Issue 8, 2023

As The Reykjavík Grapevine’s 20th birthday approached, we turned to OG designer Hörður Kristbjörnsson to craft an amazing cover for the occasion. The iconic Beatles lyric “it was 20 years ago today” was brought up and a Grapevine take on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band became the theme. How many faces do

Editorial It Was 20 Years Ago Today

WORDS Catharine Fulton, Editor in Chief

… well, not today. This issue is hitting the streets of Reykjavík on June 16, 2023, but it was actually June 13, 2003, that The Reykjavík Grapevine was first unleashed on an unsuspect ing nation.

Having been working at the Grape vine or trapped within its orbit for 14 of its 20 years, I can venture a guess at what kept it going.

It is intoxicating, inspiring and infuriating to follow the twists and turns of government, the newest creations emerging from Reykjavík’s cultural spheres and the constant changes to society. It’s exhausting, but it’s addictive, scrambling and pushing and chasing and sprinting toward deadlines over and over again.

I moved to Iceland in April 2009 when everything was in absolute shambles. While I was a couple months late to see besuited bankers walking down the streets in tears as the floor fell out from under them, I was just on time to witness a country asking itself “what now?” The Grape vine was here for the before and it’s been here to bear witness to every iteration of the “now,” platforming what deserves celebration, critiquing when necessary and hanging out the dirty laundry that some Icelanders in more privileged positions would prefer to keep hidden from the world within the confines of the Icelandic language.

CATHERINE MAGNÚS DÓTTIR

Catherine studies culture and literature in Iceland and came to the Grapevine for the internship but ended up freelancing for the magazine. When she’s not trying to reconnect with her Icelandic roots, she’s usually watching video essays or attempting to finally come up with that one good story idea that she can actually finish writing.

JÓHANNES BJARKI BJARKASON

Jóhannes Bjarki is a Reykjavík local, straight out of Grafarvogur. Having been active as the frontman of the post-punk band Skoffín and in the post-dreifing art collective, Jóhannes is fascinated by the Icelandic music scene. Among his interests are politics, history and pop culture.

IRYNA ZUBENKO

Iryna is a Ukrainian journalist working at the cross-section of media and technology for the past five years. While still figuring out what to do in life, Iryna’s love of travelling, unspoiled nature and Scandi design has brought her to Reykjavík. One day she’ll write a non-fiction book.

REX BECKETT

DESIGN:

Hörður Kristbjörnsson

PHOTOGRAPHY: Axel Sigurðarson

FLORAL DESIGN: Erla Ósk Sævarsdóttir & Melkorka Bjartmarz

SWEATERS: The Handknitting Association of Iceland

Helming the Grapevine in its 20th year is an honour, though a daunting one, and I often find myself asking “what now?” I’ve participated in so many iterations of the magazine –which you can get a feel for through the editorials of my predecessors on Pages 12-14 – that it can be difficult to pin down what, exactly, the Grapevine needs to be in this day and age.

My favourite Grapevine is one that is taking part in ongoing (and sometimes difficult) conversations, asking questions, celebrating, explaining, critiquing and occasionally asking “what the fuck!?” So we’ll keep scrambling and pushing and chasing and sprinting toward deadline again and again to do just that.

Rex Beckett has been a fixture in the Reykjavík culture scene for over a decade as a longtime music/art writer and as former synthpunk diva Rex Pistols. They are currently working on a series delving into the influence of Garfield on queer millennials.

SHRUTHI BASAPPA

Shruthi Basappa traded the warmth of Indian summers for Arctic winds of Iceland. She’s a food enthusiast masquerading as an architect at Sei Studio and loves obsessive attention to detail. When not leading our Best of Reykjavík food panel, Shruthi can be found trying to become a Michelin restaurant inspector.

OUR STORES IN REYKJAVÍK: FARMERS & FRIENDS

Reykjavík’s Disappearing Theatres

And other things making headlines in recent weeks

distance from 101 to allow moviegoers to finish a smoke or toss back a beverage before grabbing their popcorn and settling in for a couple hours of high-budget entertainment on the big screen. It will be missed.

Hot on the heels of the announced loss of Háskólabíó came news on June 13 that beloved downtown theatre space Tjarnarbíó could close down this fall if the city doesn’t step in.

A WHALE OF A PETITION

It was reported June 8 that Reykjavík cinema Háskólabíó will screen its last films this month after the company operating the facility decided to call it quits. Sena has managed the movie theatre at Háskólabíó for the past 15 years and has terminated its contract with the University of Iceland, citing low attendance at screenings. The cinema will close July 1.

Háskólabíó has been screening films for more than 60 years. It also served as the home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra until construction was completed on Harpa in 2011. It is the prime spot for city dwellers to catch a Hollywood movie without having to haul their asses out to Kringlan or (gasp) the suburbs. We have it on good authority that it’s just the right walking

Theatre director Sara Martí Guðmundsdóttir told the national broadcaster that the theatre needs funding to hire three more full-time staff members and more space to provide the level of programming the city centre deserves. And she has an idea for where that “more space” could come from: the three-storey building next to Tjarnarbíó currently occupied by city government offices.

“Tjarnarbío will close this fall if nothing happens, that’s just the way it is,” she told RÚV. “There are quite a few people in the city who are trying to talk to the ministry, it just happens way too slowly and nothing. Somehow no one wants to take responsibility for this.”

The Grapevine reported on Tjarnarbíó in February, when the theatre was on the receiving end of noise complaints from neighbours and concerns were swirling that it was the NIMBYs that would bring the theatre down.

A petition calling for the end of whaling in Iceland was signed by 360.000 individuals and presented to Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Svandís Svavarsdóttir on June 8, which happens to be World Oceans Day. The petition references “the horrific treatment of animals” and demands an immediate revocation of Hvalur hf.’s whaling licence. As a reminder, Hvalur hf. is the one and only company in Iceland engaging in commercial whaling and it does so at a loss.

The petition was coordinated by the groups Last Whaling Station and Hvalavinir in response to a damning report on the activities of Hvalur’s 2022 commercial whaling season. In the report, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) stated, among other findings, that, of the 148 whales killed in the 2022 season, 73% were female, 11 were pregnant and one was lactating.

Though Hvalur hf. has long maintained that the whales die immediately, the report found that some struggled for life for more than two hours, dozens needed to be shot more than once, and one whale was chased for more than five hours with a harpoon in its back.

Svandís said in May 2023 that there is no legal basis for revoking Hvalur’s fishing licence.

WORDS The Reykjavík Grapevine IMAGE Art Bicnick

FAREWELL TO THEATRES

What The News!?

ONE OF THE FOOD WONDERS OF THE WORLD

ICELANDIC LAMB IS THE FIRST ICELANDIC FOOD PRODUCT TO BE PDO-MARKED

Icelandic lamb has acquired the PDO label, the highest level of geographical indication in Europe, placing it in the company of the world's best-known and most sought-after quality products.

What’s Up With The Icelandic Punk Museum?

We went to the curator for answers

WORDS Catherine Magnúsdóttir

IMAGE Art Bicnick

It ’s a staple on Bankastræti — and pretty hard to miss with its signs, posters, graffiti and speakers blaring symphonies of dissatisfied rage rockers. The Icelandic Punk Museum (Pönksafn Íslands) is both a curiosity and familiar establishment. Seemingly random, but hardly met with a shrug by locals. Meanwhile visitors often appear baffled by the sudden shift in aesthetic between a cute park, a cozy bakery and inviting souvenir shops to the deviant descent down the type of staircase most parents would have taught their kids to stay away from. What’s up with the seemingly random Punk Museum in downtown Reykjavík? We went to its curator, Svarti Álfur, for answers.

keen on letting everybody know who they are – that’s why you don’t find anything on the internet.”

The museum’s opening in 2016 was attended by Johnny Rotten of Sex Pistols fame, who was in town for the Iceland Airwaves festival. But its origins are as fittingly underground as the place itself. Speaking of underground: why open a museum in a public toilet? And where did the toilets go?

The Útlendingur’s Guide To Getting Shit Done

Try your hand at making local friends

on the walls alongside memorabilia and pictures taking visitors through such touchstones in Iceland’s punk history as The Stranglers playing in Laugardalshöll (and the aftermath) and Fræbbblarnir releasing the first Icelandic punk record a year later. A highlight of the exhibition are the pairs of headphones hanging from the ceiling in one room to provide some interaction.

WORDS Catharine Fulton IMAGE Stock

to foster connections with other participants. You will then, presumably, have to engage in conversation with strangers (ahem, future friends!) while engaging in those activities.

