessary reaction and all living beings can become afraid — it helps us stay alive.”

Words: Brynja Steinunn Helgesson Danielsen & Yrsa Rún Gunnarsdóttir Images: Art Bicnick

ISLANDERS

It’s Off To Bessastaðir We Go

Getting a glimpse at the life of President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson

Words: Benóný Ingi Þorsteinsson & Eldlilja Kaja Heimisdóttir Images: Art Bicnick

When driving to Bessastaðir we were very nervous that we were going to be meeting the President of Iceland at his home! Walking into Bessastaðir was quite an experience. The main door opened automatically as we approached and a woman greeted us and took our coats. We wrote our names in a guestbook with a very fancy pen. Everything was so fancy and we were just wearing our everyday clothes, which felt a bit clumsy and silly.

When Guðni arrived, he was very friendly. After a couple of jokes, we walked into a library full of old books. We asked how many books were in there and Guðni guessed there were 120! We were brought sparkling water in fancy glasses and started asking our questions.

Is it difficult to be president?

Sometimes, and sometimes not. Sometimes I have a little bit too much on my plate, but I have wonderful people around me at my office and in Bessastaðir. I have a wonderful wife and family that support me in everything, so with their help I manage to enjoy this role, which is an enormous honour every day. It can sometimes be difficult, but then we just have to face those difficulties.

What made you decide to run for president?

When it came time to decide if I wanted to be the president of Iceland or not, the stars were all aligned in a certain way. When I thought about it, I felt I had experience, knowledge and a background that could be useful to the office. I thought I should be able to serve this office in a manner that the nation could be happy

with. So when all these factors were put together, I realised it would be better to regret doing something rather than regretting not doing it. So I decided to run for president and I‘ve never regretted that decision.

Do you have any goals as president, and what are you doing to reach these goals?

I set a goal for myself every day and that is to serve this office as well as I can. To treat everyone I meet with the same respect, whether they are heads of state or children interviewing me — everything is just as important and interesting. Some tasks are more difficult than others, and some subjects are more interesting. For example, we just started a general health award, where we encourage people to take care of their physical and mental health — that’s something I’m proud of and an issue I deeply care about.

Another project concerns speech technology in Iceland. I want us to ensure the role of Icelandic in the digital world, so instead of grabbing our smartphones and saying: “Hey Siri, what time is it in Los angeles?”

We could say: „Sæl Embla, hvað er klukkan núna í Borg Englanna?“ We need to be able to speak Icelandic in the digital world we’re living in now. We are seeing progress in that regard, and I’m proud of that.

When I put my head on the pillow at night and think to myself, “this was a good day,” that‘s when I’ve reached that goal.

What’s your favourite Icelandic food?

Pan-fried trout, and pancakes with whipped cream for dessert. When I lived

abroad, the first thing I did when I came back home was to get plokkfiskur at my mom’s house, so that would also be on the list.

What’s your favourite cartoon?

That would be Mulan. A close second would be The Lion King. My eldest daughter watched those two a lot as a child, so I have fond memories of those films.

What do you miss most about the time before you became president?

I miss not having time to research history, which was my profession before. So if I was forced to complain about anything, it would be not having enough time to pursue that interest.

Can you go anywhere without being asked to pose for photos?

Thankfully in Iceland, I enjoy the fact that people I meet everyday are polite. If teenagers or others want to pose for selfies with me, they ask politely, and if I have time, if I am not running to another place for example, I am happy to take a photo.

Do you have any power as president?

Yes and no. As the first article of the Icelandic constitution says: Iceland is a republic with a parliamentary government. That means that members of Alþingi set the law and the ministers in government exercise executive power from day to day.

It is not a presidency like in the United States. The president of Iceland is not as

influential politically as, for example, the president of France, so the role of president in Iceland is a bit different to these countries.

On the other hand, a president can step into the political field and have influence. They can decide to refuse to sign a new law, putting the vote to the Icelandic nation. They can have influence when a new government is being formed in Iceland.

They can also have influence in an indirect way. I could decide to speak about a certain issue during the president’s New Years’ Address, which a lot of people listen to every year, and in doing so, the president is deciding that issue is worth discussing. I can’t decide whether a school should be built in Borgarnes, or a road should be paved around Eskifjörður, or a law should be set about a certain issue. But the indirect influence the president has is still significant and should not be underestimated.

I was a student in Fossvogsskóli when mould was discovered and then the same thing happened in my home. Now I’m 14 and I have lost my health and all my belongings. We haven’t received any help or compensation, but if our house had caught fire, we would have been insured, and received health care to help with the aftermath. What can you do for people like my family who don’t have the health or the means to help ourselves? Your voice matters and people listen to you.

Mould seems to be becoming an increasingly more common issue in Iceland. For example, just yesterday there was news of mould being found in Álftanesskóli, so one of my children along with their class had to be relocated to another school building.

I would think it should be that people should be able to be insured for these mould problems, and I would also think we should face the fact that this seems to be an issue on the rise.

Kids Run the World

For Better or For Worse

Words: Iryna Zubenko Images: Kazuma Takigawa

“Ég treysti Yrsu R.,” (“I trust Yrsa R.”), I sign a little hand-written waiver decorated with glitter as I sit in a chair to get a haircut. My hairdresser is just over 10-years old, but that doesn’t make me even a little bit nervous. “What kind of haircut do you want? Is this your natural hair colour? What’s your favourite Christmas song?” Yrsa rhymes off her questions in rapid succession before her scissors touch my hair. She hands me a tiny mirror so I can follow her progress. She cuts a bit more than I wished for and feels uneasy. “Let me ask a more experienced hairdresser to take a look,” she rushes away. Benóný (12) takes the lead, makes a quick trim, and reassures me the hair looks even. It doesn’t, but I don’t intervene. The kids are in charge today. They hand me a hot chocolate, we laugh together — this might be the most stress-free haircut in my life.

Adults, step aside

The organisation in charge of these haircuts is Krakkaveldi, or Kidarchy — a performance-based project, where kids take control. “It’s really fun,” shout 8-year olds Sóley and Margrét in unison. “We do fun things in Krakkaveldi. We do all the things that adults normally do.” The girls are too shy to speak English, and one of the two adults running the project, Salvör (Salka) Gullbrá Þórarinsdóttir, helps to translate.

Kidarchy came about as Salka’s graduation project at Listaháskóli Íslands. “I wanted to work with children as a collaborator, similarly to theatre,” Salka remembers. “I got the idea of what would happen if you

had a political party with only children as members, and advertised for children that were opinionated. That’s how it started.”

The inception of Kidarchy took place in 2019. For four months, the group had a chance to meet regularly at Iðnó, before participating in the Reykjavik Dance Festival.

It was supposed to be a one-time thing, but the kids wanted to continue meeting.

“In the spring of 2019, there was a wave of protests — refugees were protesting against deportation. They got arrested for putting up a tent on Austurvöllur,” shares Salka. “The day after, we had a meeting with Kidarchy, and the kids said ‘They

would never arrest us if we had a tent on Austurvöllur.’ We decided to try it.” This was the first protest Kidarchy participated in — with kids giving speeches and asking politicians not to deport refugees.

“Then came Covid and I hit the wall with Kidarchy,” says Salka. “I’d been doing it mostly alone, and I felt like the performances were not being taken seriously.”

It was around this time that Salka’s friend Hrefna Lind Lárusdóttir joined the project, with an idea of creating Barnabarinn, a Baby Bar. Since 2021, they’ve been running Kidarchy as co-artistic directors.

Inked by kids

Working with kids as equal collaborators is the essence of Kidarchy. Kids come up with the ideas, execute them, even go to interviews. “We’re working with the fact that this is a constitutionally powerless group — they can’t vote and they don’t have a say in anything that affects them,” Salka explains.

Hrefna’s idea to create the Baby Bar was inspired by her internship in an anarchist collective in Italy. She describes it as being “designed and ruled by the children,” and as an experiential piece where adults surrender themselves to the happenings inside. “You can get a drink from children who have been designing drinks, have a heart-to-heart conversation with them, get a haircut or a tattoo (yes, a real one — but supervised by a tattoo artist). And then, there is a relaxation room. Often we end with a cake fight,” she shares.

Before getting a haircut or a tattoo, you have to say that the kid is not responsible for the outcome and you won’t get angry regardless of the result. “You give away the power,” says Salka.

The idea of children giving real tattoos sounds disturbing to me at first. Questions run through my mind: Who are the people that would agree to that? Were the kids nervous? Is it legal?

“I think it was as legal as getting a tattoo that your friend did at an afterparty. Because that’s kind of what it is,” Salka laughs. “It is an afterparty. You get a drink, you talk to people to get advice and then, it gets crazy.”

“I was sceptical, but then I thought I have lots of tattoos done by drunk people at afterparties. I trust a sober 11-year old a little bit better,” she admits, adding. “But of course, we both have worked with children a lot and would always think about their safety first.”

Welcome to Baby Town

Just as I’m getting used to the fact that children can be tattoo artists and hairdressers, Salka and Hrefna mention their latest project — Barnabærin, or the Baby Town — a series of workshops in the countryside, where children can express their ideas on how to improve towns.

“We’ve visited different towns — Seyðisfjörður, Drangsnes, [a town in the] Faroe Islands, and we’re going to Húsavík in May,” Hrefna shares. “The idea is to have it accessible for everybody.”

“And to kind of take over because the kids want to run for election next time,” adds Salka.

I pause to process this information before asking: “What? How can you even do this?”

“I mean, we will try,” Salka answers calmly. It was obviously the kids’ idea. “We might have somebody to stand in for them

openly. We have to figure it out,” she says.

“The idea is to get nationwide support for Kidarchy,” Salka continues. “We’re going to introduce the concept all over the country, that means, we have allies everywhere.”

The goal is to operate like a Renter’s Association, or like a group that’s speaking on behalf of its members. “It’s kind of like

demands to the town mayors, but the next steps are still a work in progress. Salka emphasises the importance of getting the demands in writing and following up on them.

Empowered youths

Engaging young people in politics is not a

‘What would be cool to do?’ attitude. “You can have a revolution or a protest walk, this is stuff doesn’t have to be boring,” she says.

“Nothing felt like it was too crazy,” Salka contemplates for a moment when I ask if the children had ever wanted to do something that seemed impossible to implement. “We did end up saying no to doing the cake fight again,” she adds. “The Nordic House said we’re not allowed to do cake fights there again.”

which is very refreshing for us adults because we tend to complicate everything.”

Both Gauti and Steinunn agree that Kidarchy helped their kids become more confident and express themselves better.

‘nothing about us, without us,’” she says. What are some of the demands that kids have made to municipal authorities?

“[In Seyðisfjörður,] they wanted houses that were destroyed by the mudslide to be rebuilt,” Salka shares. “Then they wanted the ice cream shop to be open longer.”

“And a girl’s team in soccer,” Hrefna adds.

“All very graspable. All very clear. You can make these changes,” Salka admits. “It’s a demand from citizens that can be met.”

In many of the smaller towns, the kids wanted trampoline parks, similar to Reykjavík’s Rush. “In Drangsnes, they had a super nice idea of making the town a birthday town,” Hrefna shares. “With so many trampolines and such, it would be so much fun that people would drive to Drangsnes to throw their birthday party.”

The children have presented their

new idea; youth parliaments and kid mayor programs exist worldwide. Salka found inspiration from working with experiential artist Ant Hampton, the children’s literature of Roald Dahl and Astrid Lingred, various community theatre artists, and political performances like the Best Party, which ran for election in Reykjavík (and won!) in 2010. One book that particularly caught her attention is När Barnen Tog Makten (literary ‘When the Children Took the Power’), where kids take over from the nannies in the kindergarten.

“Empowerement is the word we use a lot,” says Salka. “But what we do is giving them tools and making them see that it’s possible, it’s not that difficult to reach the place that you want to go to. You need to do some work and prepare.”

Being like ‘I wish there was a girl’s soccer team,’ that’s politics,” says Salka. “You have to get funding to start a girl’s soccer team.”

In Kidarchy they avoid being too serious and allow kids to approach things with

“One idea was to kill Donald Trump. I was like ‘I don’t have any power to do that, but I can arrange for other stuff,’” Salka remembers. “Our role as artistic directors is mostly to take the ideas and try to use our tools to make them happen,” she refers to it as being an admin for the kids’ ideas.

Word to the caregivers

In an effort to better understand why children are protesting against serious issues, taking an interest in politics, and giving real tattoos to strangers, I talked to a few people who are responsible for taking care of them — their parents.

“I was kind of surprised they were actually giving real tattoos. But that’s the whole point from my perspective,” says Gauti, whose daughter Borghildur will turn 9 this summer. “If Salka and Hrefna were toning down their ideas, it wouldn’t be Kidarchy. The whole essence of the thing is that it’s their ideas unfiltered, put to work.”

