Ske - #3 - English version

1 What’s happening

#3

Plan your perfect day

On the Purity of Icelandic air

SKE plans your perfect day in Reykjavík: peak inside for further details.

A brief, ironic discourse on the excellence of Icelandic air, and how no Icelander suffers from asthma.

Ske.is 05.06 2015-12.06 2015

Your free copy Your guide to what’s going on in iceland

A Wonderfully Discursive Conversation with Iceland’s Most Beloved Barber:

Stjúri Sigurðsson

Ske

2

What’s happening

A “Perfect” Day – Pt. 3 There is no such thing as perfect. A thing cannot be perfect. But when a thing is sufficiently wonderful we may refer to it as perfect for the sake of emphasis – such a thing is customary. Yesterday, I experienced a day that was wonderful enough to incline me towards exaggeration, and I am confident that if any traveler were to follow in my footsteps, then they too would feel the same. It was, in all honesty, a perfect day.

11:00 - Coocoo’s Nest – Egg Florentine Travelers are birds. They lift off in one country and land in another. For my first stop, I too became a bird. I flew the coop and landed at a nest, but not just any nest – the Coocoo’s Nest. The Coocoo’s Nest is a snug little restaurant located by the old harbor and it is among the finest brunch places in town.

I ordered an Egg Florentine: grilled bread, fried spinach, two poached eggs and a buttery blue cheese. I pecked at the thing hastily and cleaned the plate, leaving no evidence of it having ever contained foodstuff. It was so clean that I submitted my plate to the waiter in order to contest the check. It did not work. I settled the bill and flew off.

12:30 - Hallgrímskirkja – A View from Above Hallgrímskirkja is possibly Iceland’s most recognizable monument. It is photographed by thousands of tourists every day and is the face of hundreds of postcards. If it could snap its own selfie, then it would be the architectural equivalent of Kim Kardashian. Anyhow, if you are the kind of person who prefers a view from above, then the tower of Hallgrímskirkja is for you. I pushed open the doors to the mighty church and purchased a ticket to ride the elevator. It cost 700 ISK. 700 ISK is nothing. I frequently shell out seven times that amount for a taxi ride from Reykjavík to my home in Hafnarfjörður. I took the elevator to the top and enjoyed the view. In the distance, I thought that I could discern my grandfather tickling an Icelandic pony, but possibly I was mistaken; my grandfather died several years ago and there are few ponies in the city.

13:00 - The Einar Jónsson Museum – Grace Jones

Last winter was the worst. Our small island was battered by such a never-ending salvo of low-pressure systems (commonly referred to as storms) that many entertained the idea of leaving the country for good.

Many were prepared to surrender the privilege of familial proximity, relative economic stability, and affordable central heating – for the mere prospect of a less misanthropic climate. Many would have traded their mothers for a fleeting glimpse of the sun. I was one of those people. I won’t deny it. My mother is an extraordinary woman, of a kind and generous disposition – but these were dark times. On three separate occasions my parents’ house (which I superintend while they’re abroad) was flooded, and I was forced to unceremoniously transition from the horizontal to the vertical; from the stationary to the frantic – and to go from lounging in some pleasant illusory harem, to running around like a madman with a bucket, trying to pitch water from the interior of the house outwards. But I persisted. I stayed put. I, being young and foolish and stubborn, did not lose hope. I reassured myself that summer would come, eventually; that light would drive out the darkness; that heat would drive out the cold; and that, before long, I would be standing triumphantly atop some balmy balcony with a beer in one hand and an oversized cheeseburger in the other, all the while giving a mental middle finger to the haggard face of receding winter.

And now … finally … summer is here. And, I tell you: It better be a good one. Or I’m moving. I’d rather suffer the planar landscape of Denmark and the insipid personality of its native inhabitants – than endure another middling, anti-climactic summer among my own people.

Ske Editors: ritstjorn@ske.is Advertisement: auglysingar@ske.is Interview & Editorial: Ragnar Tómas Hallgrímsson Interviewee: Stjúri Sigurðsson Photographs: Allan Sigurðsson Photographs from Saga Festival: The Show Shutter Printing: Ísafoldarprentsmiðja Design & Layout: Hlynur Ingólfsson, Lifandi verkefni ehf.

Across from Hallgrímskirkja is the Einar Jónsson Museum. Einar Jónsson was Iceland’s first sculptor and the mastermind behind some of Reykjavík’s most famous statues: Outlaws, Ingólfur Arnarson, Jónas Hallgrímsson and Jón Sigurðsson, were all the products of his imaginative mind. Einar lived abroad before striking a deal with the Icelandic government, wherein he sold the government his works under the condition that the government build him a house. The government agreed and constructed what is now the Einar Jónsson Museum. I arrived and spent a good two hours wandering the museum’s halls, marveling at Einar’s craftsmanship. I did so because I was aware of how difficult that particular art form is; once, when I was a young man, I was assigned the task of making a clay statue at school. I chose as my subject his airness Michael Jordan. But sadly it fell short. When I finished, my creation strongly resembled a disfigured Grace Jones inexplicably palming a bowling ball.

15:00 - Fljótt og Gott – Singed Sheep’s Head If you visit Iceland, you must absolutely visit Fljótt og Gott. Why? Because you have not truly lived until you have found yourself on our God-forsaken island, huddling over some precarious and rickety table, while forcefully driving a steel fork into the faultless eyeball of a singed sheep. If you have not done this then you have not lived; you have existed, merely; you have walked as a shadow among the living – as a slender wisp among more substantial forms. At three o’clock in the afternoon, I lived. I arrived at Fljótt og Gott and ordered that famous aforementioned dish, and I gave an otherwise meaningless life some purpose by wolfing down the tasty tongue of a recently deceased sheep. It was wonderful.

21:00 - Ananas (bar) – Mmmm Beer After running some errands, I ended my day at bar Ananas (ananas means pineapple in Icelandic). Bar Ananas is the only beach bar in Iceland. Everything in it is shaped like a pineapple – including some of the patrons as well. I once read an interview with the owner who explained the idea behind the bar thusly: the idea is that when you walk inside you step foot in Hawaii. I believe that he succeeded. Ananas is as near to Hawaii as one can get in Iceland. I ordered a few cocktails and kept waiting for Israel Kamakawiwo’ole to saunter in with his ukulele so as to sing me a sweet serenade. But he did not show. Instead, a drunken teenager sidled up next to me and proceeded to slander her ex-lover in a bout of untrammeled bitterness. But the cocktails were good.