“The idea was to keep it a bit of a secret,” Svarti Álfur recounts. “So, there’s one guy who got the idea, he got the means and started to talk to people. Those people sat together and decided how to make it and they made it. They’re not so

“Basically, everything that’s supposed to be here is now somewhere safe,” Svarti Álfur says. “As I understand it, this is a historical monument. It’s one of the first public toilets in Reykjavík, having opened in 1930. They stopped using it around 2000 because of some new regulations about how a public toilet should be. This one had no access for wheelchairs and things like that, so they shut it down. It stood empty for almost 16 years. Then whoever got the place made this museum. They had to take everything out of the place and put it somewhere in a warehouse to keep it safe because it’s all historical.”

Once the place was cleaned out, a different kind of history found its way in via words by Dr. Gunni plastered

“Each is playing a different artist from Iceland connected to the story that we’re talking about,” Svarti Álfur explains. “And we’re talking about the first 15 years of Icelandic punk, so mainly how it came to Iceland and who’s really to blame for the whole shebang that came afterwards.”

Asked about who visits the museum, Svarti Álfur says, “it’s mostly three different groups: nostalgic Punks coming in to compare experiences, curious people and history enthusiasts.” That’s not to say Punk’s dusty and dead, pinned to the museum walls like a butterfly on display.

“Punk nowadays is still going on, there are still hardcore bands coming up, young bands, old bands, it’s still moving, there’s still something going on. And everybody’s got their own story.”

Making new friends in adulthood can be tough. Long gone are the days when you and another eager mini human bond over a shared love of the monkey bars on the school playground or are brought together by parents organising playdates. Add to your age the fact that so many Icelanders have maintained the same close group of friends since they were in playschool, and you’ll soon realise that making local friends is a tough nut to crack.

Seriously, after more than a decade here, my modest social circle consists of far more fellow immigrants than Icelanders, and based on how often the topic of making friends surfaces in expat groups on social media, I know I’m not alone in that reality. The top tips that come up again and again for making friends are to join groups and pursue activities in order

Other tips include marrying an Icelander to inherit their friends through your legal bond (you’ve got them now!) and to have children so that Icelandic parents of your childrens’ friends will at least have to acknowledge your presence. I don’t recommend having children solely for the prospect of making friends, though. It turns out receiving a cursory glance from Hildur’s mamma in the playschool fataklefi is not as socially stimulating as you might have hoped it would be.

So bonding over shared interests or activities seems to be the way to go. But couple it with persistence. Make the first move. Break down their walls. Smother them with your friendship (within reason). Barring that, go back in time and figure out a way to have been born here and befriend people before you’re potty trained.

And don’t get caught up on the idea that you need Icelandic friends. Some of us immigrants are pretty decent company, too.

How The Hell Do I Save For A House?

monthly salary. You need to look at your overall income after taxes. Once you subtract the regular expenses from the net income, then we can start to talk about savings. There may be some opportunities in the markets to increase the net you have at the bottom. You can, of course, try to increase your salary, but then you

payments as tax free down payment or equity contribution for their new real estate and/or tax free payments towards the principal of the mortgage (thereby reducing their monthly mortgage payments) – up to a certain limit. The latter option can not only be used by first time buyers, but other real estate owners as well.

for young people to enter into the market.

What is the other option? You’re renting. You need to weigh the costs and benefits of each option. In some cases, the rent is equally as high as a mortgage payment. But you are paying this money to your landlords and not benefiting by getting an asset in return. Whereas if you’re paying off your mortgage, you can say that you are investing in the house.

people to enter the market, but at the same time, there are more opportunities for savings. People are getting more interest on their savings. Recently, for example, the limitations on indexed savings accounts were relaxed a bit.

Salaries in Iceland have also been increasing quite a lot over recent years. But again, inflation has been rising and the cost of living is increasing from month to month. The sooner you can enter into the market, the better.

With half of Reykjavík’s residents splurging way too much on their monthly mortgage payments and the other half renting all sorts of converted structures – garages, basements, and even closets – the housing market has never looked more gruesome. Trying to crack the code of how one can start saving for a property today, we spoke to Jóhannes Eiríksson, CEO of Aurbjörg, a fintech company that helps to manage personal finances.

GV: WHAT ARE SOME PRACTICAL TIPS FOR HOW ONE CAN SAVE FOR A HOUSE IN ICELAND?

You need to start thinking about savings from the very bottom — what are your savings based on? For most people, they are based on your

need to sit down with your employer and try to negotiate a higher salary. But you can also take a look at your expenses. There are some opportunities in the market to do better. I can take myself for example, I saved 180k ISK per year by switching insurance companies.

It can be beneficial for people to pay extra pension payments (Viðbótarlífeyrissparnaður/Séreignarsparnaður) of their salary each month.

You can choose between 2% and 4% of your gross salary, and if you choose to pay these extra pension payments then your employer is obliged to add 2% on top of their payments (which effectively means a salary increase). First time buyers can then use these extra pension

THE #1 BEST THING TO DO IN THE WORLD

These extra pension payments are an addition to the mandatory pension payments people need to make of their salary each month, and each individual needs to make a decision on whether to make those additional payments or not.

GV: IS IT POSSIBLE TO SAVE FOR A PROPERTY WITH A SINGLE INCOME?

Everything is possible. But realistically speaking, it’s difficult and is becoming more and more difficult, because houses in Iceland are becoming more expensive. Each month, every year inflation is on the rise and has been on the rise. It’s becoming more difficult, especially

If you’re buying a property for the first time, most banks or lenders will need you to have saved a minimum of 15% of the purchase price. If you have a property selling for around 60 million ISK, then you need about 9 million ISK in your bank account. Again, you need to look at your income, your salary and spending. From these variables, you can see how long it would take to save for a house. The housing prices tend to increase in price over

GV: WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN TRYING TO SAVE MONEY?

a longer period of time. A 9 million ISK down payment today, might mean 10, 11 or 12 million in a few years time. You need to take that into account. In the current economic situation, it is extra difficult for young

Look into what you are spending your money on. Do you need to go out for lunch? Or can you eat at home? Do you need all the subscriptions? Netflix, Disney+, Hulu – do you really need that? Can you take the bus or jump on a Hopp rather than owning a car?

Basically, just be conscious about how you’re spending your money.

WORDS Iryna Zubenko

IMAGE Art Bicnick

It is extra difficult for young people to enter the market, but at the same time, there are more saving opportunities.

Look at your income, your salary and spending. From these variables, you can see how long it would take to save for a house.

Money

Moves

“Obviously, try to get as high an income as you possibly can.”

The Upcycling Designer

Hustling, but make it fashion

WORDS Iryna Zubenko

IMAGE Art Bicnick

A sleeping bag jacket or a bedsheet suit? Easy! Waste couture is the specialty of Ross and Rik McNair. Both are employed fulltime, but on the side, they upcycle old clothes and fabric into new items as part of the ENDURTAKK project. The brothers’ creativity knows no bounds.

Ross McNair, 27, salesperson

I work at Verzlanahöllin, where you can rent a space to sell your clothes.

My brother has been doing “fashion” for about 14 years. He wasn’t doing it for two years but when he wanted to get back into it he wanted to do it sustainably, using material that we already have. We started looking at what we had and what we could get. I like wearing this stuff, so why not?

NEW LIFE FOR OLD CLOTHES

At the beginning, we were getting most of the clothes from the Red Cross. Artists can request that they collect stuff for them for a donation. We started doing that for the first

year and also getting it from random places — companies or private people.

When I started working at Verzlanahöllin, I began collecting their lost and found items. Part of the contract is you have to collect your clothes at the end of the rental period. After a certain period, it becomes the store’s property. Then I could take it, bring it here, cut it up, make new stuff and sell it again.

WORD OF MOUTH WAVES

What pushed us to go for it was when we had a meeting with the Red Cross. The woman at the sorting facility said they had shipped over 200 containers of clothing abroad. That’s only from Iceland in just one year. Af-

ter that, we’re like, “Let’s do this.”

We only use material from Iceland. We don’t import any material and we try not to import anything full stop. We sell our clothes mainly on Instagram or just by word of mouth. The other day we were walking to get dinner and some people called out, “Hey, I’ve seen your hat before. Where can I get one?” Occasionally, we also sell at my work. We get requests for custom items all the time. The best example is when someone asked for a unicorn outfit.

CLOSET REVAMP

I didn’t think I could ever sew anything or make clothes. I went to college for electrical engineering, then moved here and did housekeeping.

What I like about the side hustle is that I enjoy making things with my hands from scratch, showing people that what was a pile of fabric two days ago is now a pair of jeans, for example. I only buy second-hand clothing or make my own clothing — if I don’t want to make it, I’ll buy it from my work. That would be my best tip — if you’re going to buy clothing, look at second-hand stores first and see if there’s something you like. My style has completely changed since I started working at Verzlanahöllin.