Steinunn, whose son and step-son are also in Kidarchy, says: “They have very simple ideas on how to execute all these big things,

“It’s a fun challenge to give a speech in front of people. But also a confidence booster in the sense that the kids feel their ideas matter,” shares Gauti. “I’ve noticed some changes — Borghildur’s thinking more about socio-political issues, especially when there’s a project going on. She comes home and she’s thinking about who’s running for mayor and stuff like that.”

“Seeing my kid, it really gave him a lot of self-esteem,” says Steinunn. “He was very into it immediately because he had a huge voice in that group. I guess he wasn’t used to being in a world where his voice would have any say in anything.”

“Of course, they’re kids, and some ideas they have is to rain candy and such. But most of the times, it’s like, ‘Wow, they’re really thinking about that,’ like, the refugee or environmental issues,” she continues.

Gauti believes it’s good that Kidarchy’s schedule is project-based. “They may not meet for three-four months, and then they have something going on,” he says. “If it was every week, it would just become one more of those things. Kids get bored with stuff that you have to go to every week.”

Finally, the kids

The opinions that matter most are, of course, those of the Kidarchy kids. The

“We have to have some say in everything that is happening in our country.”

ties (one even sings in a band), you can’t meet with them in the morning (because school), and they always need a ride. When we finally meet, they’re way too excited about an upcoming ice-cream tasting, but they unanimously agree on one thing: Kidarchy is super fun.

“My aunt sent me an advertisement that there was this thing Krakkaveldi and I was very excited about it,” Yrsa (11) remembers. “We have a lot of opportunities that are really fun. It has a very special place in my heart.” Since joining in the spring of 2022, Yrsa has already participated in a number of projects. “My first thing in Krakkaveldi was the June 17, Icelandic National Day. I was tattooing real tattoos,” she pauses for me to grasp that they were indeed real tattoos.

“I just did a tattoo on my aunt who told me about Krakkaveldi. She got hearts,” Yrsa anticipates my next question: “She doesn’t regret it.” Though giving tattoos was fun, Yrsa preferred cutting people’s hair. “I loved doing hair and makeup at the time,” she says. “On the summer course we talked to a tattoo artist, and there was a hairdresser on the spot who taught us to cut hair.” What is her favourite project so far, I ask. “Probably when I was cutting your hair. Christmas haircuts and this,” says Yrsa, referring to Krakkaveldi’s takeover of the Grapevine. “This is really big for me.”

I’m curious if Yrsa is considering running for parliament with Barnabærin next year. “I can do better than that,” she answers. “I would be good, but I have my own life and I can do so much better.”

“Do you have any more questions?” Yrsa asks. She’s very busy and I let her prepare for an interview with Laufey.

sit me all the time,” Brynja (12) says, pointing at Salka. “I’ve been here for four years. It’s a fun thing to do, to put the adults in their place.”

“I did a tattoo on someone,” she lights up with excitement. “I did three tattoos that day. One of them cried. It was her first tattoo. I drew a man with a flower head,” she pauses and adds, “Like a real tattoo.”

Magnús (14) turns to Brynja, his face terrified. “A real tattoo? Oh my god, I would never do that.”

Unlike other kids I talked to, Eldlilja (15) was invited to join Kidarchy. Acting is her passion, and she’s been involved with the project since she was 10.

Eldlilja shares why she takes part in Kidarchy. “I just feel I have a voice for every kid of my generation,” she says. “I have been putting up speeches in front of an audience, like in Austurvöllur. Everyone is listening to you and thinks you’re important, even though you’re just a kid. It’s amazing.”

“We say everything,” Eldlilja stresses. “We were talking about people that we are sending out of the country. I thought that was very important. In Austurvöllur, I saw Sigmundur Davíð [MP and former Prime Minister] and I was asking him questions about sending people away. He was pretty rude,” she shares. “He didn’t answer me. He thought it was a joke and he was walking so fast. I don’t know how but we took everything — we were filming at the right time, so we have a video,” she burst into laughter.

Beyond playtime

Eldlilja is confident kids should be represented in the parliament. “We have to be

part of this because it’s our future,” she says. “We have to have some say in everything that is happening in our country.” I’m curious about what are some of the issues that bother her personally and she doesn’t hesitate for a moment: “Reykjavíkurborg is making so many buildings, tearing down forests and every green spot in Reykjavík. Why do that? I think it’s very important to tell them to stop. I understand we have to build some houses and stuff, but not so close to each other,” she says.

Nína (12), who is working with Kidarchy for the first time, agrees that kids need to contribute to the conversation. “I definitely think we should get kids’ opinions because adults often make decisions about kids,” she says.

When it comes to running for parliament, Nína isn’t so sure. “There are a lot of kids in my class that I just would not want to see in politics. So I think we should leave it for the adults. But, you know, the adults aren’t always good either,” she shrugs.

“People often say ‘Oh, you guys are so funny’ and don’t respect our rules,” says Brynja. “But we still want people to respect

us. We can be responsible.”

“So, you don’t feel respected as a kid?” I ask, feeling slightly surprised. At 12, I was busy building tree houses and blanket forts, and being respected by adults was the last thing on my mind.

“No,” she answers.

“At one of our shows, there was a rule that the adults have to put their phones in a box,” Brynja shares. “And three of them refused. They were all kicked out. They tried to come back, but still refused to leave their phones.”

And suddenly, I get it. It’s not about killing Donald Trump (or harming anyone, per se), making it rain candy, or giving tattoos — in the end, these kids just want equal opportunities and freedom to express themselves as peers. They are hilariously fun, and even though Salka assured me that I’m past the age-limit to join Kidarchy, I have complete confidence that these kids will go far. We really don’t have to worry about them. Kids do run the world, and looking around the busy streets of Reykjavík crowded with mini-someones, you can decide for yourself whether it’s for better or for worse.

“We want people to respect us. We can be responsible.”

Barnamenningarhátíð

April 18 - 23 — Multiple locations — Free

Since 2010, Barnamenningarhátíð (Children’s Culture Festival) has brought a wide array of artistic disciplines to the youths of Reykjavík through workshops, performances, and participatory events. Focused on children up to 16-years old, the five-day festival comprises dozens of free events all over town. This year’s focus is specifically on events in the family-oriented suburb Grafarvogur and events related to peace. The festival is well-known for fostering the next generations of artists and creatives in Iceland, and is open for all to take part in. Grab your kids and go create. For more information, visit barnamenningarhatid.is.

INTERVIEW

Actors, They’re Just Like Us

Reykjavík International

Literary Festival

April 19 - 23 — Multiple venues — Free Crack your spines and fold back your dog’s ears, people, it’s time for the Reykjavík International Literary Festival! For over 30 years (non-consecutively, however) the gathering of all-things-books has brought together writers of all stripes to celebrate the joy of the written word. Taking place over several cosy venues across the city, this year’s lineup features over 25 wordsmiths, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad Colson Whitehead, bestselling author and champion of women’s fiction Jenny Colgan, and acclaimed non-fiction author Åsne Seierstad. The whole programme is free, conducted in English and open to all. Find the full schedule at bokmenntahatid.is.

Words: Yrsa Rún Gunnarsdóttir Images: Art Bicnick

It’s the golden age of television and that rings true in Iceland, too. A number of made-inIceland comedies and dramas have earned significant buzz in recent years, including the thriller Trapped and the nostalgic limited series Blackport. But another series that’s been keeping Icelanders glued to their screens is Venjulegt Fólk (Ordinary People) , a dramedy following the trials and tribulations of friends and actresses Vala and Julíana.

What was the first production you acted in?

That was a play called Bull by Mike Bartlett. It was just the four of us and it revolved around harassment in the workplace, where I played a woman who was evil and mean.

What is your favourite thing about acting?

Getting people to laugh. I like acting characters who are a bit evil or weird. In the theatre, it’s great to get people to laugh because then you know you’ve made someone happy. Maybe happier than they were before they came in. When people laugh and laugh and then maybe they leave they think, “Wow, this was fun,” then I feel good in my heart.

Do you need to like people to be an actor?

DesignMarch 2023

May 3 - 7 — Multiple venues — Various prices

There’s a silly old expression that goes “design is art without suffering.” Well, that’s debatable, but there’s certainly no suffering at DesignMarch, the annual celebration of all things Icelandic design! Now in its 15th year, and taking place in May instead of March, the event is a platform for innovative, imaginative and surprising approaches to myriad facets of design (graphic, product, industrial, architecture, fashion, you name it). Fostering an environment for dialogue and collaboration, there are over 250 events and 100 exhibitions within the cadre of DesignMarch, including the DesignTalks conference. Events and exhibitions vary in price, so check designmarch.is for the full programme and admission fees.

With the sixth season in the works and a movie adaptation on the horizon, Krakkaveldi journalist Yrsa sat down with writer, producer and lead actress Vala Kristín Eiríksdóttir to discuss how she got her start in acting, her favourite roles and more.

When did your acting career start?

I went to university and studied acting. I had always wanted to be an actress. I always participated in school productions when I was younger. When the school set up a play, I always raised my hand and said, “Please can I, please can I?”

Yes, I think so. You can’t avoid meeting and getting to know new people. If you’re in a show, you need to spend almost every night of the week with them. What’s most exciting about meeting new people is that each and every person is a whole world and a whole adventure. It’s exhilarating to meet new people and we can learn a lot from each other.

How did you decide on the name of the series Ordinary People?

For a long time, we didn’t have a clue what to name the show or which title might be good. The show follows people who are trying to raise their kids well, people who try their best at work, people who fall in love, people who experience heartbreak, people who lie and make mistakes and try to

make things right. We’re just writing about life and what it’s like to exist and be normal. So why not call it Ordinary People?

What was the best thing about making Ordinary People?

It takes a long time to write each show. So the first time we were on set to act out a scene, I heard an actor say the lines we wrote and I went like, “Woah!” Just seeing it come to life was incredible.

How do you remember scripts?

When I need to memorise a lot of text, I read it into my phone and listen to it while I’m doing the dishes or walking my dog. Like when you hear a song over and over again, suddenly you know the lyrics. I just listen to myself for hours until I can remember the lines.

Which of your characters did you really enjoy playing?

The mom from bit mean but she didn’t think she was, and she was a bit strange and had big, very loud, great hair and a lot of make-up. It’s nice to play someone who isn’t completely normal. Although, maybe nobody is normal.

What do you find most entertaining about the industry?

You have some sort of a life and routine and it’s very fun to be somebody completely different. You see somebody in society and think, “what’s it like to be that person?” Just

like when I was little, playing in the lava field or in the yard imagining, “Now I’m a dragon or a princess or I’m the horse” — sort of trying to be in an adventure. Every kid does that, but when we get older we stop playing and think it’s silly.

What’s your favourite colour?

Yellow.

Why yellow? I’ve heard your favourite colours says a lot about your personality.

It’s bright and open like the sun. It reminds me of summer. It’s happy, bright, open, and cheery. I would very much like to be yellow and to know that people are happy to see me.

The young journalist found it very fun and interesting to talk to Vala Kristín and get to know her and her dog, Ólíver, who’s a very good boy.

Vala Kristín reflects on her favourite roles, favourite things and being ‘ordinary’

Stay like a local

Meet An Absolutely

If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you choose to go?

I’ve heard good things about Vietnam and the people there.

What’s your opinion on spiders? I think they’re fine. I’m not scared of them and I know there’s nothing to be afraid of — but that’s easy for me to say as I’m not scared of them. He asks me whether I’m afraid of spiders but I think we should stick to the subject here and reply, “No comment.”

What’s your opinion on pizza? I love pizza. When I was a kid, pizza was fairly new in Iceland. At a place called Pizzahúsið at Grensásvegur you could buy one slice that was a quarter of a 16 inch pizza and you would get a baked potato with it. Nowadays, every kid wants to have sushi and I keep nagging them to have

“It was an interesting start to be playing against live farm

8 hotels, restaurants & spas in the heart of Reykjavik ]

OUR STORES IN REYKJAVÍK: FARMERS & FRIENDS

What If The Kids Were In Charge?

Introducing the key planks of Kidarchy’s platform

Would you vote for a kid?

Kidarchy’s manifesto consists of its members’ uncensored opinions. You might not agree with our ideas, but we also don’t always agree with each other, either. That’s okay. What we do all agree on is wanting to make the world a better place for all. All kids are allowed to join Kidarchy and make their voices heard!

Immigration:

We would stop the immigration bill that was just passed in the Icelandic Parliament.

Public office:

There would be no more professional politicians. People shouldn’t just be politicians to have a job, but because they want to make the world better.

Taxation:

We would tax the rich. We would ban billionaires, because the only way to become a billionaire is by mistreating

workers. We would change things so people wouldn’t need money anymore – so no one would be poor.

Social services:

Krakkaveldi’s Iceland would focus on giving everyone more education and more therapy — for free, of course!