It was a perfect day.

3 What’s happening

N ew M en u , 2 0 1 5 Hákon Már Ö rvarsson ( b. 1973) L etters on a Page All the Works A re for S al e

H ve r f i sg a t a 1 0 1 0 1 Rey k j av í k

Music

4

What’s happening

Onsen Release Concert Lady Boy Records is happy to invite you to Mengi for Onsen’s release concert, whereby 50 limited-edition cassettes of the album will be released.

Onsen is the experimental electronic face of artist Trevor Welch (USA). His album Kanaya Base is an album that reflects on EDM culture, and explores loneliness, xenophobia, vacation and distance. His live performance incorporates visuals and music to achieve an ambient experience that is “as ignorable as it is interesting.”

Stuðmenn @ Harpa Stuðmenn were founded at Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð, a secondary school in Reykjavík. Their debut album, Sumar á Sýrlandi, released in 1975, became an instant success. Critics praised the album vehemently and touted it as a new milestone in Icelandic pop music. Their music combined “high-flyingly merry and higgledy-piggledy songs, all with a twist, reflecting Icelandic society”. This Friday and Saturday, Stuðmenn will be reuniting in Harpa and playing songs from Sumar á Sýrlandi.

Take it from SKE, Stuðmenn are a real treat live.

Where: Harpa When: Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th, 20:00 Price: 5,900 - 7,900 ISK www.midi.is

Where: Mengi (Óðinsgata 2) When: Friday, June 5th, 21:00 Price: 2,000 ISK www.mengi.net

Help Nepal Benefit Concert

Gyða Valtýsdóttir

at the Reykjavík Arts Festival For the second year in a row, the Reykjavík Arts Festival and Mengi cultural house will be collaborating on a concert series. This Saturday, Gyða Valtýsdóttir will be performing her musical composition Galagalactic, which is an ode to infinity. It spirals in a figure-eight pattern: all directions simultaneously. Every grain of sand magnified reveals a unique form and color as every sound has its own distinct texture and overtones. In Galagalactic, Gyða Valtýsdottir, armed with bow and cello, will embroider moments of the infinite and offer to the audience a spiraling path to the inner spheres of the senses.

Gyða Valtýsdóttir is a polychromatic performer, trained and untamed classically. She started in her early teens as one of the founding members of the dream-pop group múm, but left the band to pursue her studies. She found her way through the labyrinth of higher education, double mastering from Hochschule für Musik, Basel, where her main teachers were Thomas Demenga and Walter Fähndrich. She moves vividly between music realms, composing, performing and recording with various musician & artists such as Shahzad Ismaily, Josephine Foster, Julian Sartorius, Colin Stetson, múm, A Winged Victory for the Sullen, Efterklang, Guy Maddin, Ragnar Kjartansson and many others.”

Where: Mengi (Óðinsgata 2) When: Saturday, June 6th, 21:00 Price: 3,000 ISK www.mengi.net

“Help Nepal” is a benefit concert hosted by the pharmaceutical company Alvogen. Amabadama, Bubbi and Dimma, Retro Stefson and Ylja will be performing.

All of the proceeds go directly to UNICEF and Red Cross Nepal.

Where: Silfurberg, Harpa When: Saturday, June 6th, 21:00 Price: 4,500 ISK www.tix.is

Lára Rúnars

Berglind María Tómasdóttir Concert at Árbær Open Air Museum

Græni Hatturinn Born and raised in Reykjavík, Lára Rúnars developed a love of music while growing up listening to her father playing and recording with legendary Icelandic band Grafík.

Through him, Lára was first introduced to artists such as Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Nick Cave.

Lára just released her fifth album, Þel (all in Icelandic), in collaboration with the Icelandic singer/songwriter Íkorni and is following up on the album with a series of concerts.

Lára will be performing at Græni Hatturinn this Friday where she will be accompanied by a team of talented musicians: Arnar Þór Gíslason on drums, Guðni Finnsson on bass, Birkir Rafn Gíslason on guitar and Þorbjörn Sigurðsson on keys.

Where: Græni Hatturinn When: Friday, June 5th, 22:00 Price: 2,500 ISK www.midi.is

Icelandic Tattoo Convention Concert @ Bar 11 Bar 11 will offer a three-day concert series during the Icelandic Tattoo Convention.

Here is the lineup for Friday and Saturday: Friday, June 5th Guns ‘N’ Roses Tribute Band Black Desert Sun

Saturday, June 6th Ottoman Casio Fatso

Where: Bar 11 When: Friday, June 5th / Saturday, June 6th, 23:00 Price: Free

The recently discovered instrument called Lokkur can be traced to Icelandic settlers in the United States of America in the early decades of the 20th century. Lokkur (or lock), is an instrument that can be described as a hybrid of the Icelandic musical instrument Langspil and a spinning wheel – and it was considered to be a “woman’s” instrument, perhaps due to its similarities to the latter.

The concert consists of an exhibition of the Lokkur and its history, together with short recitals which will include new commissions for the instrument by Karólínu Eiríksdóttir, Þórunn Gréta Sigurðardóttir and Berglind María Tómasdóttir.

The concerts are a part of the 29th Reykjavík Arts Festival 2015 Where: Árbær Open Air Museum When: Sunday, June 7th, 16:00 Price: Free (but guests must pay admission into the museum) www.listahatid.is

5 What’s happening

EXPLORE

LEARN

DISCOVER

Can’t catch the Northern Lights?

Don’t worry, we have already done it for you!

Visit us and enjoy our multimedia exhibition

OPEN EVERY DAY FROM 09.00–21.00

Icelandair Hotel Marina

Grandagarður 2 - 101 Reykjavík - Near the old harbour Tel: (+354) 780 4500 - www.aurorareykjavik.is @aurorareykjavik

@aurorareykjavik

@aurorareykjavik

Music

6

What’s happening

Tom Jones Performs at Laugardalshöll Grammy-winner and living legend Sir Tom Jones will give a concert in Laugardalshöll on Monday, June 8th.

Tom Jones has sold over 100 million records in his career and reached the top charts with 36 different songs in Britain, and 19 in the US, including hits like It’s Not Unusual, Delilah, Green Green Grass of Home, She’s a Lady, Kiss and Sex Bomb.

In addition to his classic hits he will play songs from his new records Praise & Blame and Spirit in the Room.

Sóley Release Concert Sóley celebrates the release of her new album, Ask the Deep, in Fríkirkjan (the church by the Reykjavík pond).