Want to share how you’re making ends meet? Email us at grapevine@grapevine.is with the subject line “Side Hustle.” We’ll happily keep your identity anonymous.

Hæ Reykjavík, What’s Growing On?

WORDS Iryna Zubenko

IMAGE

Art Bicnick

Heather and Matthew Haynsen, a writer and a geneticist, moved to Iceland from the USA. Now they feel at home at Seltjarnarnes, confidently making strides in learning Icelandic and jokingly refer to themselves as ‘radish connoisseurs.’ The Haynsens know first-hand that green beans won’t thrive in Iceland and advise against investing time and money growing broccoli.

a postdoc here to study cod fish,” he shares. “Part of his job offer was bringing me as well,” Heather adds.

STARTING A GARDEN IN THE NORTH

While combining working and learning Icelandic, the couple has started a vegetable garden and the Instagram account @whatsgrowingon.rvk, where they share their experience of trying to grow vegetables despite the challenging Icelandic climate.

Heather and Matthew have been together for 13 years, almost five of which they’ve spent in Iceland. “When Matthew and I went on our first date, we both mentioned that we like to travel and were listing off places that we wanted to go,” shares Heather. “We only had one place in common out of all the places we listed and it was Iceland.” The couple didn’t forget their dream destination and chose it for their honeymoon in 2017. Just a year later, Matthew landed a PhD position at Háskóli Íslands. “My PhD is in Genetics. I studied invasive plants, but I got

“I always had a garden when we lived together in Baltimore,” shares Heather. “I was never good at it, but I did anyway because it was really fun.” Last year the Haynsens learned about Matjurtagarðar, a municipal programme that rents 600 garden plots for city residents to use. The couple was lucky enough to secure a spot on Þorragata in Reykjavík’s Vesturbær neighbourhood. “You simply rent them from the City of Reykjavík. It costs 5.500 ISK for 20 square metres, and you have it for a year. It’s really affordable,” Heather reveals. With the convenience of running water and a tool shed available at the site, it seems quite a steal. In 2023, the couple decided to expand the garden and applied for a second allotment, with plans to build their own compost factory.

“We love so much about living here in Iceland, but the food prices are just much higher here,” says Mat-

thew. “Getting fresh produce is also more difficult and expensive.” The couple was a part of the Austurlands Food Coop until the subscription fees increased. “We’ve tried to grow some foods that we wouldn’t want to spend the money on, or we can’t afford at Netto or Haugkup, such as the peas,” he adds. “Oh my god, Matthew loves his peas,” Heather cuts in. “I don’t even get to eat them because I drive back to the house, and in five minutes, he’s shelled all the peas and eaten them. He loves them so much. I’m that way with the carrots.” Heather jokes that while carrots are already affordable in grocery stores, nothing compares to the sweetness and crispness of homegrown ones.

ICELANDIC HARVEST

“The growing season here is pretty short because of the soil temperatures,” Heather explains. The season typically starts at the end of May or the beginning of June. With frosts in May not being uncommon in Iceland, one must be cautious because if you put plants in the ground during frost, they will die. Last year, the Haynsens began harvesting in the middle of July and continued until the end of September.

“What we grow here in Iceland in the summer is what most countries consider their winter gardens, which is just how cold Iceland is. It’s cab-

bage, broccoli, potatoes, lettuces,” shares Heather. She adds that not all vegetables can thrive in Iceland’s conditions. “One thing we miss eating here is green beans,” she says. “We tried growing them, and the plants grew, but they were never happy enough to flower.”

Despite the thrill of eating organic produce, growing your own vegetables is not always sustainable. “Last year we grew broccoli,” shares Heather. “From one broccoli plant, you just get one head of broccoli. It takes a lot of space, and after all these months, we just had one head of broccoli — it’s so much cheaper and easier to go to the store.”

“One thing I’ve noticed is that we’re willing to eat a far wider variety of vegetables if we grew them ourselves,” Heather adds. “I got Matthew eating kale for the first time because it’s from the garden. It’s somehow more exciting.”

GARDENING 101

Heather and Matthew agree that you don’t need a garden to start growing – there are plenty of indoor plants you can experiment with. If you don’t have local friends to ask for advice, fellow gardeners from Facebook groups like “Gardening in Iceland” and “Plant Lovers in Iceland” can be of great help.

“There’s no garden police,” Heather laughs. “You don’t need to start from seeds or do anything one specific way. Just do what makes sense to you and run with it because if you find it rewarding, it’s awesome.”

One time the couple’s produce choice did raise eyebrows among Icelanders was then they decided to plant rhubarb. “‘Who in the right mind would buy rhubarb plants?” Matthew cracks up recalling how Icelanders reacted. “You steal some from somebody else’s garden!” Heather is quick to add: “We’re not suggesting that you steal rhubarb. But there are many people who have rhubarb in their yards or their families’ yards that would give you a start.”

FROM BALTIMORE CITY TO SMOKY BAY

Despite the fact that Matthew’s contract at HÍ ended, the couple plans on staying in Iceland. “Politically, we like it better than the US,” says Matthew. “We used to live in a fairly dangerous city in the US. We love to feel safer here.”

“I wouldn’t go out by myself at night. Now, children go out at night. I love it here,” agrees Heather, adding, “Iceland’s not perfect. We say the weather sucks, and the food sucks more. But we’re working to make the food better.”

Islanders

The urban gardeners from Þorragata

Twenty Years Of Grit

WORDS Former Editors

IMAGES Hörður Sveinsson

No Name Emma Svensson

Hörður Sveinsson

Art Bicnick

TV news. Bishop’s speech to parliament. Even threats to both the model and myself – probably sent by those Nazi twins from a small fishing village. Everyone was talking. It was the summer of 2004 and The Grapevine had arrived.

The summer prior we had managed six issues. The second, with a cover interview with the head of the pagan association, felt like the first proper paper. The fourth one, with songwriting legend Megas on the cover, was a personal favourite. We did 48-hour straight shifts but alas for no pay. Poor Jóndi, present publisher but then in charge of selling ads, lost 10 kilos. I would later reclaim them for him.

During that first winter we turned to various pursuits in study and work (this time for pay). It was not at all clear that we would return for another summer. But return we did – and to such stunning success that we nearly approached minimum wage this time.

report straight from a military base in Afghanistan where he was visiting Icelandic troops. Yes, we are a country without an army. Nevertheless, there were firemen and policemen in combat fatigues, carrying assault rifles and sporting the Icelandic flag on their uniforms. This had never been seen before.

During that second winter we kept on going, dropping down to once a month rather than biweekly. Aðalsteinn Jörundsson had joined on the ad front, whose skills in that department would be key to continuing the whole operation. But the entire thing had been very exhausting and by now I had matched Jóndi’s missing kilos and then some. It was time for me to leave and pursue my writing career, which had been the point all along.

I believe the readers understood what we were reaching for – we wanted to build community,we wanted to undercut authority, we wanted people to see and hear things they would usually avoid. I also believe our reach, pretty intentionally, exceeded our grasp.

FROM

A PAGAN CHIEF TO BOBBY FISCHER

It seems like a long time ago that a picture of a black woman in the Icelandic national costume would cause a furore. A long time ago it truly was and furore was duly caused. When it became clear who the intended wearer was – Sheba Ojienda, a woman originally from Kenya – prospective lenders of said costume declined to lend. A costume was nevertheless procured and a cover photo was taken. And when the difficulties around procuring the costume became known, it turned out to be a sensation.

The Reykjavík Grapevine has been coming out non-stop ever since. Considering that every other paper existing in Iceland in 2003 has either gone bankrupt or been refinanced at great cost, this is no small feat. It turns out not paying ourselves paid off.

The issue with Sheba wearing the national costume was certainly the most memorable cover. The article less so, but we were now in a position to make real news. Perhaps the best issue was the last one of that second summer. Kristinn Hrafnsson, now head of WikiLeaks, wrote a

My final cover story, if I recall correctly, was in the spring of 2005 and about the return of Bobby Fischer, the chess-genius and all-round madman fresh out of jail in Japan. He held a memorable press conference, but Fischer would soon become just another strange old man frequently spotted with a plastic bag at the bus stop. He never liked Iceland and died two years after arriving. The paper soldiered on. And still does. My first novel came out in 2007 and my 6th book – my first in English – is out this summer. I will soon be heading to Ukraine to write my 7th.

See you again in the fall. I hope.

Valur Gunnarsson Co-founder and Editor in Chief, 2003-2005

HAVE YOU EVER RIDDEN IN A PINK TWINGO?

The bulk of my experiences at The Reykjavík Grapevine, of course, didn’t make it to print. I write this well past deadline, as is tradition, and my mind is filled with the stories that didn’t make it in. Or stories that would be cut if they did start to get into layout. I think frequently about a bizarre “pink Renault.”