Housing:

We would stop homelessness. We would employ all homeless people that want to have a job. We would make the homeless shelters bigger, and have them be open 24 hours a day, so they don’t have to be out in the cold and snow during the day, like they do now.

Cost of living:

We would lower food prices, everything is becoming so expensive! We would stop stores from selling water. Water should always be free.

Environmental policy:

We would stop the extraction of oil in Alaska under the Willow project immediately. We heard about it on TikTok, and then started Googling it and looking for information. Joe Biden’s administration just approved the project, which is disappointing because he used to say he cared about the environment. Now he’s accepting one of the most dangerous projects for the environment — and for the world!

Words: Krakkaveldi Images: Art Bicnick & Krakkaveldi

“Krakkaveldi‘s Iceland would focus on giving everyone more education and more therapy – for free, of course!”

The most special co ee from specialists in speciality co ee.

Climate change won’t be fixed if the project continues, the human population will be extinct in a few years. It will ruin the world; we won’’ be able to save it. It’s extremely serious!

The thing is, politicians just want money. If I was president of the United States I would never have accepted the Willow project. If I was Prime Minister of Iceland, I’d use my power as Iceland’s head of state to speak with Joe Biden and ask him to fight against the Willow project.

make a car that runs on plastic! If Krakkaveldi ruled everything, we would redesign the cities so they wouldn’t be so car-reliant. Our cities would have more green spaces, which would create more joy for everyone!

Then we would ban private cars, cause everyone could just use the bus.

Artificial intelligence:

We would ban AI art! It’s ruining the value of art. If you look at AI art then you can see that they are stealing from real artists! Art has less worth if

Meet The Stringers

Yrsa, 11

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“High school professor in psychology. I want to go to Harvard University. They have a really good psychology programme. My grandfather’s brother went to Harvard so I want to follow in his steps. It’s my only goal in life.”

Favourite food:

“Bónus lasagna is my favourite thing and pasta with ketchup.”

Hobbies:

“I’m singing in a band. You can look it up, the name is Spotlight. We have a music video.”

Brynja, 12

What do you want to be when you grow up?

fun of someone, you find solutions in the circle, like saying sorry, asking for a hug, talking about it or so on. It really works for children, and even for teenagers. We think it might even work for adults.

Mental health:

We would do something about kids’ mental health issues. For example, we would have a day once in a while in school where you can do whatever you want. If you’re tired you could go to sleep, or if you wanted to be on your iPad watching YouTube, you could.

Misc.:

We would ban selling pizza with pineapple on it — or wait, we actually don’t all agree with that!

A disclaimer from Maggi:

“I want to work in a juvenile correction center or be a criminal psychiatrist. It’d be fun to be a criminal psychiatrist. I could go to Cambridge for college, which is probably not gonna happen. I just want to know what it’s like to work there and make it better for them because many kids go to very bad correction centers.”

Hobbies:

“I really like painting and drawing, but that’s really basic. Everybody loves that.”

Magnús, 14

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“I wanna work in film or TV. But probably as a writer.”

Hobbies:

“I don’t really have hobbies. I just do things I want to do on a huge scale. I really just think of ideas in my head, and I find ways to express them.”

Eldlilja, 15

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“I think I want to be an actor, a journalist, a director or something. I would love that.”

Favourite food:

Kids are thinking the most about the environment, while adults are ruining the planet! We’re trying to make our futures bright, but the adults are ruining it!

We would take away all the plastic from the ocean — right now! And we would stop plastic production — with the exception of plastic straws and plastic spoons, because the paper ones really suck. But you would have to recycle that plastic. With the used plastic straws and spoons, we would

you can just push a button and make it. There are people that spend hours working on their art and practicing their technique. AI art is less valuable than all that work.

Conflict resolution:

We would instill the Solution Circle in every kindergarten and elementary school. The Solution Circle is like a system to help kids figure out what to do when they have conflict with each other. For example, if kids are making

I actually shouldn’t be a member of parliament, because I don’t think I know enough about the issues. So I actually don’t think I know any better than Icelandic politicians — but at least I can admit it.

“Homemade pizzas. They’re amazing.”

Hobbies:

“I love acting, sewing, doing things with my hands and making art. Oh, and Taekwondo!”

These kids have got it all figured out

“Kids are thinking the most about the environment, while adults are ruining the planet! We‘re trying to make our futures bright, but the adults are ruining it!”

Magical Music and Green Leaves

In conversation with breakout Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey Lín

Words: Yrsa Rún Gunnarsdóttir Images: Foundations Music/Supplied

Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir is a 23-yearold singer-songwriter who was born in Reykjavík but now lives in Los Angeles. A modern jazz musician, Laufey always wanted to be a singer, but when she was younger she didn’t believe it would happen as she was very shy.

Laufey began practising music at four- or five-years old when she started learning piano, and it only progressed from there. “Three years ago I released my first song, called ‘Street by Street,’” she told me when we spoke via video chat in March.

Asked what advice she would give others interested in becoming musicians, Laufey says you “need to love to sing and you need to first do something that’s close to your heart.” She says she draws inspiration just from life and being a young woman.

“I’m inspired by a lot of things, for example the books that I read or

voice, so I relate to that.” But Laufey’s favourite contemporary singer is Taylor Swift. “Even though our styles are very different, she is a very talented songwriter and she has been producing music for so many years. She has been a huge name for what, 15 years?!”

It’s fun to know that Laufey and I are both “Swifties,” meaning we’re big fans of Taylor Swift. I also learned we have many other things in common, like our favourite animals are rabbits and that we both love hot tubs.

As for her own music, Laufey’s favourite song she has written is “Fragile,” which she says she “associates with Iceland.” Asked who she most enjoys performing for, Laufey says, “I prefer singing to young people, but of course I also perform for adults.”

I asked her a bit about her new record that’s coming out and she tells me, “It’s very magical. The songs are just like my regular songs. I’m not changing

MUSIC Music News

Músíktilraunir, Once Again

It’s that time of year again, where young musicians are lauded for their dedication to crafting their work. Músíktilraunir is the annual battle of the bands competition, where 32 bands and artists demonstrate their ability spanning four semi-finals. Ultimately, 12 artists were chosen to clash in the finals, with one standing as the true winner of music. This year, alt-rockers Fókus were awarded first place. Hailing from Höfn í Hornafirði, in southeast Iceland, the all-female rock band demonstrated a unified and controlled stage presence, with a sound reminiscent of ‘90s alternative-rock and grunge. Second place went to techno-pop artist Torfi, and teen-pop band Dóra and Döðlurnar rounded out the top three.

INTERVIEW Stopping, Reflecting and Starting Again

Bríet reflects on her process to date and what comes next

Words: Lilja Bragadóttir & Esja Mae Fulton Aðalsteinsdóttir Images: Art Bicnick

On a drizzly day in Reykjavík, Lilja and Esja sat in the glass atrium in the building where the Grapevine is located and waited patiently for the

Winning Big At The Íslensku tónlistarverðlaunin

Originating in the 1960s, the Icelandic Music Awards have been held semiregularly over the past three decades. On March 22, musicians and their entourages filled Harpan to receive recognition for all the sweat, blood and tears they’ve poured into their work. Changes were made to many of the prize categories, resulting in a shorter awards list. Pop, hip-hop, rock, and electronic music genres were combined into one comprehensive category. In the same category, Guðlaug Sóley Höskuldsdóttir (gugusar) won Best Performer, Björk won Best Producer for her album Fossora, and many more awards bestowed to a total of 20 artists.

one and only Bríet to arrive for an interview.

The 24-year-old singer has taken Iceland by storm over the past few years, releasing her breakout album Kveðja, Bríet in 2020, picking up a bunch of Grapevine Music Awards and Icelandic Music Awards, and establishing herself as an icon. Her talent — and all round cool persona — hasn’t gone unnoticed by these young journalists, who have seen her perform over the years at their after school programme, in a stripped down concert in Eyrarbakki, and at an Iceland Airwaves off-venue performance, to name a few.

When Bríet swept into the building dressed as if she were ready to take the stage, it was time for the young journalists to get to work.

What inspires you to make music?

the environment gives me inspiration.

What is your favourite song apart from your songs?

and then I’m inspired again to finish it. It was maybe a bit difficult to write “Fimm” because it started a little differently. I thought it was going to be more of a dance song but then it started calling for a slower tempo so it was a bit difficult to finish it.

Do you play any instruments?

Yes, I play guitar and piano.

What is your favourite colour? White.

Right now it’s a song by Bob Dylan called “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”

What is your favourite song you made?

I go back and forth, depending on how I feel. But right now it’s “Sólblóm.”

What would you be if you weren’t a singer? I would be another kind of artist, like a painter or an actress.

What is your favourite food? Sushi.

What is your favourite sport?

I really enjoy watching handball, but

Iceland’s favourite experimental happening, Extreme Chill Festival announced their show dates earlier in April. The festival will take place September 21 - 24 in Reykjavík. The festival has always been open to changes, having been hosted all around Iceland and even in Berlin. This time around, it will take place across Gamla Bíó, Kex Hostel, Iðnó and Space Odyssey, with more venues to be announced. The festival aims to foster relationships between Icelandic and international musicians, with a focus on platforming a range of art forms, from experimental music to visual art. The full line-up as well as information on tickets will be announced May 5.

I get this question a lot and sometimes I really have to think about it a lot because there is no one thing — there are so many things. It can just be a conversation like just the three of us talking now and I hear something beautiful that you say that makes me want to write about. It can be some new feeling or some new experience that can inspire me. So everything in

You won some awards recently, what were they?

I won Singer of the Year, Performer of the Year and Song of the Year at the Hlustendaverðlaunin (Listener’s Choice Awards).

What was the hardest song to write?

When it gets difficult to write songs, I stop working on it and start working on something new — and it happens in every song. I go and make a new song and then I come back to the old one

if I were playing myself, then I don’t know. I think handball is very fun to watch. It’s the most fun sport.

Are you working on any new music?

Yes! Now I’m trying to compose in English and I’m going to make songs or an album or something. I don’t really know when it will be released but I’m currently writing full time.

“It can just be a conversation like just the three of us talking now and I hear something beautiful that you say that makes me want to write about.”

“When it gets difficult to write songs, I stop working on it and start working on something new — and it happens in every song.”

CENTRE map

The City Map presents a selection of restaurants, bars and shops that have been crowned “Best Of Reykjavík” in recent years.

Dining

1. Le Kock Tryggvagata 14

The craft burger OG has never been better. No one toasts potato buns to crisp perfection like they do, or cooks patties to such medium rare goodness. Everything is made from scratch, including the condiments! This is gourmet fast food, with all of the attention to detail and none of the sacrifice on fun and flavour.

2. Flatey Grandagarður 11

Educating a country beyond their diet of pizza-chain pies is no small feat, but that’s exactly what Flatey sought to do when they burst onto the scene, and for that we applaud them. The Margherita continues to be a panel favourite; who can argue with milky mozzarella and tomatoes?

3. Fine Rauðarárstígur 33

A panel favourite, Fine is a no nonsense, no frills, Sichuanese Chinese restaurant that steadfastly opens Reykjavík’s mind’s and palates to the regional cuisine. The Mala Chicken is a tingling explosion of flavour, literally, thanks to the sichuan peppercorn. For something simple yet exciting, we recommend the Hot and Sour Potatoes.

4. SONO matseljur Sæmundargata 11

Sono overlooks a wild-flower meadow and a spectacular view of the Reykjavík skyline. Languorous and idyllic, the menu too is shaped for slow savouring. The chefs look beyond Iceland for inspiration, while still showcasing seasonal, local produce in all its colourful glory. Foraged herbs, berries, fruits, stems, and flowers all feature on the menu, resulting in a fun affair that serves as a reminder that good vegan food goes beyond batter fried cauliflower.

5. Laundromat Austurstræti 9

Laundromat offers a cool ‘50’sdiner-meets-maximalist-library vibe, decorated with bright furnishings, maps and colour-coded books. It’s great for families in general, but teens in particular like the fun decor, burgers and milkshakes. We especially love their vocal support for breastfeeding, as well as the fact that you can actually do laundry here.

6. Deig Workshop Tryggvagata 14

Deig’s ‘poor man’s offer’ is as good as it gets on this abnormally expensive

island. For 1500 ISK, you can choose from a handmade bagel with a filling of your choice, any doughnut or pastry from their selection, and a simple drink (coffee, juice or kokomjölk, basically). Even better, they open at 7 a.m., and the offer is valid every weekday, for as long as the bakery is open.

7. Sushi Social Þingholtsstræti 5

If you are a group of friends looking for a fun night about town, Sushi Social is the place to be. The menu is ideal for sharing — although, who’d want to share something as delectable as langoustine tempura. Order one — or several — of those colourful drinks with names that recall a tropical holiday to make a fun night even more festive.