Still drawn to dark, nocturnal themes, Ask the Deep sees the bespectacled, multi-instrumentalist branch out musically, both charting new sonic territory – and fighting the devil inside. Often inspired by poetry, Sóley’s tunes are the musical equivalent of dark fairytales, lucid dreams and childhood nightmares.

Where: Fríkirkjan (Fríkirkjuvegur 5) When: Thursday, June 11th, 20:30 (Doors open at 20:00) Price: 2,500 ISK www.midi.is

Tim Martello and DJ Kocoon DJ Tim Martello will fly in from New York and perform at Prikið on Saturday. Currently, he is one of the best DJ’s that the Big Apple has to offer, specializing in Hip-Hop party music – which means that he should be fully capable of depriving the building of its roof. Martello manages to weave scratches and loops into his set in a very exciting way. DJ Kocoon will be opening for Martello and will inevitably get the crowd warmed up with a few choice tunes.

Where: Laugardalshöll When: Monday, June 8th, 20:00 Price: 7,990 - 16,990 ISK www.midi.is

Where: Prikið When: Saturday, June 6th, 23:30 Price: Free

Marc Romboy Sunnudagsklúbburinn (The Sunday Club) in cooperation with PartyZone presents the 10-year anniversary of the label Systematic Recordings at Paloma this Saturday. Marc Romboy is a popular performer within the House scene, who lives in Germany and is the founder of Systematic Recordings. He has been participating in the underground Techno and House scene for 20 years and released albums from such powerhouse labels as Planet E and 20/20 Vision.

Besides Romboy, Namito (also a member of the label), DJ Frímann and BenSol will also be playing some tunes. Introbeats and DJ Kári will be spinning wax in the basement.

Where: Paloma When: Saturday, June 6th, 23:30 Price: 2,000 ISK www.tix.is

Roope Gröndahl The Lunchtime concert in Northern Lights Hall on June 8th is the upbeat to the Harpa International Music Academy’s concert series, which ends with a Festival Concert on Iceland’s National Holiday, June 17th. This concert features one of Finland’s finest young pianists, Roope Gröndahl. He has performed with many orchestras at home and abroad, including the Finnish Radio Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Belgium and the orchestras of Tampere and Lahti. He was a laureate of the 2013 Queen Elizabeth Piano Competition and a 2nd prize winner in the 2008 Eurovision Young Musicians Competition. He has collaborated with musicians such as Pekka Kuusisto, Ilya Gringolts and Steven Isserlis. Gröndahl will perform works by Sibelius, Brahms, Debussy and Scriabin.

Roope Gröndahl is one of the Young Artists at Harpa International Music Academy this year. Besides performing he will participate at a seminar where he will share his musical experience and be an inspiration to other participants.

Where: Harpa, Northern Lights Hall When: Monday, June 8th, 12:10 PM Price: 1,500 ISK www.tix.is

Jessica Aszodi The Australian singer Jessica Aszodi will be performing at Mengi alongside of Morton Feldman and Berglind María Tómasdóttir (who will be debuting new material).

Jessica specializes in bold musical compositions and has a passionate commitment to meaningful songwriting, whether in terms of performance, teaching, arranging or research. As an opera singer, she was performed widely and interepreted various roles. As a soloist she has performed with the Melbourne Symphony orchestra, the Victorian Opera, ICE (international contemporary ensemble), the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic, Eighth Blackbird and others. Jessica has been nominated for a number of awards for her operatic performances.

Where: Mengi (Óðinsgata 2) When: Tuesday, June 9th, 21:00 Price: 2,000 ISK www.mengi.net

7 What’s happening

LOFTIÐ // AusTursTræTI 9 // secOnd FLOOr // FAcebOOk.cOm/LOFTIdbAr

PRIMO RISTORANTE Authentic Italian Restaurant in Downtown Reykjavík

There is a taste of sun in Italian food.

And not only the taste of sun, it’s also a taste of the warm soil, the four seasons, culture. Here, in an old house on Bankastræti in Reykjavík, we invite you to experience Italian cuisine with superb ingredients that make the sun shine even brighter in your heart.

Enjoy.

ÞINGHOLTSSTRÆTI 1, ReykjavIk facebook.com/primoreykjavik Tel: +354 553 4200

8

What’s happening

Guerrilla Girls Currently, there is a prominent public poster adorning the east side of Reykjavík’s Customs House. This poster, which is a kind of muted pink, puts forth a question in big black letters. It inquires of the Icelandic citizenry (and anyone who happens to pass by for that matter) “why has 87% of Icelandic Film Center funding gone to men?” Then, in clever, Ciceronian fashion, the poster goes on to answer its own question – but before doing so, it prefaces that answer with two wrong ones, in order to take a humorous jab at a seemingly impervious patriarchy. The poster tells us that it is not because “men are stronger and can carry around big cameras”, nor because “women are better at music, costumes and running the government” – but rather that “it’s discrimination: the film industry is way behind the rest of the country!” This thoughtprovoking billboard is one in a series of billboards, posters and artworks created by an anonymous group of women artists who have been combating gender and racial discrimination within the art world since 1985. This group refers to itself as Guerrilla Girls and the poster is their contribution to the 2015 Reykjavík Arts Festival. Last week, we at SKE had questions of our own. We discussed the origins of the group, humor and that scourge of the modern world: income inequality.

Guerrilla Girls trace their origins back to a controversial exhibition at MOMA in 1984, An International Survey of Recent Painting and Sculpture, which was supposed to highlight the best contemporary artists in the world. Out of 169 artists, there were only 13 women. Have we made much progress since then?

It used to be that curators, gallerists and even male artists would publicly claim that women and artists of color did not make the kind of work that added to the “art discourse”. No one would be so stupid as to say that now except maybe Georg Baselitz. Now, it’s a nobrainer: the history of a culture has to contain all the voices of the culture to be a true history and not just the history of power.

Interview: Ragnar Tómas Hallgrímsson Photographs: ©Rafael Pinho

But discrimination in the US art world is more coded now, especially since art has become an instrument of investment for the Super Rich. Tokenism, the idea that if you show one or two women or artists of color the problem of diversity is solved, is one coded form. Another is the glass ceiling beyond which women and artists of color are rarely allowed to proceed. And then there is the scourge of the planet: income inequality. The big money and opportunities almost all go to white dudes. Women artists and artists of color get 7-10 cents on the dollar compared to what male artists get for their work. Look at the auctions!