I joined the Grapevine staff very early on, 19 years ago, I think. I remember walking down along Sæbraut, on my way home from work at Iceland Review, and the staff collectively calling to me. “Have you ever ridden in a pink Yaris?” was shouted, and shortly later, a Renault Twingo, light pink in colour, pulled up next to me. It was full with four owners of the magazine, who somehow then squeezed me in to rush me back to the Grapevine office to assist with copy editing. I believe, again, we were behind deadline.

A year later, I left Iceland Review to become the editor of the Grapevine. The vibe of my workplace was always, essentially, a bunch of eager people, lost and late, in a small Renault hoping to get to our destination in time, but always behind deadline and uncomfortable and somewhat unsafe.

There are moments that we connected, when we succeeded. For our small paper, the way the band Sigur Ros welcomed me, first as a journalist and then as an editor, just as they were becoming an international sensation, felt phenomenal. The support of Iceland Airwaves, again as they were finding their footing, allowing us to create daily newspapers and capture a living music festival in print. That was a moment where we struck a vein.

In general, though, my experience was tense, exhilarating, bewildering. Truly, again, imagine walking along a busy urban roadway, tired from a long day of work, and being told you will be placed in a pink Twingo, and then hopping into this tiny car packed with equally tired, ambitious locals, and reeling toward side streets to bypass traffic in the hope that somehow this car, that may have some check engine lights running, can go back in time so you can get a paper to the printer. The moments like that lock in my head.

I hope visitors or longtime readers can experience some of the exhilaration we felt, though I know you also will likely experience the discomfort.

Bart Cameron Editor in Chief, 2005-2006

YOU HAVE BEEN SERVED

I served as editor of the Reykjavík Grapevine for three years. I use the word “serve” here, as editing an underfunded alternative street magazine with a cultural slant is more of a public service than a job. Or a sentence, perhaps. In any case, I am pretty sure none of us did it solely for the paycheque.

A lot has changed since I penned my last editorial. All over the world, print publications are dying and the information that alt-weeklies like The Grapevine provide is often readily available in an app. That’s why I am a little amazed to have this opportunity to submit something for the 20th-anniversary edition of The Reykjavík Grapevine. I remember residing over the publication of the 5th-anniversary issue and feeling things were looking bleak.

More than anything, I think this is a testament to The Reykjavíkians fondness for Their Grapevine. Since its inception, The Reykjavík Grapevine has been an influential presence in both culture and politics in Iceland and a powerful voice for the immigrant community. The magazine has always strived for an ambitious and wide-ranging coverage of topics to demystify the somewhat rosy perception of Iceland and offer alternative viewpoints to current issues. And while the writers are different and the opinions vary, the Grapevine has always held a steady local readership. It has always been there (well, for the last 20 years, at least) to tell us what’s new, what’s coming up, what bands to see and which restaurants to try.

A tastemaker. A kingmaker.

Future music historians will greatly appreciate the consistency with which The Grapevine has documented the Icelandic music scene. No publication in Iceland has dedicated as much energy or space to reviewing albums, dissecting live performances, and interviewing musicians in the last 20 years. The Grapevine makes it possible to recount the story of Icelandic music in the 21st century, a story that might otherwise be almost entirely lost to vanished MySpace pages and forgotten WordPress renewals.

In the last few years, the magazine has attained an even stronger grip on its expertise on what’s good and worthy in this town, with the Best of Reykjavík edition. You’ll see The Grapevine insignia plastered on the doors and display windows of stores and restaurants deemed worthy all over town. For the uninitiated, this is usually a good indicator –The Grapevine’s approval has always been earned.

But this is not adulation for adulation’s sake. The bigger point here is that The Grapevine is an institution that has served Reykjavík for 20 years. We should be grateful for that service. Just as I am grateful for the opportunity I had to serve The Grapevine for three years.

Here’s to another 20 years of The Reykjavík Grapevine.

Sveinn Birkir Björnsson Editor in Chief, 2006-2008

IT’S WONDERFUL TO BE HERE

The Reykjavík Grapevine will always have a special place in my heart.

I moved to Reykjavík with plans to stay for six months, but I wound up staying for nearly six years thanks to this magazine, which gave me the dream job of being its editor.

I found my way to the old office at Hafnarstræti 15 in my early twenties, when I was looking for an internship to meet a requirement for a class I

litical parties that presided over the big banking boom and bust.

About a year after I arrived, I experienced the first of four eruptions. Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano that nobody could pronounce, stranded people all over the world and changed Iceland forever. Fearing that the eruption would have a devastating effect on the economy, the government launched a highly successful PR campaign luring people to the country, where you could dance in our pristine nature to the beat of Emilíana Torrini’s “Jungle Drum.” The budget airline WOW began transporting planeloads of people to the island every day and tourism surpassed fishing as the country’s largest industry. In down-

here, the Icelanders and expats who appreciated our unique window into Icelandic politics and society and our heavy coverage of music and the arts. It was my belief that tourists and Icelandophiles around the world would enjoy reading us as a result. While this magazine has never taken itself too seriously, it has always had its finger on the pulse, and it’s published some serious journalism through the years. We were loved and sometimes hated, but it always felt like what we were doing mattered.

was taking. The magazine took me on as an intern and then hired me as their journalist. It was an exciting time to be in journalism, especially in Iceland at a magazine that didn’t pull any punches. We were about a year into the Great Recession, and people were still banging on pots and pans in front of the parliament building. We printed a lot of stories back then about what happened and why, and whether anybody had learned anything after we voted back into office the very same po-

town Reykjavík, we watched as hotels sprouted everywhere and puffin stores, as we called them, took over our main drag.

As editor during the cusp of the tourism boom, I struggled to accept the changing landscape of a country that I had grown up visiting and loved for its raw, untouched qualities. Despite the influx of tourists who picked up the magazine, I continued to try to print articles that appealed to the people who lived

No day on the job was ever quite the same. The magazine took me to the president’s residence to chat with the incumbent and to the maximum security prison to watch standup comedy with the inmates. I went up into the mountains on horseback to round up sheep and deep down into the chamber of a dormant volcano via one of those lifts that window washers use on skyscrapers. I went rafting down a glacial river, snorkelling between tectonic plates, and surfing in the North Atlantic. I drove all over the country and flew to remote towns in Greenland to take in the breathtaking nature and glimpse another way of life. With each story I worked on, I learned something new and gained experience.

It was tough work, though, to create this magazine. On print day, after several sleepless nights, I would walk up the steps to our office to find our large proofs scattered around the room as writers and interns with fresher eyes than mine looked for typos and layout mistakes. I would sit down and try to write a coherent editor’s letter while

We understand the interest in the culture - but you’d have to be downright weird to be into random news from a cold island in the middle of nowhere.

our equally sleepless designer worked opposite me on articles that inevitably came in late. Sometimes it couldn’t be helped, such as when a big political or geological event derailed our best laid plans. It was chaos, but we somehow always made it to the printer.

At some point I realised I was measuring the passage of time in the increment of issues, and the issues grew larger in size every year. My life was attuned to our print schedule. With each issue, the pressure mounted until we went to press, and then it would subside for a few days before it would mount again, in

a cycle that repeated itself like this for years. As I reflect on the nearly 60 issues I sent to the printer, I know it was only possible because this magazine was surrounded by a large community of smart, creative contributors. I worked with so many amazing writers, designers, photographers and illustrators, and it’s thanks to them that this magazine endured.

It’s hard to fathom that it’s been a decade since we were working on our 10-year anniversary issue, busy tracking down a cover star from each year of the magazine’s existence for a cover shoot together. I’m

not sure where the time went, but I’m thrilled to see that The Reykjavík Grapevine is thriving at this milestone and that so many of my old colleagues are still involved or have returned to it after a hiatus. This is a special place where you make lifelong friendships with the most incredible people, and where the work feels meaningful. To the team now putting their hearts into this magazine, thank you for keeping it going.

Although it’s a lot of fun, I’m sure it’s still also largely a labour of love.

Anna Andersen Editor in Chief, 2012-2015

EXPLORE UNSEEN ICELAND

THE KING OF NICHE

I was in my early 20s when The Reykjavík Grapevine first caught my attention. It felt like that nerdy friend of yours that has an unhealthy interest in Mogwai and Trabant. But it turns out that this nerdy friend wasn’t as lonely and misunderstood as you thought. The paper hit a nerve and quickly became a home for Icelandic music. Perhaps what’s more important, it became a window into Icelandic culture, which had been locked away from the rest of the world. It also turned out that we had a lot to offer.