8. Sumac Grill & Drinks Laugavegur 28

Sumac is one of the few places that cooks lamb with none of that sous-vide nonsense. An unpretentious lamb rib, cooked on the grill, kissed with smoke and licked by flame is pretty hard to top. Sumac serves it with blistered grapes, fried almonds, a splash of thinned down muhammara and lentils. It’s a dish you can’t get enough of, and thankfully the restaurant hasn’t dared to take it off the menu.

9. Borg 29 Borgartún 29

This is one of the more comfortable food halls to be at, with a wide variety of choices to please most anyone.

“Almost every place makes small plates, which is excellent for sharing,” observed one panellist. She’s right, one can choose from sushi at Umami, to burgers at Yuzu, to grilled meats at Bál.

10. Fish Company Vesturgata 2a

For the definitive seafood experience in Reykjavík, you’d be hard pressed to find a better spot than Fiskfélagið. Their tasting menus are a great way to try the best Icelandic waters have to offer, from Atlantic cod served Japanese style, to harissa wolf-fish. The sushi platter makes for a great lunch while their fish of the day is usually a generous pan-fried dish with a luscious sauce.

11. Þrír Frakkar Baldursgata 14

This cosy, tucked-away restaurant has not let anything sway them from tradition — you’ll spot everything from foal, to blackbird, to cod throats to plokkfiskur on their menu. Opened in 1989, the restaurant has been run by chef Úlfar Eysteinsson and his family

ever since. A visit to this place underlines that good old-fashioned Icelandic cooking can be all kinds of memorable.

Drinking

12. Röntgen Hverfisgata 12

This place has it all. “It’s crazy how it’s continued to dominate the bar scene in Reykjavík,” one panellist raved. “But it’s just got so many elements.It works for every vibe, which is so rare for a bar.” Despite only appearing on the downtown scene a few years ago, the place has already cemented itself among the nightlife legends.

13. Jungle Cocktail Bar Austurstræti 9

“Jungle’s vibe naturally caters to an early night crowd. It’s stylish and airy, and, of course, they have the most innovative and delicious cocktails in the city,” enthused one panel member. The panel also praised the bar’s diversitynoting how attendees spanned all ages and demographics.

14. Kaffibarinn Bergstaðastræti 1

Let’s be real: there’s a reason that Kaffibarinn is still here and full of dedicated regulars. At night, you’ll find the crowd gets rowdy, the convos get interesting and the dance floor gets sweaty in the most wonderful way. “It’s the obvious choice,” said a panellist. “Who doesn’t have some crazy story from closing time in the smoking area at Kaffibarinn?”

15. Gaukurinn Tryggvagata 22

With dim lights, leather sofas, genderneutral bathrooms and free tampons, this bar/venue is the preferred hangout for the unorthodox Reykvíkingar. So if you’re looking for like-minded alt/ queer peeps, there you go. From heavy metal fests to quieter indie shows, this second floor haunt does it all.

16. Bravó Laugavegur 22

Bravó: a dark room with amber-toned light, simple furniture, and cosy bohemian pillows. Their happy hour — perhaps the most prolific in the city — starts at 12:00 everyday and lasts until 20:00. Located in the heart of Laugavegur, it’s also a prime peoplewatching spot.

17. Óðinstorg Óðinstorg

It’s decided: Óðinstorg is the best outdoor drinking spot in Reykjavík. The new square was previously a parking area, but is now an open, airy, designed-forthose-lazy-summer-days paradise. You have good sun, good seating, Snaps, and Bodega, and serious mainland European vibes.

18. Session Craft Bar Bankastræti 14

With its minimal appearance, stainless steel bar backed with dozens of taps and fridges full of beers canned and bottled, Session is a place that, while cosy enough, is made for serious craft heads. Whether you’re hankering for a lip-puckering gose, or an IPA packed with more flowers than a funeral, Session has got your back.

Klappið app

The official ticketing app for public buses in the Reykjavík capital area Search for "Klappid" in the App Store or on Google Play.

SKOTHÚSVEGUR

TRYGGVAGATA

AUSTURSTRÆTI

BANKASTR.

Skreið

Laugavegur 4

Brought to us by the fine folks behind Grapevine fave bar Röntgen, Skreið is a brand new bistro-bar-boutique featuring fine wine and delicious Basque-style tapas at affordable

Set in a beautiful old house on the last block of Laugavegur, you’ll find a killer restaurant on the top floor, a bar on the second floor, and a shop on the first floor selling fine products from the upper two. That’s the kind of trickle down we can get behind.

Gourmands rejoice!

Opening hours: Wednesday - Saturday 17:00-1:00

Kitchen closes at 22:00

NJARÐARGATA

Shopping

20. Yeoman

Laugavegur 7

2021 saw Yeoman being donned by international celebrities while also continuing her reign as the primary fashion tastemaker for Reykjavík women.“To talk about modern Icelandic style is to talk about Yeoman,” one panel member said.

NJARÐARGATA

GRETTISGATAFRAKKASTÍGUR

21. Lucky Records Rauðarástígur 10

NAUTHÓLSVEGUR

Lucky Records is the one-stop-shop for anything Icelandic music. They’ve got it all; new titles, CDs, rarities, vinyl, cassettes, second hand 12”, 7” sections, you name it! Notably, the store is very in touch with the local underground. Basically any Icelandic release — no matter how big or small — will be sold there, and trust and believe, their shopkeepers will know them inside and out.

22. Hringekjan

Þórunnartún 2

Similar to a consignment shop, Hringekjan is a space where people can rent out spaces to sell their own clothes and accessories. It’s the most eco-friendly way to keep your closet fresh, which, in ligh t of our current world, is something we should all be thinking about. “I don’t know how they get such chic people to sell their clothes there,” laughed one panel member. If you want something groovy this is the place to go.”

between studio and store, functioning as both the designers’ workspace, as well as the place where one can purchase their wares.

24. Húrra Reykjavík

Hverfisgata 18a

Húrra Reykjavík has changed the game of Reykjavík fashion in a matter of years. They offer a la mode streetwear like Stussy, Champion and Adidas, and by doing so they’ve created a fashion frenzy. Trump might not have “made America great again,” but Húrra Reykjavík has made local streetwear great

Events

Concerts, comedy, movies and a bunch of stuff that defies categorization (and sometimes logic)

Friday, April 14

Friday Night Party

Screening: Pulp Fiction

21:00 Bíó Paradís

StripLab Event

20:00 Gaukurinn

Ice land Sym phony’s

Open Re hears als

10:00 Harpa - Eldborg

An na , Si belius & Ts ja jkovskíj

19:30 Harpa - Eldborg

russian.girls, In3dee, Slummi & Skúlagata DJs

21:00 Húrra

The Boob Sweat Gang, Gróa, SagaB, Sigga Ósk & Róshildur

20:00 KEX Hostel

Open Lab

15:00 Listaháskóli Íslands

P.J. Fossum, Ása Ólafsdóttir & Ana Luisa Díaz de Cossío

20:00 Mengi

Þórir Georg - Nokkur góð

Album Release Show

16:30 Reykjavík Record

Shop

Saturday, April 15

Gallerí Svigrúm

Exhibition Opening Party

19:00 12 Tónar

Ezeo DJ Set

21:00 Bravó

Solaris Fundraiser:

Páll Óskar, Ásgeir Trausti, GDRN & More

20:00 Bryggjan Brugghús

GGGGGGG

20:00 Gaukurinn

ABBA Tribute Show

21:00 Harpa - Eldborg

80s Partý!

20:30 Harpa - Norðurljós

Volcanova, Múr & Ultra Magnús

20:00 Húrra

MUSIC PICKS

Babies Ball 21:00 KEX Hostel

Ríkharður H. Friðriksson & Hugo Palmsköld

20:00 Mengi

Sunday, April 16

Black Sunday Screening: THX 1138

21:00 Bíó Paradís

Sunday Club 21:00 Bravó

Garvin JohnsonReggae Concert

20:00 Gaukurinn

Tommy Emmanuel

20:00 Harpa - Silfurberg

Theremin Workshop for Kids

13:00 Mengi

Go Afternoon Meetup

12:00 Spilavinir Spilakaffi

Trans Ísland Music Workshop

18:00 Stúdentakjallarinn

Monday, April 17

“Bring The Laughs” Comedy Night 20:30 Gaukurinn

Feima + Salóme Katrín 20:00 Harpa - Flói

Monday Jazz 19:30 Le KocK

Magic the Gathering Commander Meetup

19:00 Spilavinir Spilakaffi

Tuesday, April 18

Karaoke Night 20:00 Gaukurinn

Wednesday, April 19

Supersport!, BSÍ & BKPM

19:00 12 Tónar

TTT DJ Set 21:00 Bravó

Velvet Villain

20:00 Gaukurinn

KK, Pálmi & Maggi Eiríks

20:30 Háskólabíó

DJ Óli Dóri

20:00 KEX Hostel

Summer Lovin’

Burlesque Show

19:00 Kiki Queer Bar

Sit Down, Shut Up, There’ll be Jokes

20:00 Loft Hostel

Sölvi/Hilmar/Magnús

20:00 Mulinn Jazz Club

Thursday, April 20

Fringe Festival

Warmup Show

20:00 Gaukurinn

Big Bang Kids Festival

11:00 Harpa

DJ Psychotic Símon

20:00 KEX Hostel

Lottó, Afterparty Angel & Final Boss Type Zero

18:00 R6013

Role-Play Evening

18:00 Spilavinir Spilakaffi

Harmony - FWD Youth Company

18:00 & 20:00 Tjarnabíó

Friday, April 21

Friday Night Party

Screening: The Babadook

21:00 Bíó Paradís

Daniil - 600

Album Release Show

20:00 Gamla Bíó

InZeros

20:00 Gaukurinn

DJ Andre

20:00 KEX Hostel

Pub Quiz

19:00 Spilavinir Spilakaffi

Saturday, April 22

KR Bear

21:00 Bravó

Wacken Metal Battle 2023

20:00 Gaukurinn

Jón Ólafs

Anniversary Show

20:00 Harpa - Eldborg

Ólafur Kram:

EKKI TREYSTA FISKUNUM

Album Release Show 19:30 Húrra

Sunday, April 23

Singer-Songwriter Night

Go Afternoon Meetup

12:00 Spilavinir Spilakaffi

Djöfulsins snillingur

20:30 Tjarnabíó

Monday, April 24

StripLab Event

20:00 Gaukurinn

Magic the Gathering Commander Meetup

18:00 Spilavinir Spilakaffi

Tuesday, April 25

Karaoke Night

20:00 Gaukurinn

Wednesday, April 26

Eternal Roots Soundsystem

21:00 Bravó

Prins Póló Birthday Memorial Show

19:30 Gamla Bíó

Comedy Night:

Mekkin Roff

20:00 Gaukurinn

Lukas Graham

20:00 Harpa - Silfurberg

Poney Moon

20:00 Mulinn Jazz Club

Thursday, April 27

After Eight: Elísabet & Día

21:00 Bravó

Reykjavík Queer Choir

20:00 Fríkirkjan

Prins Póló

Birthday Memorial Show

19:30 Gamla Bíó

Tragically Unknown

20:00 Gaukurinn

Oyama, Andy Svarthol & Lottó

21:00 KEX Hostel

RIKK Lecture Series: Challenging Coloniality in Higher Education

12:00 National Museum of Iceland

Carcassonne Tournament

18:00 Spilavinir Spilakaffi

Friday, April 28

Friday Night Party Screening: Singing In The Rain

21:00 Bíó Paradís

Karaoke Party

20:00 Gaukurinn

Sicknee’s, Flesh Machine, Sucks to be you Nigel & Diamond Dolls

20:00 KEX Hostel

Backstreet Boys

20:00 Laugardalshöll

Vilde Tuv (NOR) & Morita Vargas (ARG)

20:00 Mengi

Saturday, April 29

Jamesen

88 Keys of Magnús

Magnús Jóhann Concert Festival

April 20 – 23, Mengi

Virtuoso pianist-composer Magnús Jóhann has been synonymous with quality music since his teens, sought out by great musicians to contribute his talents, and then stepped into his own solo spotlight. Now Magnús brings his best to hosting his own Piano Festival, featuring many of his beloved collaborators and also performing a grand solo show. RX

Metal vs. Metal

Wacken Metal Battle 2023

April 22, Gaukurinn

The Wacken Metal Battle has long been the pinnacle of achievement and validation for metal bands in Iceland, as the winners are sent to Wacken Open Air, the world’s biggest metal festival. Former battle winners Une Misère and Múr will headline, while six bands will go axe to axe for the grand prize. Do some neck rolls, get ready to slam. RX

21:00 Bravó

Adele Tribute Show

21:00 Harpa - Silfurberg

Móri & Afkvæmi Guðanna

21:00 KEX Hostel

Sunday, April 30

Valdimar 20:00 Bæjarbíó

Sunday Club 21:00 Bravó

Laura Secord, Sucks to be you Nigel & Morita Vargas (ARG)

18:00 R6013

Go Afternoon Meetup 12:00 Spilavinir Spilakaffi

Lalli Magic Show

12:00 & 14:00 Tjarnabíó

Monday, May 1

ArtBeat Festival 10:30 IÐNÓ

Magic the Gathering Commander Meetup

18:00 Spilavinir Spilakaffi

Tuesday, May 2

ArtBeat Festival 10:30 IÐNÓ

Wednesday, May 3

DesignTalks 2023

9:00 Harpa - Silfurberg

ArtBeat Festival 10:30 IÐNÓ

Davíð Þór & Eyþór Gunnarsson

20:00 Múlinn Jazz Club

Thursday, May 4

Hausar DJ Set 21:00 Bravó

Jethro Tull

20:00 Harpa - Eldborg

ArtBeat Festival 10:30 IÐNÓ

RIKK Lecture Series: Looking in the Mirror to Find the Future

12:00 National Museum of Iceland

community that he built will celebrate his greatness and his legacy

LISTINGS

Art Exhibitions

Gallery openings, happenings, showings and pop-up exhibitions all around the capital region

If You Want To Destroy My Sweater

Ýrúrarí - Nærvera (Presence)

April 28 – August 27, Museum Of Design & Applied Art

Textile designer Ýr Jóhannsdóttir has been creating delightfully bizarre and unique knit works under the name Ýrúrarí since 2012. In her first major solo exhibition, Ýrúrarí’s experiments with recycled unsalable sweaters become playground and laboratory, displaying her work and her actively working on a massive, growing piece of knit-art over the coming months. RX

Gallerí Fold

OPENING

Höggmyndagarðurinn

Loungæ

Sculpture.