All this is sanctioned by an art market that drives the US museum system, and is run by Boards of Trustees consisting of art collectors/investors. Let’s not get started on the issues of insider trading and conflicts of interest that come along with this! Everything that is wrong with the world economy is wrong with the economy of the art world.

For our 30th birthday this year, we redid two of our early posters. The first compared the number of women given solo shows at New York Museums in 1984 vs 2014.

Should we be happy with only one more show per year at each museum?

We also compared galleries that showed a paltry number of women in 2014 with galleries that do the same thing today.

Up to 20% or none at all from 10%. And some of the same galleries are on both lists!

The New Whitney Museum has approximately 30% women in its inaugural exhibition. Should we be happy about that?

9 What’s happening

Guerilla Girls

10

What’s happening

Guerrilla Girls does not confine its activism to the art world, but rather addresses matters relating to film and politics as well. What’s your opinion on the seemingly endless deaths of African Americans at the hands of police officers in the US (in Iceland’s history, there has only been one death at the hands of the police – so it’s difficult for us to understand the situation in the states)?

Racial and economic injustice in the US is intolerable.

Fear and guns have made the situation deadly. Police have become occupiers instead of protectors. We need a sweeping change in policing.

You’ve been known to conduct so-called “weenie counts”, in which you visit art museums and collect data regarding the gender and ethnicity of artists and their subjects. Will you be conducting any “weenie counts” here in Iceland?

If we were going to do it, we wouldn’t tell the press about it until it was done!

On the 13th of May, the Reykjavík Arts festival unveiled a giant poster in downtown Reykjavík in which Guerrilla Girls point out that funding from the Icelandic Film Center has been highly skewed in favor of men. I understand that you received a collection of statistics regarding various subjects in Iceland: Were the statistics from the Film Center the most jarring?

Our moles in Iceland tipped us off to the situation. It’s interesting to think about why a small country with a strong feminist political movement that helped so many women enter the government still has such a male-dominated film industry. Have we provoked a dialogue?

(I would say yes.)

We don’t just point at something and say “That’s bad.”

We’ve always tried to find new ways to twist around an issue and make people look at it in new ways. We discovered early on that when you make someone who disagrees with you laugh you have a hook into their brains. Once there you have a better chance of changing their minds. Facts, humor and fake fur have been our mantras.

“It’s interesting to think about why a small country with a strong feminist political We understand that you have a new target now: you’re focusing on the movement that helped billionaire art collectors who drive so many women the art market and often sit on the boards of the major museums, giving enter the government them a say in what art gets bought and shown. Can you speak on that still has such a maletopic and tell us how you intend to go about fighting this balance of power? dominated film Like we said before, allowing the industry.”

Super Rich to run museums is a lousy way to write cultural history.

We recently did a stealth projection with the Illuminator Collective at night on the side of the Whitney Museum. It was a personal letter to art collectors everywhere

Here’s a link to a video about it: vimeo.com/128335171 And we made the message into a sticker along with some others and we put them up all over New York

“Racial and economic injustice in the US is intolerable. “

One of my favorite writers, Mark Twain, was known to use humor as a way of delivering very serious messages, and I think that this is the main reason why Twain remains such an enduring figure in literature. Humor has also been an important part of GG’s activism, why is that important to you?

to the Venice Biennial. This led to a promise being made by those in charge of the selection process that an Icelandic woman would be chosen next time. Subsequently, Steina Vasulka was sent to the Venice Biennial as Iceland’s representative in 1997. Have you had any similar instances of such clear success with your activism/art?

In April of 1994, a travelling exhibition by Guerrilla Girls was shown in Reykjavík, in which the coordinators gathered statistics from the Icelandic art world.

They publicized statistics that showed that out of the 60 outdoor works of art in Reykjavík only 7 were created by women. Also, they pointed out that no Icelandic woman had ever been sent

Wow! That’s a great story. But Steina earned her own way to the Biennial.

In 2007, we did a project for the Washington Post about the tax payer supported US art museums on the mall in DC. When the Post called the National Gallery of Art to fact check and confirm that there was not one African American artist on exhibit at the museum, overnight they installed a work by a black sculptor! And he earned his own way there, too.

Are you familiar with any Icelandic artists? If so, any favorites?

We love the world of artists and REFUSE TO CHOOSE. What can Icelanders expect from your upcoming lecture on June 4th at Bíó Paradís?

More of what we’ve told you with lots of stories in between.

PLUS, we’ll sing about the Herstory of Hysteria, give an art quiz and then go on a rant with advice to anyone who wants to change an entrenched system and have fun in the process.

Finally what are GG most proud of in their career?

Our next project!

© Guerrilla Girls Courtesy guerrillagirls.com

11 What’s happening

Made in Perlan

This croissant is among many other delicious offerings made in Perlan earlier today for you to enjoy with the spectacular view overseeing the city in any direction.

C

A

F

É

Exhibitions

12

What’s happening

Traces of Life: Subjective and Personal Tendencies in Icelandic Contemporary Photography

Þorvaldur Þorsteinsson – Exhibition Hverfisgallerí began exhibiting selected works by Þorvaldur Þorsteinsson on May 26th. The exhibition coincided with the debut of Þorvaldur’s Songs of Discontent performed by Megas and Skúli Sverrisson. Þorvaldur Þorsteinsson’s (1960 - 2013) works have been exhibited all over the world. Besides working in the visual arts, Þorvaldur was also known for his work as a writer. He wrote novels, children’s books and plays, many of which have been translated and published abroad. During his lifetime, Þorvaldur’s creative drive seemed endless, and even though he died relatively young – he accomplished more

than many other long-lived artists.

An exhibition by Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir, Misty Rain, will also take place at the same time. Misty Rain consists of a threechanneled video piece that straddles the genres of film and installation. The video displays an interview from four different angles, in which the interviewee recalls surreal memories after having gone through a transformative experience.

Traces of Life examines subjective, intimate and personal tendencies in Icelandic contemporary photography. The exhibition presents six photographers whose work centers around their personal lives and their perception of the everyday. The exhibition consists of a series by Agnieszka Sosnowska, Bára Kristinsdóttir, Daniel Reuter, Hallgerður Hallgrímsdóttir, Kristina Petrošiutė and Skúta. The photographers are central figures in their work, as the subject matter of the images as well as the ever-present

onlookers. The exhibition presents traces of life through self-portraits, images of the photographers’ immediate surroundings and a photo series that reflects on their experience and memories. The exhibition is curated by Brynja Sveinsdóttir.