When I was hired as an editor in chief in 2017 I was thrilled. I used to

But then came the goddamn pandemic.

We started experimenting with videos and YouTube, telling the news or just sharing the quirks of Icelanders. Again, what a weird niche. We understand the interest in the culturebut you’d have to be downright weird to be into random news and odd behaviour from a cold island in the middle of nowhere.

But, it turns out that The Reykjavík Grapevine is the king of niche. Of course, the volcano in Fagradalsfjall helped a little bit. But we all know that the true star of the show was an odd little border-collie/dachshund mix. Making this enterprise the ultimate hat trick of niche. Icelandic news, volcanoes with names that are impossible to pronounce, and an enthusiastic dog.

Still, at our best, we had 3 million watching in a month, making our YouTube station by far the most popular show in Iceland at that time.

Pollý and I became the superstars that nobody in Iceland knew existed, and we became an important part of people’s lives all around the world. Something that the whole magazine benefited from heavily during the pandemic, at a time when it was

work as a journalist and was more than ready to dive into the most dangerous field of journalism: culture.

The magazine was, at that time, in its teens, and like a proper 90s Icelandic teenager, it was out partying all the time, dead-drunk, flipping the finger at random passersby, but lacked some direction. The first feeling as I started my work was how capable the journalists at the magazine were. And how hilarious –something that always spread to the sheets of the magazine in the form of a cheeky joke.

The staff was incredibly talented, which made my job a bit too easy. We opened the paper up and offered more variety in culture. Tried to get around the visual arts as well as literature. I hope we did a good job.

Iceland has such a vast variety of cultures to offer. At times, we felt like that frantic Mogwai fan; we wanted to convince the whole world that Icelandic culture was incredible.

impossible to rely on the good business model of ads.

I’ll be honest though, I’m a bit glad it’s over. I learned a lot from this. Mostly that with hard work, a bit of luck, a charming sidekick, an incredible photographer, insanely smart and fun staff, and a supportive manager you can make everything work. On top of that, the interns at The Reykjavík Grapevine always exceeded all of our expectations – a wonderful addition to everything we did.

The Reykjavík Grapevine is the most important (and possibly the last) cultural magazine in Iceland. Not only for the obvious reason of being a window for the world to see what’s happening in Iceland, but because it has heart. And that’s something you don’t see often in the media landscape.

Valur Grettisson Editor in Chief, 2017-2022

We did 48-hour straight shifts but alas for no pay. Poor Jóndi, present publisher but then in charge of selling ads, lost 10 kilos. I would later reclaim them for him.

The Grapevine’s Top Picks

HÆ HÓ JIBBÍ JEI 17TH OF JUNE OMNIBUS

All over Reykjavík! Free

Even though Iceland’s National Day falls on a Saturday and we don’t get an extra day off, it’s still a reason to go out and celebrate. Icelanders love their 17 Júní and if you’re not from here, it’s a good chance to see how things are done over here. It’s not the 4th of July, but we’ve got a troll!

The festivities will start at 11:10 at Austurvöllur with the festive speech and wreath laying at the statue of Jón Sigurðsson by President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson. The 2023 Fjallkonan, or the Lady of the Mountains, will be revealed soon after. Next up is the traditional parade from Hallgrímskirkja to Hljómskálagarður at 13:00. With clowns and trolls, it’s not your average national parade, take our word for it.

Following the parade, the crowd will slowly move to Hljómskálagarður and Klambratún where festivities will take place: entertainment programme for kids, food trucks and a concert headlined by Bogomil Font and the Millionaires, almost-Eurovision heroes Langi Seli and the Shadows, and pop-fave bands FLOTT and Inspector Spacetime. For those preferring to stay away from the crowds in a more sophisticated setting, Reykjavík City Hall will host an accordion ball between 15:00 and 16:30.

In addition to the downtown festivities, there’ll be a few more things happening all over the city. National costume and folk dance lovers are invited to check out the programme at Árbær Open Air Museum. For more tips on what to do on June 17, check out the programme on reykjavik.is.

So stroll down Laugavegur, grab a candy floss and a mylar balloon of a minion, crack open a Gull or Appelsín and feel the Icelandic spirit enter your soul! IZ/RX

Fringe On Top!

WORDS Rex Beckett

IMAGE

Provided by RVK Fringe Festival

resident and performer Andrew Sim, who regularly hosts the Alternative Assembly showcase nights as his character Linda, “a crazy old old lady who is scary but also very relatable and plays with the audience.”

about. Check these out and head over to rvkfringe.is for the full schedule.

ICE AGE & FACTORY

Sloboda-Bolton, who found their correspondences from 1945. Jumping between 1945 and present day, it’s an inter-generational love story for the ages.

RISE

When you live on the fringe, anything goes. At least that’s the way things go at the RVK Fringe Festival, one of the hundreds of global fringe festivals all stemming from their great foremother in Edinburgh. Back for its sixth year, the Reykjavík-wide festival is the largest its ever been and bringing some big names, both local and international, along for the ride. Taking place June 26 to July 2 at over a dozen venues in downtown Reykjavík, the RVK Fringe Festival truly has something for everyone.

“I think Reykjavik is a sleeping giant when it comes to Fringe festivals,” says Andrew. “It could become one of the places people absolutely want to come to preview their shows before they do Edinburgh, because of the amount of great venues and great rooms that could be transformed and the amount of tourists in the city at the time that we’re doing it.”

The chaotic nature of Reykjavík’s venue bookings and cultural life make it somehow easier for a Fringe event to go on, given that it relies so much on spontaneity and on-thestreet word of mouth. The festival team are using that to their fullest

Taiwan-based contemporary dance company RIDT are bringing two dance shows that sound absolutely stunning and truly unique. “ICE AGE” is a disabled-led, international collaborative dance piece created by visually impaired choreographer Chang Chung An and disabled French choreographer Maylis Arrabit. It’s a story about how loneliness and curiosity attract people into another space and time seeking empathy and consideration during the pandemic. Their second show “Factory” is an experimental work not only referring to literal factories, but also as a metaphor for life, expressing the hardships and challenges of living within a factory space.

SHOES

A one-woman show by queer interdisciplinary dance artist Kristen Helen Poppe, the show “Shoes” queers the boundaries placed on us by society through dance and story-telling. Incorporating five dance styles that all use a different type of footwear (Tap, Irish, Flatfooting, Ballet and Modern), Kristen takes us through her genre-defying journey of life, dance and queerness.

MARY & MIETEK

After wowing the 2022 edition of RVK Fringe Festival with her show “Shattered”, Diana Varco is back with “Rise,” an intense and dramatic storytelling performance. Full of magical realism and lightened by sound and movement, the solo play is just Diana and three empty chairs on an otherwise bare stage. Bringing up issues of trauma, substance abuse, existentialism and childhood rage, Diana brings out her many difficult parts with poignant commentary and searing comedy. “Rise calls the viewer to dive deep into the very concept of rage, judgment and self-sabotage,” says Diana. “To cultivate compassion for ourselves and others, find strength in our stories and discover hope in the moments that hurt us the most.”

TRANSHUMANCE

If you’ve never dipped your toes in the Fringe festival waters, it’s a platform that hosts performing arts of all kinds, from standup and theatre to cabaret, dance, spoken word, circus acts and more. The styles and shows are wide-ranging and as rule-breaking as the festival’s name implies. This year’s festival is co-directed by part-time Iceland

advantage this year, sending their team of 50-plus volunteers out to hoot and holler at passers by and steer them to the dozens of shows and showcases.

The full festival program is still being curated and will hit the world wide web soon, but we’ve gone ahead and picked out some of the hot happenings that we’ve been hearing

After a full-scale run in London in 2022, the Katla Theatre Company are bringing their award winning show “Mary & Mietek” to Reykjavík for its international debut. Written by Maria Laumark in collaboration with Abi Smith and the company, the show is based on the real love letters of the grandparents of one of the company’s associates, Charlie

Taking a surreal journey through the landscape of gender, award-winning queer clown Ania Upstill explores the meaning of being a trans human, or simply human, within a society that wants to constrain us with binary concepts. As a genderqueer and queer performer, Ania delivers a heartfelt and physical journey through and around gender norms, full of joy and buoyancy. In a time when the conversation around gender are so tender and often heated, Ania’s clowning brings some much needed beauty and humour around the subject. “We make art that celebrates the beauty of embracing your authentic self, because visible joy is a political act in the struggle for equality,” says Ania.

I think Reykjavik is a sleeping giant when it comes to Fringe festivals. It could become one of the places people absolutely want to come to preview their shows before they do Edinburgh.