Artists Hlökk Þrastardóttir & Sindri Leifsson envision the term "lounge" as sitting rooms, especially in hotels or offices, but also in the sense of hanging out.

Opens April 15

Runs until April 29

ONGOING

Ásmundarsalur

Helga Sif Guðmundsdóttir:

Reflection

Light-sensitive artworks

Runs until April 25

Yelena Arakelow: Waiting for a Dance Sound installation

Runs until April 25

Emma Heiðarsdóttir:

Light Switch Sculpture

Runs until April 27

Ásmundarsafn

Ásmundur Sveinsson & Sigga Björg:

Breath on a Window

Sculpture and multimedia

Runs until May 7

Ásmundur Sveinsson & Carl Milles

Sculpture

Runs until May 21

BERG Contemporary

Hekla Dögg Jónsdóttir:

Schemes

Large-scale paper installations

Runs until April 22

Café Pysja

Eggið, vængir & kanína

Sculpture and installation

Runs through April

Einar Jónsson Museum

Einar Jónsson:

Sculpture Works & Garden

Sculpture

Permanent exhibition

Tóta Forever

House of Van Helzing

April 15 – 23, Slökkvistöðin

People, They Ain’t No Goo

Egill Logi Jónasson - We are bad people. I’m a bad person.

April 13 – 29, Portfolio Galler

To The Lighthous

15 nautical miles

April 22 – 29, Gróttuviti, Seltjarnarnes

Entering the exhibition

The House of Van Helzing, is entering the world of an artist in practice. Balls of yarn in plastic boxes, unfinished works of wearable art. Tóta Van Helzing sadly passed away in December 2021, but the unique works of textile art that she made in her 31 years live on in a world of their own. RX

Þórunn Bára Björnsdóttir:

Foldarskart

Paintings

Runs until April 15

Gallerí Göng

Aldís Ívarsdóttir:

Colourblind

Paintings

Runs until through April

Gallery Grásteinn

Gerardus Marie

Groenemeijer: Broken

Stones Paintings

Runs until April 27

Gallerí Grótta

Elín Þóra Rafnsdóttir:

Samofið

Paintings

Runs until April 15

Gallerí Listval Eva Schram: When the Light Dies

Photography Runs until May 3

Gallery Port

Halldór Sturluson: Surface Paper works Runs until April 20

Berglind Erna Tryggvadót-

tir: Tvöfaldur dessert

Mixed media

Runs until April 20

Gallerí Skilti

Helgi Hjaltalín Eyjólfsson:

Þið öll

Photographic representa-

tions

Runs until June 15

Gallerí Undirgöng

Helgi Hjaltalín & Pétur Örn:

Markmið XVI

Photography

Runs until June 15

Gerðarsafn (Kópavogur Art Museum)

Tracing Fragments Group exhibition, mixed media

Runs until May 21

Glerhúsið

Einar Garibaldi Eiríksson: Reykjavík / A Guide

Installation Runs until June 11

Hafnarborg Center of Culture and Fine Art

Uncanny Virtuality

Digital art, mixed media

Runs until May 29

Jóhann Vilhjálmsson: Written Images

Drawings

Runs until May 29

Hafnarhús

D-47 Logi Leó Gunnarsson

Mixed media, installation Runs until May 7

Kaleidoscope –International Collection

Multidisciplinary, select works from permanent collection

Runs until May 7

Erró: Freehand

Erró’s early freehand works meet his later collage-based works

Runs until May 31

Erró: Cunning Scissors Works spanning the entirety of Erró’s vibrant art

career Runs until December 31

Harpa Circuleight

Mixed media installation Runs until April 30

i8 Gallery

Lawrence Weiner & Birgir

Andrésson: Part I

Installation, sculpture, painting, and work on paper Runs until May 13

i8 Grandi

B. Ingrid Olson: Cast of Mind

Installation, mixed media

Runs until December 20

Kling og Bang

The Magical Home Installation, mixed media

Runs until April 22

He may be a bad person, but he’s a good artist. The visual world of Egill Logi Jónasson, aka Drengurinn fengurinn, is like an adult-animation about going on a wild bender. The collection of paintings are bold and vibrant yet somewhat grotesque, full of playfulness and horror, much like life at its best. And worst. RX

Kjarvalstaðir

Kaleidoscope: Icelandic 20th Century Art Paintings, sketches, drafts, and more

Runs until August 7

Mosfellsbær Art Gallery

Rósa Traustadóttir: Áhrifavaldur = shinrin yoku

Paintings

Runs until April 15

Museum of Design and Applied Arts

Designer in residency: Ada Stańczak Ceramic designer working with materials like clay, lava, stone, and soil Runs until May 14

At Home in the Design Museum

Design, blueprints and installation

Runs until 2026

National Gallery of Iceland

The Private Collection

Live cataloguing and exhi bition of mixed media Runs until May 7

Forty Years of The Corridor Fortieth anniversary exhibition of The Corridor

exhibition space Runs until June 4

Rúrí: Glassrain Installation

Runs until September 17

Nordic House HOW DID I GET TO THE BOMBSHELTER Multidisciplinary group exhibition

Runs until May 14

Nýlistasafnið

Amanda Riffo: House of Purkinje Installation, mixed media Runs until April 30

Phenomenon Gallery

Brynjar Helgason: Phenomenology Mixed media Runs until April 30

Reykjavík Museum of Photography

Christopher Taylor: Presence

Photography Runs until April 23

Jón Helgi Pálmason: As the Image Fades

Photography

Runs until April 23

This group exhibition at the iconic Grótta lighthouse is a site-specific show with works that honour the famous beacon through many artistic forms — video works, installations, text, performance, and more. Through process-oriented collaboration, they shed light on forgotten stories, the hidden life, and the symbolic meaning of the place. RX

Sigurjón Ólafsson

Museum

The Gift of Children

Paintings

Runs until Autumn 2023

From Various Sources

Sculpture

Runs until Autumn 2023

Sumac Restaurant

Augnablikin:

Leiðarvísir Augnablika

Photography and Paintings

Permanent exhibition

Þula

Maria Wandel: Not Keeping Journal

Paintings

Runs until April 15

Sigga Björg

“One of Must-See Exhibitions in Scandinavia 2023” according to Vogue Magazine

First Place In Our Hearts

Krakkaveldi gives 12 points to Celebs

Words: Margrét Aðalgeirsdóttir, Sóley Hulda Nielsen Viðarsdóttir & Borghildur Lukka Kolbeinsdóttir

Images: Art Bicnick

Though it’s Diljá’s “Power” that will rep Iceland at Eurovision this year, another band won the hearts of three young journalists. Margrét, Sóley and Borghildur picked the brains of siblings Valgeir Skorri Vernharðsson and Katla Vigdís Vernharðsdóttir from the band Celebs.

How did you decide to participate in Söngvakeppnin?

Valgeir: Last summer we were playing in the Westfjords when my brother Hrafnkell started talking about the idea of participating. He didn’t think we’d like the idea but we thought it was a great.

Katla: There we met a man who controls everything in RÚV’s programming, which cartoons are played and everything, and he told us to participate. He was thinking about it, we were thinking about it, so everything clicked together.

What do you think is your most impressive song you’ve made?

Katla: I would probably say “Doomsday Dancing” (their Eurovision submission) because we wrote it in a fun way. We were all together and we thought so much about every part of the song, which was kind of fun, to always be improving and practising this much.

Are you writing any new songs?

Katla: Yes, we wrote a new song the other day which we’re going to release, maybe we’ll do a video too. Aren’t you excited?

Margrét, Sóley & Borghildur: YES!

Why is the band called Celebs?

Katla: We were joking around about the fact that we live in such a small town where everybody knows each other. There are maybe 300 people in Suðureyri — your school has probably more kids than residents there. So when we started a band and somebody wrote an article about us, we became a bit famous in our tiny village.

Valgeir: In Suðureyri, everybody knows everybody, so technically everyone is a bit famous there.

Where is the party monster?

Katla: We’re not sure! The party monster showed up out of nowhere and we didn’t have a clue who the monster was. Then we got chatting and it said it lived in Iceland and we asked it if it wanted to join us onstage.

The girls: We don’t believe you.

Valgeir (laughing): You don’t? We’re going to try and play a bit next summer and if we see you at the show we can introduce you!

EUROVISION

Embracing Her Power

We caught up with Diljá before she conquers Liverpool

Words: Jakobína Lóa Sverrisdóttir & Nína Marín Andradóttir Images: Supplied

Diljá is a 21-year-old singer from Kópavogur who will be representing Iceland at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. She has one brother; asks for raspberries, salty licorice flakes, and cookie dough in her bragðarefur; and can listen to the Polish Eurovision contribution from 2022 on repeat.

What is most exciting about participating in Eurovision?

It’s probably the opportunity, knowing that so many will listen to me and see what I’m doing.

Are you nervous about performing for this many people?

Not a bit. I think I’ve finished my share of stress for my lifetime. I’ve stopped experiencing stress. I took it all out in one go some time ago and now I can always see the positive side of things. Of course, I realised I was nervous and never did anything to help me but I never had control of it and somehow, all of a sudden, I’ve managed to control it and can shut the anxiety off because I know it’s just going to ruin things for

when it was announced, it swept over me that it couldn’t be happening and I needed to wake up. I’ve often dreamt these types of dreams and then wake up and realise it was “one of those”. I lost complete sense of reality for the next few days. I’m even still feeling a certain high over it all.

Eurovision songs. If it’s enough that the song is written for the purpose of entering Eurovision, even though it doesn’t move forward, then my favourite is “Statements” by Loreen. It competed in the 2017 Melodifestival, but didn’t get through to Eurovision. But my favourite Eurovision song that actually entered the competition is

me and others.

What was your favourite Eurovision song from last year?

Probably Sweden, “Hold me Closer” by Cornelia Jakobs. I thought it was fabulous.

What was your initial thought or reaction when you were announced as the winner of Söngvakeppnin? It was 100% the feeling that this couldn’t be happening for real. I always believed it could happen but

Was your song written in Icelandic or English?

It was originally written in English and I like it better that way. Then we wrote the Icelandic lyrics in three days before the deadline. There was a bit of a time pressure around that.

What’s your favourite Eurovision song of all time?

It depends on what you define as

“Amar Pelos Dois” by Salvador Sobral, which won in 2017.

But finally: It’s been your dream since you were a kid to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. Do you have any advice for people or kids who want to make their dreams come true?

Yes, it’s just about continuing doing what you do. For a person who’s anxiety-ridden, like I was, it was extremely difficult at times but I was determined in not allowing my shadows to stand in the way of what I actually wanted to do. So really, no matter how scary your dream seems, if you don’t want

“It was extremely difficult at times but I was determined in not allowing my shadows to stand in the way of what I actually wanted to do.’”

“I lost complete sense of reality for the next few days. I’m even still feeling a certain high over it all.’”

Nokkur Góð

Ten Years of Sonic Supremacy

Words: Jóhannes Bjarkason & Þórir Georg

Image: Supplied by Þórir Georg

Þórir Georg is a name that needs no introduction to avid followers of the Icelandic music scene. A prolific artist spanning multiple genres and decades, Þórir has championed the indie-rock and hardcore scene for years, developing a cult following.