Where: Reykjavík Museum of Photography (Tryggvagata 15) When: Mondays - Thursdays 12:00 19:00, Fridays 12:00 - 18:00, Weekends 13:00 - 17:00 Price: Free

Where: Hverfisgallerí (Hverfisgata 4) When: Ongoing until June 16th Price: Free

Cliffs, Sunshine, Heroes, Sky, Sea and Birds @ the Reykjavík Arts Festival From the start of her career, Hulda Hákon displayed a knack for presenting everyday life as a heroic enterprise, with her works commemorating small victories, mishaps or just curious incidents in tableaux, images and text that show them to be, in their own small way, dramatic and noteworthy.

The works in the exhibition are texts, paintings, wall reliefs and sculptures.

Hulda Hákon is one of Iceland’s best-

known artists with a career spanning 30 years. Her wall reliefs can be found in public and private collections around the world.

Where: Tveir Hrafnar Gallery (Baldursgata 12) When: May 14th - June 20th Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 12:00 17:00, Saturdays 13:00 - 16:00 Price: Free

VERA:KVEN:VERA BEING:FEMALE:BEING Guðrún Sigríður Haraldsdóttir’s installation VERA:KVEN:VERA (being:female:being) is created to coincide with this year’s celebration of a century of women’s suffrage in Iceland.

In collaboration with the Municipal Archives of Reykjavík and artist Kristín Gunnlaugsdóttir, VERA:KVEN:VERA explores the idea of there being a form of a collective female self, seeking to reconcile or unite our innermost secret self and external reflections. The multimedia installation is based on three diverse strands: firstly, Kristín Gunnlaugsdóttir’s artwork SKÖPUNARVERK I, which has

been on display in Tjarnarsalur for the last year; secondly, handwritten letters and portraits of women from around 1915, found in the Municipal Archives of Reykjavík; thirdly, the private view that guests are invited to take part in by being added into the digital projection – which is a method Guðrún Sigríður has been developing.

Where: Reykjavík City Hall (Ráðhúsið) When: May 30th - June 22nd, weekdays 08:30 - 19:00 / weekends 12:00 - 18:00 Price: Free

The School of Photography: Spring Exhibition Last Saturday, May 30th, the annual spring exhibition of the Photography School opened, in which first-year students will exhibit their final projects along with other works from this winter. This year, 14 students will be putting their photographs on display – which were shot both digitally and on film. Portraits, video art, nudes, identical twins, Icelandic guardian spirits,

man, senior citizens and Tarot cards are among the subjects featured in the exhibition.

Where: The Photography School (Hólmaslóð 6) When: Ongoing until June 7th Hours: weekdays from 14:00 - 19:00, weekends from 10:00 - 18:00

13 What’s happening

Exhibitions

14

What’s happening

A New Exhibition of Ancient Manuscripts: Settlement Sagas From March 21st, the Reykjavík City Museum is proud to present Settlement Sagas, an exhibition. The central feature of this new exhibition is the nation’s greatest treasure: ancient manuscripts that are usually kept under lock and key at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

The museum has announced that it is therefore a great honor to be able to put these items on public display for the first time given that they reveal so much about Reykjavík’s past. Because the exhibition will be in the same building as the

Settlement Exhibition, visitors will be able to view the manuscripts alongside various other artifacts that have been discovered in the Reykjavík area. This affords visitors a better understanding of their significance within the wider context of the history of the Settlement.

Where: Aðalstræti 6 When: April 18th - December 31st, 09:00 - 20:00 Price: Free

Magnús Sigurðsson: Athöfn og Yfirskin (Action and Pretext) Athöfn og Yfirskin is Magnús Sigurðsson’s (born 1966) first private exhibition in Iceland for a long time; Magnús has lived in the US for the past years. The exhibition features a video and audio installation that the artist recently did for Hallgrímskirkja, along with landscape drawings. Magnús focuses on a few existential fixtures that are to be found both in nature and society. A few artworks have gained value in man’s search for the exalted – artworks that unite seemingly antagonistic qualities, which are, on the one hand, sublime and overwhelming and, on the other hand, unpretentious and simple. Magnús attempts to dissolve these things into tiny fragments in a search for some kind of nucleus, all the while inquiring about man’s internal and external reality and his attitude towards the divine. Magnús is known mostly for his photographs, video art and installations, in which he references familiar aspects of pop culture, the media and general knowledge. In this exhibition at Hafnarhúsið, Magnús explores the human desire for the exalted, which lies hidden in the everyday. Curator is Markús Þór Andrésson.

Where: Hafnarhús (Reykjavík Art Museum) When: Until the 18th of October Hours: Daily from 10 - 17, Thursdays 10 - 18

OPERAtion Alice – The Wondrous World of Opera: A Work in Progress At the 2015 Reykjavík Arts Festival, there will be a special program at the Einar Jónsson Museum, which is based on a new opera, OPERAtion Alice, by the composer John A. Speight and the writer Böðvar Guðmundsson.

The project is developed in collaboration with young students at the Landakot primary school and the Reykjavík Visual Art School. Workshops for children aim to engage participants in creative work

inspired by Alice’s adventure and to introduce them to the wondrous world of opera.

Renowned Icelandic opera singers will perform a chapter from John A. Speight as part of the new opera, The Wondrous World of Alice: A Fairytale Opera, followed by a composer’s talk.

Gourmet Experience

Where: The Einar Jónsson Museum When: Ongoing until June 7th Hours: Every day except Mondays, 13:00 - 17:00

- Steaks and Style at Argentina Steakhouse Barónsstíg 11 - 101 Reykjavík Tel: 551 9555 argentina.is

15 What’s happening

Why in the world would you settle for average?

E N N E M M / S Í A / N M 6 74 7 0

When there is Slippbarinn

Ask anyone. Slippbarinn is hands-down the number one place for cocktails in Reykjavík.

But our delicious menu is still a relatively well-kept secret. Healthy, fresh and hearty dishes with a creative twist, from the best ingredients, at affordable prices.

You‘ve met our artists behind the bar, now see what our artists in the kitchen can do.

For reservation call +354 560 8080 or slippbarinn@icehotels.is Icelandair hotel Reykjavík Marina Mýrargata 2 101 Reykjavík Sími +354 560 8080 www.icelandairhotels.is

16

What’s happening

Gísli Pálmi Release concert

Gamla Bíó june 4th

17 What’s happening

WHY

ERVE DO WE S BURGERS, SS HAM A L C T S WINGS N E FIR K C I US CH DELICIO ILLER RIBS? &K

SIMPLY,

TER T E B S ´ T I BECAUSE

Food tips

18

What’s happening

Celine Dijon @ Prikið Prikið has stood on Bankastræti 12 since 1951. This means that it is as old as Mark Hamill, that now celebrated voice-over actor who played Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars movies. If Luke Skywalker had a restaurant equivalent then it would be Prikið. Why? Because the force is strong with Prikið; its various dishes are jedi-like in their potency.