The RVK Fringe Festival is ready to take over the city

Katrín

Elvarsdóttir

Operation Napoleon: A Glacier Thriller

WORDS

Iryna Zubenko

IMAGES Art Bicnick , Juliette Rowland

06.05.–08.07. Fimmtíu plöntur fyrir frið

Fifty Plants for Peace

Icelandic movies have been exploring various genres with great success in recent years. These days, it’s not uncommon to come across a Nordic noir film from our small island or even find the occasional Icelandic comedy screening at your local cinema. But an Icelandic thriller? The idea was unheard of until just recently, when it came to life through Operation Napoleon (Napóleonsskjölin), Óskar Þór Axelsson’s latest feature.

THE BOOMERANG EFFECT

With a budget spanning over 6 million euro, local and international cast (Vivian Ólafsdóttir, Jack Fox, Iain Glen, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), scenes shot on a glacier and abroad, and expensive props, Operation Napoleon is believed to be the most expensive Icelandic film ever made.

The film is based on an eponymous best-selling book by Icelandic crime fiction writer Arnaldur Indriðason. In a fascinating series of events, Óskar Þór Axelsson had plans for the book way before he even became a film director. “I read the book in the year 2000, or maybe 1999,” he recalls. “I had done some commercials at that point, but not movies. It was very hard in those years to get practice as a filmmaker. I called up the publisher and asked about the rights. The rights were taken, so I couldn’t do anything. Twenty years later, it came back to my table.”

The book tells the story of a German airplane crashing on a glacier in Iceland in 1945. As the book Operation Napoleon gained popularity

across Europe and was translated into multiple languages, ownership of the film rights passed to various individuals throughout the years. According to Óskar, a German publisher acquired the rights in the early 2010s and had been working on it since then.

“We did a few revisions of the script, but the main idea was there when I came on board. It has happened pretty quickly,” says Óskar. “Other movies did not happen this quickly.”

ICELANDIC THRILLER ODYSSEY

What was it about Arnaldur Indriðason’s book that initially piqued Óskar’s interest in Operation Napoleon? “You have to understand that 20 years ago, it was before all of these Icelandic crime books. Arnaldur was kind of the first one. Icelandic people weren’t used to reading these kinds of stories that take place here. I remember just reading it and being very excited — a fast paced thriller that takes place in Reykjavík? I had never read anything like this,” he shares.

fast-paced thriller that takes place in Reykjavík? I had never read anything like this.

Óskar admits he drew inspiration from old action thrillers, in particular movie adaptations of Alistair MacLean’s novels: “That’s what Arnaldur told me, he said this is an Alistair MacLean movie.”

The major difference between the film and the book is the fact that the film takes place in modern times — there’s no American military base in Iceland anymore, one can see familiar buildings in downtown Reykjavík and even Kringlan in the background. The story follows lawyer Kristín, entangled in a series of unforeseen circumstances when her brother discovers the remains of a World War II plane atop Vatnajökull glacier.

RIDERS ON THE SNOW

The most action-packed part of the film takes place on the glacier — here’s where another typical Icelandic angle manifests: a snowmobile chase and villains dressed in snowsuits. Despite the story taking place on Vatnajökull, Operation Napoleon was actually shot on Langjökull, Iceland’s second largest glacier.

“It’s more accessible and we found a really good location there,” Óskar explains, saying it’s very difficult to shoot on the glacier, because of unpredictable weather, complicated logistics and safety procedures.

“Glacier days were by far the most expensive days,” says Óskar. The

shooting of Operation Napoleon took place in April, when the glacier was sturdy enough to drive on, even though, just in a month, the weather deteriorated and complicated trans portation and pick-up.

We were actually quite lucky with the weather on the glacier,” Óskar admits. “It has the biggest potential to be a disaster.”

Óskar believes that setting the story in modern time rather than making a period film was the right decision. This way, the film touches upon themes that are more relevant today, such as melting glaciers and the place of the US in the world.

UNTOLD STORIES

Experimenting with genres is not new for Óskar. His directorial portfo lio includes crime film (Svartur á leik series Stella Blómkvist few episodes of the award-winning series Trapped

“I love finding stories that I haven’t

I love finding stories that I haven’t seen done here. This is the challenge that I really have loved doing.

Rewind

The Hidden Björk Interview

On quick thinking and never turning down an interview with the queen of Iceland

WORDS Sveinn Birkir Björnsson IMAGE The Grapevine Archives

For issue 5, 2007 we were having problems with the concept for the cover. It just didn’t come together the way we wanted it to and eventually we scrapped the idea. This was two days before going to print, so we had to scramble to come up with a new concept. Earlier in the process of putting the issue together, we had been offered an interview with Björk, which we declined. It came in late in the production cycle and we felt we wouldn’t be able to do it properly in the short time we had, plus we wouldn’t have an opportunity to do a photo session.

At the last minute, our lead designer, Gunnar Þorvaldsson and I came up with a new idea for a cover. I got on the phone with Björk’s people and she agreed to answer a few questions for us via email. We got her answers back on the day we were shipping to print. We put the lightly edited interview on the cover and shaded the letters to form an image of Björk. We called it the Hidden Björk Interview, as it did not appear anywhere else in the issue. A true cover story, if ever there was one.

The Hidden Björk Interview • By Sveinn Birkir Björnsson • Björk’s new album, Volta, will be released this May 7. It is her first studio album in three years. The release has generated quite a level of anticipation among loyal Björk fans and early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. In support of her new release, Björk has embarked on a world tour. The Grapevine caught up with Björk as she was sitting poolside in California, enjoying the sun in preparation for her performance at the Coachella Music Festival the following day, and posed a few questions. • • There is long list of famous guest contributors on this album – Timbaland, Mark Bell from LFO, Konono n°1, Antony Hegarty from Antony and the John- sons, Toumani Diabate, Min Xiao-Fen, Chris Corsano and Brian Chippen- dale from Lightning Bolt – did you write the album with that in mind? • BJÖRK: No, not exactly. I never plan that far ahead really. It was more just improvised as we went along. • How do you go about preparing for a long tour like this one? • BJÖRK: I practiced with the band for about a month beforehand. Then I just threw a few dinner parties and said good-bye. I did try to do some running to prepare the lungs, but there really was not enough time. Usually it is the same old method that always works best: jump off the deep end! • Just before the tour started you added a brass sec- tion of ten girls (the Brass Girls) to your live setting. Was this planned long before, and did you need to change many arrangements to make the brass section work? • BJÖRK: Well, I first started working with brass on the score for Drawing Restraint 9, but that was more kind of abstract, ambient stuff. Then I became very interested in making music that was more kind of pop-music with brass, so I started to sample the brass stuff from the Draw- ing Restraint 9 project. Then I wrote brass arrangements for more songs and I recorded it with a brass section, including the Brass Girls. So, it was not really done in a hurry. It has been a slow development since 2005. But we had to re-arrange some of my old songs for a brass section, so the Brass Girls have been madly busy… • Recently, on the first date of your world tour in Laugardalshöll, Reykjavík, you dedicated the song Declare Inde- pendence to the Faeroe Islands and Greenland. Did you write that lyric with those countries in particular in mind? • BJÖRK: Yes and no. I became very interested in writing lyrics that were both very personal and very po- litical at the same time. Me speaking to a friend for example, and saying to her: “declare independence!” I, at least, thought it would be funny. I also think that political lyrics are quite possibly the lamest lyrics you can find, that is why I thought it would be an exciting challenge to do it well. But I can wholeheartedly say that I think it is preposterous that those countries are still colonies. • When did you become interested in the independence struggle in the Faeroe Islands and Greenland? • BJÖRK: Do not all Icelanders take interest in how nations fare that are in the same spot that we once were? • Will you dedicate this song to the Faeroe Islands and Greenland in Roskilde (Denmark), and do you expect a strong reaction from Denmark (the ruling nation of the Faeroe Islands and Greenland) if you do? • I don’t know. We will just have to see. We have 40 songs rehearsed and ready and we will just have to see what we will think is appropriate then. • There is a competition for your fans to make a video to Innocence, one of the new songs on Volta. How did the idea come about and are you going to select the best proposal yourself? • BJÖRK: I just needed to break out of the usual pattern, to do something a little more unpredictable. But yes, I intend to select the winner myself. • For more info on the Björk tour dates and the video competition, visit: www.myspace.com/bjork

On Why One Founds

The Reykjavík Grapevine

Sometime over the past 20 years, the reason became clear

WORDS Jón Trausti Sigurðarson IMAGES The Grapevine Archives

Both of us thought this a splendid idea, and once sobered up again, we went out to buy pens and paper and then proceeded to sketch out a mock up of how a Reykjavík alternative tabloid should look. So I guess it was not only boredom that influenced the founding of The Reykjavík Grapevine. There was also an existential crisis, as far as those go for two 20 year old privileged Western European dudes.