Þórir’s Nokkur Góð (A Few Good Ones, in English) is his first of at least two releases this year. With plans to also drop a black metal album under the stage moniker Óreiða in May, one wonders how many hours are in Þórir’s day.

Nokkur Góð is a compilation of songs recorded between 2009 and 2019, originally released by independent labels. Þórir’s lo-fi production and soundscape work excellently within the indie-rock, pop and punk framework of his music. Reykjavík Record Shop released 250 copies of the album on vinyl on April 14. Þórir Georg had a few words to say about the album’s songs.

Ten Years

Originally released on the I am the

obviously a dumb play on the Queen song title “We Are The Champions”. I always thought it was incredibly funny to be a band and write a song called “We Are The Champions” and I wanted to reference that somehow. The song references a song from my first solo album that was released 11 years prior to this EP. As the name of the song perhaps implies though, it was written a year before the EP got released.

Idiot Song

A song from an album of mine called Ræfill. The lyrics are about how frustrating I find most public discourse of art here in Iceland a lot of the time.

Fastur

The most recently released song on this compilation. Only released digitally as a single. “Fastur” translates as “stuck” and the chorus alludes to being stuck inside your own head — something I felt like I struggled with a lot. Turns out I’m just autistic.

Skiptir Engu

From my album Janúar ; an album that

nihilism. The name of the song translates as “It doesn’t matter”.

Ælulykt

The smell of vomit. My ode to Reykjavík nightlife as a perpetually sober person. From the EP of the same name.

Greifarnir

Greifarnir are a legendary Icelandic pop group from my hometown of Húsavík. I particularly recommend their 1987 banger “Þyrnirós.” Another choice pick from my album Ræfill

Segðu Bless

From the Ælulykt EP. Like a lot of my songs, it’s about having a hard time dealing with reality.

Hunger

A song I had forgotten all about. It was released on a compilation of Icelandic artists called Iceland Whatever. I found it going through an old hard drive and you know what, it’s pretty good.

Ekki Neitt

Another song from the nihilistic Janúar. The title translates as “nothing.” Figures.

Years and Years

The only song on here from my album Pantophobic. It perhaps has a mellower vibe than most songs on the album, but I felt it fits. Pantophobia is the fear of everything.

Ask Yourself

The first song off of my album Ræfill We tend to feel a lot of things and have a lot of opinions without ever questioning them. I think it’s healthy for everyone to second-guess themselves once in a while.

Never Ever

Another song from the I am the champions EP. It’s about having a constant stream of music playing in your head at all times. Some of it’s made up, and some of it is music you’ve heard somewhere. Some of it is good, and a lot of it bad. But I wouldn’t want it any other way. This song is a bit of a banger, but then again, all 12 songs are.

TRACK BY TRACK

Current Kids, Future Musicians

The Upbeat’s role in fostering children’s creativity

Near Reykjavík harbour stands Harpa, the crown jewel of Icelandic culture and music. Concerts, conferences, parties  you name it, Harpa does it all. It’s a grand concert hall, home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Icelandic Opera and various other musical endeavours, including the children’s creative prize Upptakturinn, or The Upbeat.

Every year, in celebration of the Children’s Culture Festival of Reykjavík, about a dozen kids premiere a musical composition within Harpa’s opulent walls. Although, if you were to stumble

Bending the rules

into the concert without any prior knowledge of the festival, you’d probably think the pieces were composed by full-fledged, tax-paying adults.

Kids in grades five through 10 are encouraged to apply with their own musical ideas. If shortlisted, they compose their piece in collaboration with professional musicians, who help polish and refine their work. Students from the Icelandic University of Arts (LHÍ) ultimately perform the pieces with an assist from some of the country’s most famous performing artists — think Bríet, GDRN or Jónas Sig.

As project manager of the Upbeat, Elfa Lilja Gísladóttir has worked diligently, developing the project since its inception in 2012. Upon meeting at her office, Elfa was preparing an evening of activities with this year’s young participants, which include a photo shoot. “You’re more than welcome to come,” she told me. I was grateful for the offer, but our in-house photographer was busy and I couldn’t operate a camera to save my life.

The Upbeat was originally the brainchild of opera director Steinunn Birna Ragnarsdóttir, who saw an opportu-

nity to diversify the music landscape through encouraging collaboration between Harpa, Reykjavík Music City, RÚV and the LHÍ. “I want to emphasise that it’s important to maintain this collaboration, not to be an island, because the more professionals that participate, the stronger and deeper roots these pieces acquire.”

In addition to this collaboration, the Upbeat also cooperates with cultural institutions in other parts of the country. “The northeastern region has their own Upbeat in Akureyri. The east region does activity programmes in the fall, which we then select one from to produce in the Reykjavík Upbeat. We’ve also had kids from the west, which is not an official partner. But Harpa is the cultural centre of all the country’s kids, so we’ve decided to not be fixed on the rules. [We] bend the rules so the child enjoys the benefit of the doubt. The other stuff is just formalities that the grown-ups need to figure out.”

A child all grown up

Through the ongoing development of the project, the Upbeat has experienced a transformation of its status in the Icelandic music scene. “We started this project with very limited funds and by volunteering a lot of our time,” Elfa explains. “We decided very early to try something new each time, so little by little, the Upbeat has grown. We’ve stopped being the youngest child and have started directly affecting the Icelandic music scene.”

“These kids have this amazing experience and many of them continue to do great things in the music industry,” Elfa says, emphasising the scope of the project’s supporters. “All of our collaborators are tremendously important, and Harpa manages the group beautifully. We’ve also enjoyed neverending support from musicians.”

Talking about the futures of the Upbeat’s participants, Elfa mentions that many of the past participants are now grown up and continue to help the project, either as performers, composers, or instrumentalists. “I call them our Upbeat kids.”

Past participants include Guðlaug Sóley Höskuldsdóttir, stage name gugusar, who received the Best Performer of the Year Award at the

Icelandic Music Awards last March. “Gugusar wrote one of her first musical works in the Upbeat. So it’s fun to experience this development. When we showed up we were the little kid, but now we have grown up and are following these individuals, proud to have been able to give them the support they needed,” Elfa says.

The selection committee consists of a panel of renowned musicians Ragnhildur Gísladóttir, Unnsteinn Manuel, Tryggvi M. Baldvinsson, and Ása Dýradóttir. “They bring all their specialities and backgrounds to the table, with endless respect for the kids. That’s what I cherish,” Elfa adds.

Music that provokes

While Harpa seems like an intimidating venue in which to take your first steps in music, Elfa sees it as the kids’ right. “It’s often said that children inherit the land. Of course they will, but 25% of the Icelandic population are children aged 18 years old and below. It’s their right to be able to enjoy culture and arts, just like adults. At the same time, it’s the grown-ups who control this ship. We must be conscious of increasing accessibility for the kids. No child knocks at Harpa and asks, ‘Are you going to perform my music?’ So, with all our wisdom and experience, we need to open those doors and provide children with access.”

Asked about participation, Elfa says that the number of applicants varies between years. This year, approximately 70 children applied. The most it’s seen is 90. “I’m certain that we are reaching the kids that are interested. Some are interested in sports, others in visual arts. Here we are giving a platform to children who are playing and working with music. A lot of them come from school bands and music schools, but we’re also reaching out to kids through afterschool programs and youth centres. We’ve even received applications from people who’ve never touched an instrument in their life. There’s no requirement for musical knowledge. Of course, children who come from a musical background have an edge in terms of tools and resources. But that’s not necessary for success. The committee is looking for something new, something creative. Music that provokes.”

Words: Jóhannes Bjarkason Images: Anna Fjóla Gísladóttir

“No child knocks at Harpa and asks, ‘Are you going to perform my music?’”

Accessibility and opportunity

Speaking about accessibility, according to figures from Statistics Iceland, approximately 15% of students in Icelandic primary schools are not native Icelandic speakers. Going into the interview, I wanted to know more about what is done to encourage the participation of those children. “It’s something that we are aware of. Just today, I was figuring out how to arrange communications with a child’s family that speaks neither Icelandic nor English. It involves a great deal of cooperation between different parties. Children come in on their own terms, but it’s also imperative for teachers, after-school workers, music teachers and family members to participate in this journey with the child. We’ve had many children from an international background partici-

Music) Awards last year. Subsequently, compositions from four Upbeat participants were chosen to be performed by the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong,” she proudly told me as she opened up the orchestra’s webpage. “This is how the Upbeat projects are able to have a future of their own.”

The Upbeat will be held on April 18 as part of the opening Ceremony of the Children’s Culture Festival of Reykjavík.

Send Your Stuffies On The Adventure Of Their Lives

A new travel agency gives beloved teddy bears a chance to experience Iceland

Words: Catharine Fulton Images: Stock

We’ve heard of a teddy bear hospital. We’ve attended a teddy bear picnic or two in our day. But a teddy travel agency was new to us. So when it came to our attention that

Kidarchy participant Jakob Friðrik Jakobsson had launched a new business providing oncein-a-lifetime travel experiences to teddy bears

from around the world, we were intrigued.

To those who know Jakob, a teddy-themed business idea didn’t come as a surprise. The adults behind Kidarchy tell me the 11-year old is seldom seen without a favourite stuffy in tow. It turns out the reason for that is quite simple, as Jakob

pate before, which is just fantastic.”

Elfa reiterates that the whole selection process is anonymous, and judges select participants based on their musical and creative talents, as opposed to potential biassing factors.

As a testament to the Upbeat’s success, right after our interview, Elfa was preparing to meet with the consul of Hong Kong. “We won the international YAM (Young Audiences

explains, “teddies are very likeable and cute.”

It all began with an idea

Jakob got the idea for starting a teddy travel agency from a cousin who thought it would be a fun idea, as well as from his own lifelong love of taking his own beloved stuffed animals on trips — their favourite place to go is on airplanes and to London to visit Hamleys and Build-A-Bear. We can only assume Jakob’s parents are happy to pay for extra baggage allowance because the young entrepreneur tells us “my bags are full of teddies” when he travels.

Motivation aside, what is a teddy travel agency?

On his Facebook page “Teddy Travel Iceland.”

Jakob explains that it’s a one-of-a-kind travel agency for teddy bears and other soft friends of yours.” He explains that, as an avid collector and lover of stuffed animals, he will take the best of care of any stuffies entrusted to his care,

shuttling them around to the hottest spot in Reykjavík, like Hallgrímskirkja, Tjörnin pond, galleries and exhibitions, cafes and restaurants, and more. They may even get a peek at the Icelandic education system by following young Jakob to school.

How it all works

Once arrangements have been made with the teddy bear connoisseur, customers simply have to ship their beloved bear to Reykjavík, where it will be toured around town, put up at night in its own bed and maybe even make friends with Jakob’s favourite teddy Minta, a green bear who wears reading glasses. Jakob will send photos of his guests’ adventures back to their owners and, after a few days, carefully pack them back up to return home with great new life experiences.

Just think, for the cost of postage your beloved stuffed bear, cat, bunny or platypus can become a bonafide world traveller. Act now and you might even be Jakob’s first customer — hey, everybody’s got to start somewhere.

“[We] bend the rules so the child enjoys the benefit of the doubt. The other stuff is just formalities that the grown-ups need to figure out.”

A Cross-Country Comedy (a.k.a. Skiing)

There are a few things that don’t go together: pineapple and pizza, crying babies and airplanes, me and sports. I’ve always struggled to find a sport I could truly enjoy for the longterm. I’ve dabbled in jogging, badminton, snowboarding and even surfing, but nothing ever quite sticks. When I came across an advertisement for a cross-country skiing course in Ísafjörður, I promised myself: “This is the one I’m trying next.” A few months later, amidst sub-zero temperatures in Iceland, I teamed up with a rather hesitant colleague, and embarked on a journey up north to learn how to (crosscountry) ski.

Cross-country skiing 101

The first thing you need to know about cross-country skiing is that you can forget everything you know about downhill skiing. Despite looking like you’re taking a casual stroll in hilariously long clown shoes, cross-country skiing is actually a full-body workout that engages a number of muscles. The skills and techniques are totally different. Consider it a boot camp for your body. It’s really hard, ok? Don’t pretend I didn’t warn you.

Now that you’re prepared to challenge your body and soul, let’s talk about other essentials: clothing and shoes. Ditch your snow jacket and pants, and opt for lightweight puffer jackets and

wool leggings. Remember that you’re in Iceland, and the weather is and will be unpredictable, so having multiple layers of clothing is key. A significant benefit is that cross-country skiing shoes are actually comfy. According to my colleague, they’re “too comfortable” — as an alpine skier, she was confused by the unseen before feet flexibility.

Ready, set, ski

When it comes to cross-country skiing in Iceland, there are multiple options. But this time, we’re interested in the country’s best cross-country skiing area, famed for the annual international cross-country skiing race Fossavatnsgangan — Seljalandsdalur, in Ísafjörður. My publisher reassures me that once I call myself a pro, I can aim for the five-day cross-country ski trail in Landmannalaugar. (I abandon this dream very soon).