As many locals know, you can always trust the food at Prikið.

You can trust the food at Prikið in the same way that you can trust fraudulence at the bank.

Whether for lunch or dinner, the food is consistent – and the atmosphere is always cozy and laid-back. We ordered the Celine Dijon sandwich, which is made with honey-oat bread, ham, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes,

sauce and served with a side of sweet-potato fries. It was a good sandwich: a fine sandwich, and we especially enjoyed the honeyoat bread. Honey-oat bread is the Han Solo of bread. May the force be with you!

Spinach Lasagna @ Gló Health is important. One cannot simply subsist on caloric fast food.

To do so is to foolishly shave a few years off one’s lifespan. Therefore, one must occasionally dine on healthful food. As far as healthful food goes, Gló is one of the most popular restaurants in Reykjavík. SKE visited Gló on Laugavegur where they offer a diverse selection of food from morning to evening. The dish of the day is always made from the freshest ingredients available (the menu is always accessible online), and one can always trust the quick and personable service at Gló.

We tried the classic spinach lasagna and handpicked our sides to include potatoes, a green salad and an assortment of vegetables. The food was fresh and tasty and healthy. Having scraped our dishes clean, we were almost inspired to join a Crossfit gym, but soon thought better of it. We decided to remain slightly pudgy and rationalized our pudginess with the unparalleled rhetorical brilliance of a young Winston Churchill.

The “dad bod” is here to stay.

REYKJAVÍK CENTRUM

Elegant bistro menu Service with a smile Cozy atmosphere Great location

www.cafeparis.is

Louisian Chicken Strips @ Vegamót Vegamót has been a part of the Reykjavík furniture for years.

Its menu is diverse, its drinks are great and its service is never lagging. Last week, SKE’s secret agents tried one of Vegamót’s most popular dishes: the Louisiana Chicken Strips, which are crispy, yet juicy chicken strips served with a hot Louisiana sauce and

a side of salad, French fries and blue-cheese sauce. The moment we bit into the chicken we were instantaneously transported into the backwaters of the American south, and when we exited the establishment we did so with a blues swagger, speaking nonsense in a persuasive country drawl.

Giddyup!

19 What’s happening

565 6000 / somi.is

Eat Out in Iceland.

Check out our menu Enjoy Sómi sandwiches and wraps on your travels, Iceland’s favourite take-away!

Fresh every day!

Design

20

What’s happening

Bow Tie

Ruffled Scarf

Design: Sonja Bent

Design: Steinunn Sigurðardóttir A beautiful ruffled scarf from Steinunn made from 100% merino wool. One size.

Colour: black.

Steinunn Sigurðardóttir is the person behind the fashion label STEiNUNN. She was the first Icelander to graduate from

the renowned Parsons School of Design in New York and has designed for world famous fashion houses, such as Calvin Klein, Gucci and La Perla. www.steinunn.com

Stylish bow tie available in many colors.

Easy to put on: just fasten it to your shirt.

Sonja Bent is a young Icelandic knitwear designer who takes knitted clothes from frumpiness and into the modern age. The results are sexy, yet comfortable clothes that make you feel at home in cocktail

parties and country cottages alike. Keeping both practicality and playfulness in mind, Sonja Bent makes clothes for the confident and happy. www.icelandicmarket.com

Eystri-Skógar Shirt

Besla – Zik Zak Coverlet for Kids

Design: Farmers Market

Design: Besla

A spiffy blue shirt with two pockets, made from 100% Lyocell.

Farmers Market is an Icelandic design company and clothing brand, founded in 2005 by a young artist couple – a designer and a musician.

A beautiful zig-zag coverlet for kids.

Besla is an Icelandic label specializing in organic and recycled clothing and textiles for kids and babies. The label draws inspiration from Besla, Odin’s mother, from the old Nordic mythology.

Beautiful decorative pillow by Maria Creative Studio.

Inspired by the designs of the Icelandic architect Guðjón Samuelsson, Maria Creative Studio has created a collection called Hidden World. The pattern of the textiles are all referring to Samúelsson’s buildings, who, for example, designed the famous Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík.

www.farmersmarket.is

www.kaupstadir.is

www.kaupstadur.is

Álfhóll – Cyan Design: Maria Creative Studio

Northern Lights Wall Sticker Design: VEGG The magnificent northern lights in wall-sticker form.

VEGG design creates wall stickers with reference to Iceland, e.g. the Aurora Borealis, Puffins and famous poems. www.kaupstadur.is

21 What’s happening

Our Master Watchmaker never loses his concentration

With his legendary concentration and 45 years of experience our Master Watchmaker and renowned craftsman, Gilbert O. Gudjonsson, inspects every single timepiece before it leaves our workshop.

All the watches are designed and assembled by hand in Iceland.

Only highest quality movements and materials are used to produce the watches and every single detail has been given the time needed for perfection.

At JS Watch co. Reykjavik we’re committed to provide a personal quality service and we pride ourselves on the close relationships we have with our customers.

Scan it and learn more! www.jswatch.com

www.gilbert.is

What’s happening

22

What’s happening

2015 Icelandic Tattoo Convention

Happy Hour will be in effect during the whole event!

From June 5th to 7th, the tenth annual Icelandic Tattoo Convention will be held in the Old Theater (Gamla Bíó) in Reykjavík. The Icelandic Tattoo Convention is an international festival featuring 28 tattoo artists from countries such as the US, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Spain and more (including local artists of course). The program starts at 2 pm on Friday and people are encouraged to show up early to meet the artists and book appointments for tattoos over the weekend. In addition to the festival itself, there will also be a non-stop concert program running at Bar 11.

The tattoo artists attending the festival are Chip Baskin, Jason Thompson, Guy Ursitti, Mason Coriell, Javier Betancourt, Holly Ellis, Austin Maples, Jason June, Ross Jones, Simone Capex Scott Ellis, Erik Axel, Annie, Ali Walters, Rita, Robert, Jesse Gordon, Jennifer Lynn, Andy Perez, Dave Woodward, Melissa Baker, Sean Baltzell, James E. Haynes, Brandon Roberts, Ólafía Kristjánsdóttir, Andy Perez, Ben Cheese and Mike Fite.