Remember boredom? That thing that could happen to you before Steve Jobs gave us all an iPhone to stare at all day? The origins of this magazine stem from that. Boredom. I was 20. I was a temporary resident of Prague along with my dear friend Hilmar Steinn. He had decided we should move there for the winter after we graduated from Menntaskóli together in the spring of 2002. I drifted along since I had no other plans. We eventually moved into a small apartment in the suburbs, did some travelling around eastern Europe and the Balkans, but mostly just stayed put. We didn’t get jobs. Didn’t even try. The pay we thought was so low, that it didn’t seem worthwhile. So we drank beer, flâneured, got bored.

Prague had an expat community of English speakers. Some of these had decided to found a fortnightly alternative tabloid called The Prague Pill. We read it and used it to navigate Prague’s bars and clubs, and to find things to do to stave off boredom.

Time passed. Our tenure in Prague was coming to an end and reality in

We moved back. Took some odd jobs. Eventually we rented a cellar on Blómvallagata, in 101 Reykjavík for about 25.000 a month and dragged our school pal and all around genius Oddur into the mix. Found a couple of graphic design students to work on the layout, one of them called Hörður, and hung up printed ads for writers in various downtown bars and fast food joints. That’s how we found Valur, the first editor. He read our ad while snacking on a Nonnabátur. Add Hilmar’s then girlfriend, photographer Aldís, and we had a team to put together the first summer of The Reykjavík Grapevine. Putting out the first issue was a real struggle, not least because none of us knew the first thing about publishing and we simply improvised as we went along, each of us learning where their strengths lay. For example, I remember waking up early on the first publication day to receive 20.000 copies of our first issue, fresh from the printing press and then thinking, “wait, how do we distribute this?” We just figured it out.

In 2003 the media environment, in Iceland and the rest of the world, was very different from what it is now. The internet was there and you could have your own blog, but there was no social media and if you wanted your opinion or ideas to have an impact you still had to do so through the old mediums; newspa-

June 3 – June 27 Inspired by Icelandic Nature By Textile Artist Heidi Strand

Listhús Ófeigs

Iceland was about to hit us again. We had not figured out what to do when we arrived back, but we both figured that we’d have to move to Reykjavík and probably get jobs. Or go to school. Or at least we subconsciously did. I can’t remember having a discussion about it. Neither of us had lived in Reykjavík before. It was all new. Scary. It was during those last weeks that the idea of founding The Reykjavík Grapevine was formed. We were, yet again, bored and drunk at a bar called Popo Café Petl in downtown Prague. In conversation, either me or Hilmar (neither remembers which) suggested that we should simply make a Reykjavík version of The Prague Pill.

pers, television and radio. These had their gatekeepers. Their standards. Their own ideas about what was fit for publishing. It didn’t dawn on me at least, until a couple of years into publishing this magazine, how valuable it was to be able to publish things that would probably never make it into other local media. I can’t remember ever being bored during the first months and years of publishing this magazine, but it was only well after founding it, that I realised why it should have been founded in the first place: to embrace the alternative, to avoid mainstream narratives, to be a positive influence. To have something to say. To be helpful, insightful, but never comfortable.

Skólavörðustígur 5 101 Reykjavík

Opening hours: Mon – Fri 10AM – 6PM Sat 11AM – 4PM

Free Entry

I remember waking up early on the first publication day to receive 20.000 copies of our first issue and then thinking, “wait, how do we distribute this?”

Centre Map

We're here to fill you in on our personal favourite places around town – and a few to consider avoiding.

Dining

1 NAPOLI Tryggvagata 24

We love places that do one thing and do them damn well. This takeaway place is a case in point. Napoli offers sourdough Neapolitan-style pizzas with a menu to match – think margherita, quattro formaggi, parma, calzone – plus vegan options and magnificent sandwiches. Look out for their lunch offer, every day from 11:30 to 15:00. JT

2 G AETA GELATO Aðalstræti 6 & Hlemmur Mathöll

Gaeta Gelato is at the centre of a heated ongoing debate at the Grapevine office about who makes the best ice cream in the country. For those keen on the deep tastiness of Italian gelato, this place is IT. They are also located right smack downtown, so you can take that icecream for a stroll – we suggest a stroll to their other location for another scoop. JT

3 PLANTAN Njálsgata 64

This cute little neighborhood cafe is 100% vegan and does a few things right: their soup of the day menu updates every week and uses seasonal produce, they mastered the plantbased cheese bun recipe to perfection, and this might be the most hearty vegan brunches in town. Look out for the daily bun and coffee deal, it truly is like a warm hug. IZ

4 BR AUÐ & CO. Frakkastígur 16 (and other locations)

If you’re dying to have some of the finest pastry, look no further than Brauð & Co. Although the bakery has several locations around town, our hearts are devoted to the Frakkastígur one. You have to try their pretzel croissants, vegan cinnamon rolls, and weekend specials. There’s nothing quite like sitting on a bench at the intersection of Njálsgata, Frakkastígur, and Kárastígur, sipping coffee and enjoying the sun. A true weekend essential! (Beware of windy weather, as some of our team members may or may not have had their pastry stolen by the wind at that exact spot.) IZ

5 CAFÉ BABALÚ

Skólavörðustígur 22

This quirky café hangout is a great choice when you’re looking for a cozy, chill experience. Decked with kitschy decor and plush chairs, the café is perfect for a refuge from an instant shower of rain. If you’re looking to snuggle up with a book and a good cup of coffee, look no further. JB

6 BAN THAI

Laugavegur 130

The absolute GOAT – as they say – in Thai cuisine in Reykjavík. Ban Thai’s menu is dotted with little symbols of chili, denoting the spice level of each course. You’re welcome to order a level-5 chili course, but do so at your own risk. JB

7 GR ÁI KÖTTURINN Hverfisgata 16a

This no-nonsense downtown staple has been serving Reykjavík dwellers quality breakfast food since 1997. Tucked away in a cute cellar, the diner boasts retro Icelandic design charm, while its menu is far from outdated. Pancakes, bagels, and frying oil all have their special place at Grái Kötturinn. As Grái Kötturinn closes at 14:30 every day, it’s not a place for nighthawks, but early-birds. JB

8 CHICKPEA Hallveigarstígur 1

This Mediterranean-inspired restaurant is a great place for a quick bite. Servings are generous and the food nutritious, meaning you’ll go full well into the day. They do wraps, falafels, and all kinds of salads exceptionally well. Prices aren’t extremely steep, but nothing to write home about either. JB

9 KRÓNAN Hallveigarstígur 1 & more locations

If you’re ever in a pinch while looking for something cheap to eat if you’re downtown just go to Krónan and pick out some flatkökur. Flatkökur goes great with everything. Be it the Mediterranean/Icelandic fusion of lathering some with hummus, or turn it into a poor-man’s pizza with pizza sauce and cheese. Honestly, the flatkaka is an empty canvas for you to paint your wildest dreams on. JB

Drinking

10 APERÓ VÍNBAR

Laugavegur 20b

A wine bar that is both opulent and accessible? Yes please. The small team at Aperó remember the orders of regulars and make first-timers feel like regulars. If you know what you like, Aperó will tick your boxes; and if you’re new to wine, the sommelier will soon unite you with your ideal glass. CF

11 KEX HO STEL

Skúlagata 28

The former biscuit factory now serves as a trendy hostel, with a bar, restaurant, and a live concert space. There’s always something going on, and if not, it’s a great spot to grab those after-work drinks. With a rotation of foreign tourists who stumble onto a heavy metal show happening in the restaurant, you’re always bound for an enjoyable experience. JB

12 KAFFIBARINN Bergstaðastræti 1

No words are needed for Kaffibarinn. The hangout spot for the who’s who of Reykjavík. Frequented by Blur members in the 90s, drug dealers, and middle-managers, Kaffibarinn is an establishment in itself. JB

13 VITABAR Bergþórugata 21, Iceland

If you’re staying in Reykjavík more than a few days, you ought to find your own dive bar – this is ours. It seems like the time froze at Vitabar, but we love it that way. People come for their famous blue cheese burger, but stay for a few pints and delicious fries. Sometimes I wish Vitabar discovered craft beer, but I go back nevertheless – for a late night bite and Thule on draft. IZ

14 VÍNSTÚKAN TÍU SOPAR Laugavegur 27

There are a few bars in Reykjavík that have learned how to do wine right, and Vínstúkan Tíu sopar, although located in the middle of the chaos and tourist buzz of Laugavegur, is one of them. Craving Pét-nat? In the mood for orange wine? Ready to explore small Slovenian wineries? You name it – the bar’s staff will be ready to come up with suggestions that will suit any pocket. Don’t get me started on their small bites to pair with wine – I’m already dreaming about their grilled peppers and torched broccoli with salted lemon. IZ