The largest town in Iceland’s least populated area, the Westfjords, lies 419 km from the capital. According to Google Maps, it takes over five hours to get to Ísafjörður from Reykjavík by car. If you opt for driving, be prepared to spend more time behind the wheel — you’ll find lots of steep, curvy roads on your way that can be challenging to navigate. Don’t get fooled by one sunny day in the south — up north, it’s still windy and snowy, with some areas being in danger of avalanches. Another option, though considerably more pricey, is to fly. There are direct flights from Reykjavík Airport to Ísafjörður twice a day. This is the option we chose — and trust me, there aren’t many things more satisfying than showing up at the airport less than an hour before departure, and still having time for a coffee and a snack. Fast forward 35 minutes, and a sturdy

Icelandair 20-seater plane lands in the Westfjords. Our adventure is soon to begin!

Life in hibernation

On the day of arrival, the first ski training was scheduled for the evening, so we had some time to kill. It didn’t take long to realise that Ísafjörður in winter is practically deserted.

We aimlessly wandered around town, stumbling into ‘Closed for winter’ signs in almost every sightseeing spot we wanted to visit. At some point, we thought about checking out the local pool, but were quickly discouraged by some of the fellow ski course participants — ‘The pool is much better in Bolungarvík.’ Having no car on this trip, we couldn’t prove this claim and eventually ended at Heimabyggð, the cosiest little coffee house that also serves small bites, soup and a dish of the day (also, one of the few places open off-season). By sheer coincidence, we also visited the local Heritage Museum. Of course, it was closed at the time, but our ski instructor, who also works at the local information center simply handed us the keys. (This only proves my theory that everyone in Iceland either has more than one job, or they’re lying.)

Once it was time to go, the hotel’s reliable driver, Sófus, arrived to take us to the ski area. Before we could start skiing, we had to choose the appropriate equipment. While most of our group had brought their own crosscountry skis, we were not as prepared. Half an hour later, with the assistance of the friendly ski area staff, we were ready to hit the slopes.

We went to Ísafjörður to master cross-country skiing, but successfully failed

Words: Iryna Zubenko Images: Gitte Van der Meersch

“The first time you try walking in cross-country skis, it can feel like being a baby giraffe taking its first steps.”

“It’s all about the balance,” says our ski

“Pure magic! Once you need to go uphill, things get trickier.”

HOT TAKES

Nine Fun Experiences in Reykjavík

This 14-year-old knows all the best stuff to see and do

Words: Magnús Sigurður Jónasson Images: Art Bicnick

So you’re new to Reykjavík and you’re not sure where to eat, what to see or places to go?

Maggi’s got you covered. Here are his top picks for an amazing time in Iceland’s only city.

Arabian Taste

It’s some of if not the best place to get food in Reykjavík. It is Syrian cuisine and has some amazing dishes. It’s open long into the night too so if you are coming straight from a flight you could probably catch a bite there. Personal favourites are the falafel wraps and arayes chicken.

Improv Ísland

A comedy event in Reykjavík held at þjóðleikhúsið every Wednesday. Iceland’s up and coming comedians come together to improvise funny sketches. Every show is completely improvised so you can go as many times as you want.

Sundhöllin

This is the best swimming pool in Reykjavík. It has a cosy indoor pool with a high diving platform, though I should note that the diving platform isn’t always open. The pool also has

four different hot tubs, a sauna and a cold tub. The outdoor pool is great too.

Grjótaþorp

One of the most beautiful places in the city is Grjótaþorp. Located just above Reykjavík’s city centre, it’s an extremely cosy and fun area to walk around. The houses are colourful and there is greenery everywhere. It is an amazing place for a photo op and to get a feel of Reykjavík’s past. Grjótaþorp is located just above Reykjavík city centre.

Bíó Paradís

Do you ever get the itch to watch a classic film or see an exciting foreign film that might not be shown in most cinemas. Bíó Paradís is the perfect place for you. They hold film festivals a couple times a year, like German days, Stockfish and RIFF.

Öskjuhlíð

This forested area of Reykjavík is known for its war remains and Perlan. Perlan is one of Iceland’s premiere landmarks as it is a dome built on top of a bunch of drained out water tanks. Perlan currently hosts a nature museum, which is a must see.

Nauthólsvík

This is Reykjavík’s only beach. It is quite cosy and you can either go into the heated ocean area or run into the ice cold water beside the beach area. It can also be the perfect end to a visit to Öskjuhlíð.

FlyOver Iceland

This is a 4d cinema experience where you get to feel what it’s like to be on a plane flying over Iceland. As a disclaimer the ride opens with 15 minutes of some cliché Viking guy and

a troll, but otherwise this is a must see experience.

Hamborgarafabrikkan

Also commonly known as “Hamborgarapaprikan,” this is a restaurant in Reykjavík commonly visited on birthdays as they give ice cream to those celebrating. The hamburgers are very tasty and the skyrterta is amazing and a must try.

QUICK PICKS

Take It From The Kids

Krakkaveldi-approved travel destinations to plan Your next adventure around

Words: Krakkaveldi Imag

You’ve read the travel blogs, leafed through the latest Frommers and consulted an oracle. But did you ever think to ask a bunch of kids what areas to visit when in Iceland? We did it for you. Here’s where the Krakkaveldi kids suggest you go.

“Mount Esja, because you are not in the city and you have fresh air and a great view. It is so much fun to gain new energy by walking up a mountain.”

Eldlilja Kaja Heimisdóttir, 14

“My favorite place to travel in Iceland is Ölfusborgir summer house area, because it is close to Geysir and there are a lot of things to do with friends there. Meaning they have many playgrounds and stuff for children to do there.”

Borghildur Lukka Kolbeinsdóttir, 8 “Ólafsvík, because my grandparents live there.”

Sóley Hulda Nílsen Viðarsdóttir, 8

“I would say Reykjavík, because I live in Reykjavík.”

Margrét Aðalgeirsdóttir, 8

“My favorite place is Keflavík because from there I can fly away from Iceland.”

Brynja Steinunn Helgesson Danielsen, 12

“Akureyri because it is different from Reykjavík. It reminds me of Reykjavík but it’s fun to see something different than the capital city.”

Yrsa Rún Gunnarsdóttir, 11

“Akureyri has a crazy swimming pool, a Christmas house, and a big part of my family lives there. They also have the Akureyri botanic garden, which is a great change of scenery.”

Nína Marín Andradóttir, 12

Sóley has tasted McDonald’s like a thousand, million, trillion, zillion times, both in New York City and once in London. Borghildur first tasted McDonald’s in Portugal. That’s a very nice country. The McDonald’s in Portugal is right by the beach.

McDonald’s has better soda, better toys, better french fries and better everything! We think McDonald’s offers very good food, very good toys, funny dolls and that sort of thing. It’s just better food than Metro, although Sóley wants to mention that she has always gotten good food at Metro.

The toys you get at Metro are quick to break and get lost easily. One time, Borghildur got a toy at KFC, which was a squishy dog, and it got destroyed the very next day! A friend of Sóley’s got a springy toy once at Metro and was super happy with it, but when she woke the next day, it was lost. Borghildur’s sister also got a spring at Metro, but lost it before the family got home!

That one time when Sóley went to McDonald’s in London — you’re not gonna believe this — there were NO CHAIRS. It was extremely uncomfortable for people’s feet. Some people were lying on the tables because they had stood for so long. That’s at least

one point for Metro.

There’s actually a playground at Metro in Iceland, so that’s OK. Children are taken care of in these fast food restaurants; it’s a fun experience for them. There’s even more McDonald’s places in the world, but there’s no Metro anywhere else other than in Iceland. We don’t understand why McDonald’s closed in Iceland. We would be happy with having both Metro and McDonald’s. That would be a good compromise!

Words: Sóley Hulda Nielsen Viðarsdóttir & Borghildur Lukka Kolbeinsóttir Images: Art Bicnick

Here

with the

JÖRGENSEN KITCHEN & BAR Mon, Tues, Wed 16:00 - 18:00, Thursday from 16:00 - 20:00, Weekends from 12:00 to 18:00.

750 ISK, Wine 900 ISK.

JUNGLE COCKTAIL BAR

Every day from 16:00 to 18:00. Beer 900 ISK, Wine 1000 ISK Cocktails 1600 ISK.

KAFFI LÆKUR

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00 & 22:00 to 23:00 on Tue-Sat Beer 890 ISK, Wine 1050 ISK.

KOFINN BAR

Every day from 12:00 to 19:00. Beer 600 ISK, Wine 1000 ISK.

KALDI

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00. Beer 950 ISK, Wine 950 ISK.

LOFT

Every day from 16:00 to 20:00.

Beer 860 ISK, Wine 950 ISK.

LÓLA FLORENS Every day from 15:00 to 18:00. Beer 1000 ISK, Wine 1000 ISK.

LUNA FLORENS

Tue-Sat from 15:00 to 18:00. Beer 1000 ISK, Wine 1000 ISK. Discount or a free appetiser.

PETERSEN SVÍTAN

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00.

Beer 850 ISK Wine 1100 ISK.

PRIKIÐ

Every day from 16:00 to 20:00.

Beer 700 ISK,

SLIPPBARINN

Every day from 15:00 to 18:00.

Beer 1000 ISK, Wine 1000 ISK.

SPILAKAFFI

Every day from 17:00 to 19:00.

Beer 850 ISK.

STÚDENT-

AKJALLARINN

Everyday from 16:00 to 19:00

Beer

to 18:00.

Beer 990 ISK, Wine 1090 ISK.

SKÚLI CRAFT

Every day from 12:00 to 19:00.

Beer 900 ISK, Wine 900 ISK. Happy hour includes four selected tap beers

Hverfisgata12

Featured

Happy hour / 4–7pm

Beer / Wine / Cocktails

What’s better than going to the record store and listening to some tunes? Going to the record store and listening to some tunes while drinking a delicious craft beer, that’s what! Ever since this legendary record shop added a bar a couple of years ago, it’s become a perfect place for a chill evening drink. Their roster of DJs keep things spicy with their unique array of playlists, ranging from making you wanna get up and dance to making you say “WTF” — but in a good way! The beer selection is great and with the weather getting nicer (knock on wood), the back garden is soon to be a delightful respite from the downtown bustle. Oh, and you can also buy albums.

Happy hours: Every day from 14:00 - 19:00

REVIEW

We All Scream!

It’s the kids’ choice ice cream battle royale

Words: Krakkaveldi & Catharine Fulton Images: Art Bicnick

It’s been a week since the Krakkaveldi kids descended on Grapevine HQ for the ultimate ice cream taste test and this place is still a sticky mess. But it’s all worth it, because eating copious amounts of ice cream is fun and because it got results. Well… it got opinions. Varied, sometimes nonsensical opinions. The kids sampled 10 flavours of ice cream and gelato, rating each on a scale of one to 10. Here’s how it went.

Valdis: Salted Caramel — 9/10

The first scoop of the tasting elicited happy sounds from all the kids at the table. We were off to a strong start.

Eldlilja: “It’s very salty.”

Yrsa: “I think it’s a perfect flavour. But it can be a little bit less sweet I think, just a little bit.”

Borghildur: “At first I thought it was 11/10, now I think it’s 9.”

Valdís: Raspberry — 9.5/10

Another flavour unanimously enjoyed by the young food critics. When one adult at the tasting dared to question whether it tasted slightly artificial, they were rebuked. As Nína clapped back: “Kids don’t mind artificial taste, we’re used to it.”

Valdís: Danish Liquorice — 3/10

The flavour of liquorice has always been divisive, and that held true during the Krakkaveldi tasting. Some testers were unsure what they were eating, others finished every bite, and others still promptly scraped the contents of their bowl into the trash.

Borghildur: “I think this one is coffee.”

Sóley: “One time my grandma gave me coffee ice cream.”

Borghildur, Sóley, Margrét: “Where’s

the trash? It’s zerooooooooooooooo.”

Brynja: “I love liquorice.”

Yrsa: “The aftertaste is not very good.”

Margrét: “I want more of the raspberry.”

Valdís: Chocolate — 5/10

At this point in the tasting, the adults in the room questioned whether we had stumbled into an alternate reality in which children universally detest chocolate.

Margrét: “I hate chocolate.”

Sóley: “No more chocolate.”

Yrsa: “I think this is definitely 10 but I think they could have used milk chocolate. This is very chocolatey.”

Sóley: “Chocolate gets a four.”

Valdís: Mint Chocolate Chip — 5/10

After proclaiming the next flavour as my own personal favourite, it was particularly heartbreaking to hear a chorus of little voices uttering their displeasure and drawing comparisons to toothpaste.

Eldlilja: “Zero.”

Brynja: “I love mint chocolate.”