Where: Ananas bar (Klapparstígur 38) When: Saturday, June 6th, 16:00 - 19:00 Price: 300 ISK for a sales booth

When: 14:00 - 20:00 (Friday - Sunday, June 5th - 7th ) Where: Gamla Bíó

Ananas Bar Flea Market The beach bar Ananas (pineapple) will be hosting a flea market this Saturday. There will be several booths available for those who are interested in participating. Anyone can apply to join and sell anything they want to get rid of. The only thing you have to do is send Ananas a message on Facebook and pay a small fee of 300 ISK.

Svarfadur Valley is Iceland’s most beautiful place, according to its people, the Svarfdaelings. A few years ago, all sheep in the valley were quarantined and destroyed because of scrapie, a fatal and infectious disease. That’s when they founded the Herding Society, a venerable club of shepherds, car mechanics, carpenters, schoolteachers and plumbers. They are also poets and singers and festive men. And they continue to herd every year, despite the fact that there is not a single sheep left in the valley.

The Svarfadur Valley Herding Society: Skál fyrir þér!

Léttöl

The Iceland Expo Pavilion: A 360° Cinematic Experience Visitors of Harpa are now able to visit the Iceland Expo Pavilion. It was designed for the World’s Fair in Shanghai in 2010 and set up again at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2011 (where Iceland was the Guest of Honor). The pavillion features a unique 360-degree film where the walls and ceiling form a visual unity. Over 3 million guests have visited the pavilion.

The film, which is fifteen minutes long, presents Iceland in all its diversity. Footage from Iceland’s cities and nature is projected onto the four walls and the ceiling of the pavillion, together forming a kind of cube that surrounds its guests. Observers fly through waterfalls, a marathon and even experience a volcanic eruption.

Where: Harpa When: weekdays 10 - 18, weekends 11 - 18 Last show runs at 17:30 Price: 1,500 ISK

The Color Run The Color Run is less about your 10-minute-mile and more about having the time of your life. The Color Run is a five-kilometer, untimed race in which thousands of participants, or Color Runners, are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer. There are only two rules: wear white at the starting line, but finish plastered in color! The fun continues after Color Runners complete the race with an unforgettable Finish Festival. This larger-than-life party is equipped with music, dancing and massive color throws, which create millions of vivid color combinations. According to the organizers of the event, this is the best post-5k party on the planet!

Where: Hljómskálagarðurinn (101 Reykjavík) When: Saturday, June 6th, 09:00 Price: 4,999 - 6,499 ISK

Húrra’s 1-Year Anniversary The nightclub Húrra will celebrate its one-year anniversary on Saturday, June 6th. Hooray for that! In order to celebrate this momentous milestone, Húrra will be grilling burgers while the band Babies, a cover band who mainly plays music from the ‘80s and ‘90s, gets jiggy.

Where: Húrra When: Saturday, June 6th, 17:00 Price: Free

23 What’s happening

Ske

24

What’s happening

On the Purity of Icelandic Air (ironic patriotism) Icelandic air is the purest air in the world. It is so rich in oxygen that the Icelanders need only inhale once every few minutes in order to sustain themselves – but not wanting to seem self-important – they high-mindedly feign the breathing habits of foreigners. In comparison to the Icelandic variety, all other air is repulsive, and if it were not for the exigencies of their human anatomy – the travelling Icelanders would be tempted to refrain from any out-of-country respiration altogether. I am – myself – personally acquainted with Floridian air, and can say with full confidence that breathing that musty cocktail of odorless gas after having imbibed its Icelandic counterpart is like following chilled Chablis with

warm moonshine. I suppose this is why stepping out of the Keflavík airport after a trip abroad is so pleasurable; it is an exercise in contrast.

Furthermore, it has been proven that in the near 1200-year history of the nation, there has not been a single verified case of asthma. Each supposed instance being merely an envious conspiracy perpetrated by foreign governments in order to undermine the reputation of Icelandic air. The only thing that rivals the purity of Icelandic air is Icelandic water – which is virginal and quite like liquid perfection. Come to our country; breathe our air; make us the happy foster parents of your money.

Happy Hour!

You know what time it is Prikið, Bankastræti 12

All weekdays from 16:00 - 20:00 Beer - 500 ISK

Vegamót, Vegamótastígur 4

Thursday till Saturday from 22:00 - 01:00 Beer - 750 ISK Wine - 750 ISK

Stofan Café, Aðalstræti 7 All days from 17:00 - 20:00 Beer - 750 ISK Wine - 950 ISK

Kaldi Bar, Laugavegur 20B All days from 16:00- 19:00 Beer - 650 ISK

Hlemmur Square, Laugavegur 105 All days from 17:00 - 21:00 Beer - 600 ISK Wine - 600 ISK

Slippbarinn, Mýrargata 2 All days from 15:00 - 18:00 Beer - 500 ISK Wine - 500 ISK

Smurstöðin Restaurant, Austurbakki 2

GAMLA BÍÓ INGÓLFSSTRÆTI 2

All days from 16:00 - 18:00 Beer - 500 ISK Wine - 600 ISK

DAY PASS 800kr. WEEKEND PASS 2000KR.

Barber Bar, Laugavegur 66-68

5-7 JUNE FRIDAY.- SUNDAY.-TATTOO FESTIVAL 2015

All days from 16:00 - 19:00 Beer - 650 ISK Wine - 650 ISK

Ske

25

What’s happening

Orkusýn: The geothermal energy exhibition Orkusýn is a company that operates the Geothermal Energy Exhibition at the Hellisheiði Power Plant, while also offering coffee and souvenirs to visitors.

The aim of Orkusýn is to give guests a state-of-the-art look into the utilization of geothermal energy in Iceland.

Experienced guides are on-hand to provide informative presentations and lectures backed by multimedia exhibitions about geothermal energy as a global energy source - including an earthquake simulator. A short film, “The Origin of Geothermal Energy”, is also available in Icelandic, English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.

At Cafe Energy, visitors are offered light refreshments.

There is also an Icelandic Design Gift Shop, where exquisite Icelandic handiwork and design are for sale. At the giftshop you will find fine quality wool and knitting, beautiful handmade souvenirs of glass and clay, along with a large selection of photography books, DVD’s and other informative literature on geothermal energy.

Here at the exhibtion we have a regular rotation of diffrent works of art. For next five weeks Guðmunda Kristinsdóttir displays her work.

In our gift shop we have works from local artists for sale, including paintings from Margrét Brynjólfsdóttir.

In 2009, the Geothermal Energy Exhibition at Hellisheiði Powerplant received the Lúðurinn award in the events category.

Orkusýn is about a 30-minute drive from the capital.

Opening Hours: Every day from 9:00 - 17:00 Admission: 900 ISK per person Under 16 - free (not in organized groups) Special rates for groups (10 persons or more) For rates outside normal opening hours, contact orkusyn@orkusyn.is Advance bookings for groups ensures better service. Contact orkusyn@orkusyn.is

Fashion

26

What’s happening

Sindri Jensson

Hildur Ragnarsdóttir

Húrra Reykjavík

Einvera

White Sneakers – Top 5 I never tire of white sneakers, and I never tire of talking about them. A fresh pair of white sneakers can work miracles – it’s as simple as that. Some have even gone so far as to say that people who wear white sneakers are happier than those who don’t. But I won’t go that far. Currently, there are, in my opinion, four brands that are at the top of the sneaker game: Nike, Adidas, New Balance and Vans. Other brands worth mentioning are Asics and Saucony, and in a more expensive, more

premium category, there are brands like Filling Pieces and Common Projects; their shoes are made from high-quality leather and are quite beautiful. As far as white sneakers go, it is important to keep your sneakers clean, and I recommend the Jason Markk shoe cleaner. The Jason Markk shoe cleaner can restore a sneakers’ sheen after a night of clubbing. Below you will find my top five picks for the summer of 2015.

1. Adidas Stan Smith

2. Adidas Superstar ‘80s Deluxe

3. Nike Air Huarache

4. Vans Sk8-Hi

5. New Balance CT 3000

Tens Sunglasses Tens sunglasses was founded by four Scottish friends. They were inspired to create Tens after a trip through the Scottish Highlands, during the kind of weather that is familiar to us Icelanders: gray and cloudy. After considerable research and testing, Tens was created. What makes Tens sunglasses different from other brands is that they have a kind of photo filter, similar to the kind of filter that

you find on Instagram. Therefore it really doesn’t matter what the weather is like, with Tens sunglasses it’s always sunny and beautiful: It’s like walking around with a real-life photo filter. What could be more fitting during the Icelandic summer, which is often times unpredictable?

Tens are avaible at Eirberg, Öxney and Sturla on Laugavegur.

27 What’s happening

HÁSKÓLABÍÓ FRIDAY 5. JUNE

TICKETS ON SALE AT MIÐI.IS

16

28

What’s happening

alt-J

VodafonehĂśllin june 2nd

29 What’s happening

Cinema

30

What’s happening

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

FÚSI

TOMORROWLAND

CHILD 44

FAST & FURIOUS 7

LAUGARÁSBÍÓ | ÁLFABAKKI KRINGLUBÍÓ | SAMBÍÓIN EGILSHÖLL SAMBÍÓIN AKUREYRI | SAMBÍÓIN KEFLAVÍK

HÁSKÓLABÍÓ | BÍÓ PARADÍS BORGARBÍÓ AKUREYRI

ÁLFABAKKI | LAUGARÁSBÍÓ KRINGLUBÍÓ | SAMBÍÓIN EGILSHÖLL SAMBÍÓIN AKUREYRI SAMBÍÓIN KEFLAVÍK

ÁLFABAKKI

SMÁRABÍÓ

8,8

7,7

6,8

98%

THE WATER DIVINER PITCH PERFECT 2 SMÁRABÍÓ | HÁSKÓLABÍÓ | LAUGARÁSBÍÓ | SAMBÍÓIN KEFLAVÍK BORGARBÍÓ AKUREYRI

7,3

ÁLFABAKKI | SAMBÍÓIN EGILSHÖLL

7,3

61%

68%

6,4

23%

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON ÁLFABAKKI | KRINGLUBÍÓ | SAMBÍÓIN EGILSHÖLL SAMBÍÓIN AKUREYRI | SAMBÍÓIN KEFLAVÍK

ÁLFABAKKI | SAMBÍÓIN EGILSHÖLL SAMBÍÓIN AKUREYRI | SAMBÍÓIN KEFLAVÍK

6,3

74%

HÁSKÓLABÍÓ

SMÁRABÍÓ | HÁSKÓLABÍÓ | LAUGARÁSBÍÓ | BORGARBÍÓ AKUREYRI

7,1

45%

THE AGE OF ADALINE HÁSKÓLABÍÓ | BORGARBÍÓ AKUREYRI

8,0

PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2 SMÁRABÍÓ

6,4

23%

74%

A SECOND CHANCE

BAKK

82%

49%

GOOD KILL

8,0

7,7

74%

SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD

HOT PURSUIT ÁLFABAKKI | KRINGLUBÍÓ | SAMBÍÓIN EGILSHÖLL SAMBÍÓIN AKUREYRI | SAMBÍÓIN KEFLAVÍK

SMÁRABÍÓ | HÁSKÓLABÍÓ BORGARBÍÓ AKUREYRI

6,8

59%

4,7

6%

31 What’s happening

ICELANDIC ARTSCAPES

The artist of Nature Tolli grew up in Reykjavík and rural Iceland, surrounded by cold seas, amidst broad glacier valleys and stern mountains. An Icelander’s relationship with Nature

Tolli Art Gallery is located at the harbour area in the old part of Reykjavík (next to Farmers Market) and there you can find Tolli´s paintings, available in many sizes. All paintings, especially the larger ones are readily sent in special packages to customers worldwide, arranged by the gallery.

is often primal, brutal and grave. Yet Tolli’s appreciation of his country is also subtle and sensitive, portrayed by fleeting textures. He employs oil colours in bold shades, but with the eider-light touch of a water colourist. The images Tolli portrays could be ancient or modern, but they remain timeless, entangled in the powerful authenticity of the artist´s broad vision.

“What makes my country so spell-binding,” explains the artist, “is not simply the

Whales of Iceland

Tolli art gallerí Old harbour Harpa

landscape forms, extraordinary though they are. It is the Arctic light.” Light is life and in Tolli’s world it becomes dynamic and daring, dramatic and eternal.

City Hall Tjörnin

Visit us and enjoy good art in our comfortable and elegant gallery. You are most welcome!

Art reproduction and posters We also offer fine reprints and posters in convenient hard-case tubes that fits in most suitcases.

Hólmaslóð 2 . 107 Reykjavík . tolli@tolli.is

32

What’s happening

Visit Mývatn and experience the geothermal baths.

www.jardbodin.is | tel. 464-4411