Borghildur, Sóley, Margrét: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.” (Margrét mimics being ill.) “It’s zero. Below zero.”

Yrsa: 10/10

Valdís: Strawberry — 3/10

File this under the same mystery as the kids not enjoying the chocolate ice cream; a classic strawberry scoop also fell flat.

Margrét: “I think it’s bubble gum.”

Yrsa: “It looks cheap.”

Brynja: “It’s like strawberry medicine. It’s medicine that tastes like strawberry but doesn’t taste like strawberry at all.”

Borghildur: “Can I have more?”

and 1000/10

Perhaps our young taste-testers had overworked their taste buds by this point, but their review started to take a turn for the loopy.

Yrsa: “This is so good. It’s 1000 out of 10. (30 seconds later) The aftertaste is a little too much. 4/10 for me.”

Brynja: “Stracciatellaaaaa!” (Editor’s note: it was not, in fact, stracciatella)

Eldlilja: “It reminds me of bananas.”

Gaeta: Strawberry

Cheesecake — 8/10

Gaeta’s flavours were the bigger hit for the adults in the room, but they continued to confound the youths.

Brynja: “It tastes exactly like strawberry jam. That is strawberry cheesecake! Strawberry cheesecake, yoghourt, with jam and strawberries. I’d give it a solid 8.”

Yrsa: “It tastes like strawberry yoghourt. It’s not good.”

Eldlilja: “Very. Weird. Jam.”

Gaeta: Stracciatella — 6/10

When ordering gelato, one has to try a classic stracciatella. The kids, however, were thrown off by the sparsity of chocolate shavings, and a heated debate ensued over whether this was actually stracciatella or more of the Oreo flavour sampled earlier.

Brynja: “It’s stracciatella again. The other one wasn’t stracciatella. How was I wrong?!”

Sóley: “It’s fine.”

Yrsa: “They didn’t do a good job at doing Oreo.” (Editor’s note: because this one wasn’t Oreo)

Gaeta: Mango — 10/10

Ah, the final scoop of the tasting session. Some young reviewers were totally ice creamed out, others were demanding seconds of their favourite flavours. The experiment ends on a high note, with Gaeta’s fresh mango gelato hitting a home run with everyone.

Brynja: “This is my childhood in one bite. I am mango.”

Yrsa: “That’s perfect out of 10.”

Borghildur: “I love it.”

MUSIC (AGAIN)

Even though the first day of summer is April 20, the first days of spring truly roll in during Músíktilraunir. An incubator of new music, its role is to celebrate the up and coming diversity and creativity of the local music scene. Since 1984, the Hitt Húsið youth centre has organised five nights of sound, lighting and stage management with the aim of making the experience as professional as possible for the country’s aspiring musicians. It’s a standard many who win the annual  battle of the bands grow accustomed to as they graduate into successful careers in the industry — Músíktilraunir alums include the likes of Samaris, Of Monsters and Men, and Vök.

Once the dust of this year’s production settled on April 1, the winners were the all-female alt-rock band Fókus.

Hailing from Höfn í Hornafjörður and Selfoss in South Iceland, the band remarked onstage about the 400 km distance between members making scheduling band practise a difficult

task. Singer Amylee Trindade, bassist Alexandra Hernandez, pianist Anna Lára Grétarsdóttir, keyboard player Pia Wrede and drummer Arnbjörg Ýr Sigurðardóttir are all between 16- and 18-years old, but they clearly draw influence from 90s alt-rock artists. Think Alanis Morrisette, but rougher.

An obsolete framework

There is no fair conversation to be had about Músíktilraunir without discussing its organisation and power dynamics. Músíktilraunir is organised by Hitt Húsið, which itself is a subdepartmental institution of the City of Reykjavík. It’s a not-for-profit event, where everyone volunteers their time. Two bands advance on each night of the competition, one selected by the judges, the other by the audience. A key feature of the competition is the age limit — no participant is over the age of 25, no one is younger than 13.

The panel of judges is comprised of seven veterans of the Icelandic music industry. Like almost every year since

Músíktilraunir began, this year’s judges are all of Icelandic origin, averaging around 45 years old. The ratio of women to men is three to four.

The panel does a great job of recognising the merits of each and every artist and tallying up the winners, impressively deliberating on nearly 20 hours of programming.

However, their massive authority as gatekeepers cannot be ignored. Their judgement holds tremendous sway, so it’s worth noting that the atmosphere among the judges exuded self-awareness and appeared to prioritise social inclusivity. A certain mindfulness of the judges’ own privilege could be perceived in their actions and words. However, good intentions only go as far as the people behind them. Relying solely on the goodness of the handful of individuals in the judges’ seats, without assessing the needs of the competition’s operational structure, would be disservice to everyone involved.

Palli has hosted the event, bringing to the table a vast amount of music knowledge and information about the competition which he readily carries in a dossier at all times.

Óli Palli’s position as host serves two fundamental roles. The first is introducing the contestants. The second is entertaining the audience and, more crucially, buying time between acts — Músíktilraunir’s stage hands are on a tight schedule due to the number of participants involved. It is within Óli Palli’s latter role where room for improvisation opens up. Actually, it seems as if Óli Palli likes to play his entire part by ear. Most of the information Óli Palli is required to present on stage is kept in his aforementioned dossier. What he does onstage is read aloud from said dossier. However, he still manages to make factual errors, sometimes even relishing in his lack of awareness.

But what irks the progressive viewer more than the perceived unprofessionalism on display, is the covert misogyny beneath it all. Throughout the competition, it’s easy to spot the

non-binary participants and judges. Although subtle, these interactions are distasteful and do not belong at Músíktilraunir.

Ending on a high note Músíktilraunir’s magical week of music ended with pomp and circumstance, with various musicians announcing the event’s best instrumentalists, runners-up and the winners.

When invited to make a closing statement, judge chairman Árni Matthíasson had one thing to say, “Trans women are women, trans men are men” — a remark met with celebration from the audience. Seemingly out of context, it was potentially a way for the judges to openly support the contest’s trans and non-binary participants. Whatever the reason, it came off as a fitting comment to end a night that spotlighted the changing tides of the music industry, ushered in by the younger generation under the watchful eye of the institutional inertia and powers of the older one.

Jóhannes Bjarkason Images: ynjar Gunnarsson

THE HAUL

Sóley & Borghildur’s Infinite Riches

What two kids would do with all the money in the world

Words: Sóley Hulda Nielsen Viðarsdóttir & Borghildur Lukka Kolbeinsdóttir

While The Haul typically gives readers a glimpse into our dream shopping bag in each issue, it turns out a pair of eight-year-olds are less consumerist than the adult members of the Grapevine’s editorial team. Here’s what they would do if money were no object … and a few things we’d spend our krónur on.

Sóley & Borghildur: We’d give half of the money to children who live in poverty and don’t have parents and are homeless. Then we’d buy a ship and a spaceship to go and pick all the space trash and sea trash in the world.

Borghildur: I’d hire 555 servants!

Sóley: Forget what I said before. I would take a net and save the fish from dying from eating plastic. Also, I’d move into Borghildur’s apartment building and hire a man to teach me to draw really amazing drawings!

The Grapevine: We’d buy some cool stuff for ourselves and our friends.

Monthly Moomin adventure

3.500 ISK + — available from Unicef.is/mumin

“Lífið er núna” (life is now) beaded bracelet

2.900 ISK — available from Kraftur.org

Donation to Kattholt

5.000 ISK — available from Verslun.Kattholt.is

“Er of seint að fá sér kaffi núna?” (is it too late to have coffee now?) mug

4.900 ISK — available from Krabb.is

1.

2.

3.

4.

THIS IS ICELAND

Me This Is The Last Time You’ll Come Here”

Learning about life in and out of Hólmsheiði prison

Name: Ari Hjálmarsson

Occupation: Prison guard at Hólmsheiði prison

Before the interview begins, Ari gives Krakkaveldi’s journokid a tour of the prison. Journokid initially thinks the prison looks a bit like a hotel. It isn’t like that at all though, because the prisoners cook for themselves and do their laundry in the prison.

“That’s a part of the rehabilitation here because we want them to do things on their own, cook and things like that, feel responsible for themselves,” Ari explains. “They also want that. They’d rather choose what they eat.”

Ari shows us a facility where the prisoners can study at the Secondary School of South Iceland (FSU), as he says many of them want and need an education, some are even illiterate when they come to Hólmsheiði. Events, like mass and yoga classes, are scheduled at the prison library. Prisoners also get access to a doctor twice a week, therapists and social workers.

Ari previously worked at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Department and says he gets heartbroken when he sees some of the kids he worked with there show up at the prison.

“Before we start the interview, you

have to promise me one thing,” Ari demanded. “This is the last time you’ll come in here.”

“Not unless I’m doing another interview!” I replied.

“OK,” he conceded. “That’s the only situation I’d be alright with having you here again.”

Why did you decide to work as a prison guard?

I was always interested in this job and read about imprisonment when I was studying social work. Afterwards, when I finished my studies, I saw this advertised and decided to apply.

What’s it like working in a place like this?

It’s fun and diverse, as no day is the same in a job like this.

Does the prison have good food?

It’s sometimes good, sometimes bad. Today, it was good.

How does this job affect your life?

You become more patient, because you need to show a lot of patience here. When people enter the prison,

it’s usually the worst time in their life. That’s probably the most important aspect of this job — being patient and present for the inmates.

How does this job affect your mental health?

You need to learn to not take it home with you. That can sometimes be difficult. We have a program for the employees to meet a therapist.

What do you do around Christmas and Easter?

We celebrate holidays. At Christmas, we try to keep things festive. The inmates receive an extra subsidy to have their meal a bit nicer. It can be very difficult for inmates to not be able to see their family and friends — nobody wants to be in here.

Sometimes, it’s said that the jails in Iceland are fancy. You hear people saying, “It’s like being in a hotel.” But I don’t know anyone who would want to stay in a hotel room for years and be forced to stay there.

THE VILLAGE PEOPLE

“Promise

Words: Brynja Steinunn Helgesson Danielsen Images: Art Bicnick

Memories from Iceland that fit into your pocket!

WELL, YOU ASKED

Paw-Some Questions That Bring On The Giggles

If you were a dog in Reykjavík, where would you go?

If I were a dog in Reykjavík, I would — besides chasing the many cats scattered around town — definitely head straight to the famous Hallgrímskirkja church. Why, you ask? Because rumour has it that the acoustics in the church are so amazing that even a dog’s bark sounds like a heavenly choir! Plus, who wouldn’t want to take in the stunning views of Reykjavík from the top of the church tower? Just imagine the wind in your fur and the city skyline stretching out before you... Woof-tastic!

Puffins are known to jump off cliffs. Are they suicidal? What can we do to ensure puffins’ well-being?

Suicidal puffins? Pfft, no way!

They’re just adrenaline junkies with a penchant for diving into the deep end. And as for ensuring their wellbeing, forget conservation efforts and protecting their habitats... what they really need is a full-service puffin spa! Massages, facials, the works. And don’t even get me started on the fish buffet — it’s a non-negotiable. After all, we owe it to them for making us look good in all those tourist photos before we chow down on their deliciousness. It’s the least we can do!

If we go whale watching, would the whales do people watching?

Whale, whale, whale…There is no if Whales should be allowed to peoplewatch whenever they want to. The question is how much would it cost? Would they be offered a refund if they didn’t see an extraordinary enough human? How would they choose the best season to people-watch? One thing I’d suggest to fellow whales: avoid Kringlan during Christmas holidays. You’re whale-come!

Do seals realise they don’t tan in the sun or are they really deliberately trying to be divas?

Seal-ly! Have you ever seen seals? They don’t need to impress anyone with a tan! Seals know how to make a splash wherever they go. They can get a perfect beach selfie with the ease of a magician: those little fluff balls are the true seal-lebrities of the animal world.

You really shouldn’t have asked

Words: Gitte Van der Meersch & Iryna Zubenko

Image: Art Bicnick & Gitte Van der Meersch

Image: Gitte Van der Meersch

POTENT QUOTABLES

The President of Iceland talks favourite cartoons, food, and books on Page 8.

One of 25 wonders of the world

Blue Lagoon geothermal seawater is unlike any other water on the planet. Born deep underground, this natural marvel is rich in silica, algae, and minerals—the elements that give the water its extraordinary powers. Discover the water. Experience the wonder.

What if kids took over Althingi? Read their political manifesto on Page 16.

Diljá details her Eurovision preparation process on Page 24.

8-year olds Sóley and Borghildur take on their first food review on Page 32

guard

“That would be Mulan. A close second would be The Lion King.”

“We would stop the immigration bill and ban AI art.”

“I’ve stopped experiencing stress.”

“We don’t understand why McDonald’s closed in Iceland.”

“Promise me this is the last time you’ll come here.”

Prison

Ari Hjálmarsson warns Grapevine’s junior journalist on Page 38.