Shopping & Activities

15 BÍÓ PARADÍS Hverfisgata 54

Sometimes the smell of popcorn fills the air of Hverfisgata, as if beckoning you to come inside. You succumb and find yourself in the cutest art house cinema with colourful posters on the walls and vintage-looking bar straight outta Wes Anderson movie. There’s always a film screening and you rarely need to book tickets in advance, so enjoy the old school walk-in experience and one of the best Happy Hours in town. IZ

Random Spots

16 EINARSGARÐUR Laufásvegur 79

This little green space nestled into the curving juncture of Laufásvegur and Gamla Hringbraut is an oasis in the city. Exposed to full sun seemingly all the time, it’s a peaceful spot to stroll through, climb trees, luxuriate on the grass or toss the ball for your four-legged friend. Don’t do that last thing, though. It’s not allowed. CF

Be Warned

17 101 BISTRO Austurstræti 3

The bistro on the corner of Ingólfstorg and Austurstræti that has a plaque outside saying, “Come in and try the worst [insert popular food item] that one guy on Tripadvisor said we had”, or something like that. It’s a trap, do not go there. That plaque has been in the same spot ever since Hrunið. RG

18 SBARRO Austurstræti 17 & Vatnsmýrarvegur 10

“What is this shit?” is how Greil

Marcus famously opened his review of Bob Dylan’s 1970 album in Rolling Stone. It is appropriate here. It looks like pizza, it is sold as pizza, it’s priced like foie gras, but it tastes like salted shit. Avoid. RG

19 REYKJAVÍK FISH RESTAURANT Tryggvagata 8

Our beef with this place has to do with their “plokkari” (Traditional Icelandic Fish Stew). The fish stew is what you make out of fish leftovers and potatoes, adding bechamel sauce, topped with cheese and then baked. It’s generally a good dish, a great way to avoid wasting food and it costs next to nothing to make. Taste wise, there is nothing wrong with how Reykjavík Fish makes their “plokkari”, the problem is that the volume you get for the price is unacceptable; a tiny cast iron pan of fish stew for 2.690 ISK. An outrage. RG

20 LEBOWSKI BAR

Laugavegur 20a

A joke that’s gone too far. The longest lasting theme bar that sprung up during a theme-bar craze many years ago. The Dude does not abide. RG

Vesturbæjarlaug Swimming Pool

Havarí

Álfheimar 6

This cultural hub first opened in Reykjavík 2009, where artists were given a platform to display their work and art was made easily accessible for people walking by. Since then, the phenomenon has taken many shapes and forms. It’s been a farm in the east of Iceland, a guest house, concert venue and even produced various snacks and Bulsur, the only Icelandic vegan hot dog. Now, Havarí has opened in a brand new location in Álfheimar 6. Gallery exhibitions, concerts and happenings are to be expected, along with colourful posters and merchandise dedicated to the late Prins Póló, one of Havarí’s founding members. Our mission is to bring art, music and people closer together, and to generate warmth and good times.

Opening hours: Mon - Fri 11:00 - 18:00

11:00 - 14:00 Closed on Sunday

Art Exhibitions 16.06–29.06

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

Opening

Ongoing

ANNABELLE’S HOME

Laura Skehan – Home as Land, Home as Island: Traversing Cultures

Film installation

RUNS UNTIL JUNE 29

ÁSMUNDARSAFN (REYKJAVÍK ART MUSEUM)

GALLERY PORT

KOLLEGAR / COLLEAGUES

Multidisciplinary group exhibition RUNS UNTIL JUNE 29

GALLERY UNDERPASS

Helgi Hjaltalín & Pétur Örn –Markmið XVI

Photography

RUNS UNTIL JULY 15

HAFNARHÚS (REYKJAVÍK ART MUSEUM)

D48: Dýrfinna Benita Basalan –

Chronic Pain

Mixed media

RUNS UNTIL AUGUST 20

Kaleidoscope: Icelandic 21st Century

Art

Multidisciplinary group exhibition

RUNS UNTIL DECEMBER 31

Habitations

An exhibition of miniature apartments created by 4th graders from Garðabær

RUNS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 10TH

At Home in the Design Museum

Over 200 examples of Icelandic design from 1900 to the present RUNS UNTIL MARCH 2026

ÁSMUNDARSALUR

Veronika Geiger & Hallgerður

Hallgrímsdóttir

The exhibition titled ‘First Glimpse (Ag)’ will showcase the results of the collaborative photography workshop where the artists Hallgerður Hallgrímsdóttir and Veronika Geiger built their own room-sized camera.

OPENS JUNE 17

RUNS UNTIL JULY 17

Geirþrúður Finnbogadóttir Hjörvar

A showcase of the latest design works by artist Geirþrúður Finnbogadóttir Hjörvar.

OPENS JUNE 22

RUNS UNTIL JULY 16

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ICELAND

The Thought of Drawing

The art collection of Ingibjörg Guðmundsdóttir and Þorvaldur Guðmundsson features approximately 300 drawings by Jóhannes S. Kjarval, showcasing his diverse range of subjects and techniques throughout his career.

OPENS JUNE 17

RUNS UNTIL OCTOBER 1

Mentor: Ásmundur Sveinsson and Carl Milles Sculpture.

RUNS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 9

BERG CONTEMPORARY

Katrín Elvarsdóttir – Fifty Plants for Peace

Photography RUNS UNTIL JULY 8

EINAR JÓNSSON MUSEUM

Einar Jónsson – Sculpture Works & Garden

Sculpture

PERMANENT EXHIBITION

GALLERY FOLD

Ásta Sigurðardóttir – Dúkristur

Paintings, drawing, design and poetry

RUNS UNTIL AUGUST 31

GALLERÍ GÖNG

Kristín Tryggvadóttir –SUMARSMELLUR

Paintings

RUNS UNTIL MID-JULY

GALLERÍ GRÓTTA

Björg Eiríksdóttir – FJÖLRÖDDUN

Paintings, drawings, video, and textile works

RUNS UNTIL AUGUST 18

Art Picks

This is a Good Place

Monday June 19, 19:00 &

Sunday June 25, 14:00

Tjörnin, starting at Iðno Free

A few weeks ago, a woman was accosted by the police in a downtown park for gesturing wildly. It turns out she was living her best life and simply dancing. The wonderful multinational dance collective Improv for Dance Enthusiasts have hosting open workshops at the studio Dansverkstæðið for about a year and, in February 2023, started working on a collective piece with 25 participants from all walks of life and all levels of dance experience, but the same level of interest. Created through improvisation and instant composition, “This Is A Good Place” is an outdoor dance adventure through downtown that will (hopefully) not get anyone arrested. RX

Katrín Elvarsdóttir – Fifty Plants for Peace

Running until July 8

BERG Contemporary Free

The cherry blossom is a symbol famously associated with Japan, with a whole informal season named for it where tourists flock to frolic under their serene softness. Fifty of these plants were gifted to Iceland as a peace offering by the Iceland-Japan Society in May 2011. In her largescale photography exhibition, Katrín Elvarsdóttir explores what these plants living in a foreign land mean, what it means to travel, settle, put down roots, find and offer peace, especially in an ecosystem where one can bloom only for a brief window of time. RX

GERÐARSAFN (KÓPAVOGUR ART MUSEUM)

ÞYKJÓ Design works

RUNS UNTIL JULY 31

Rósa Gísladóttir – FORA

Sculpture

RUNS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 17

GERÐUR Sculpture works of Gerður Helgadóttir from the museum’s collection.

RUNS UNTIL DECEMBER 31

GERÐUBERG CULTURE

HOUSE

Art Without Borders – All Roads

Open

Multidisciplinary group exhibition

RUNS UNTIL AUGUST 31

HAFNARBORG CENTER OF CULTURE AND FINE ART Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson – On a

Sea of Tranquillity

Textile works

RUNS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 3

Elísabet Brynhildardóttir – Hesitant

Line

Drawings

RUNS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 3

Erró – Cunning Scissors

Works spanning the entirety of Erró’s

vibrant art career

RUNS UNTIL DECEMBER 31

HANNESARHOLT

Sigrún Harðardóttir – Beyond The

Mountains

Paintings

RUNS UNTIL JUNE 17

HARPA

Circuleight

Mixed media installation

PERMANENT EXHIBITION

HÖFUÐSTÖÐIN

Shoplifter / Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir –

Chromo Sapiens

Installation, colourful whole body

experience

PERMANENT EXHIBITION

I8 GALLERY

Birgir Andrésson & Lawrence

Weiner: Part II

Installation, sculpture, painting & works on paper RUNS UNTIL JULY 1

I8 GRANDI

B. Ingrid Olson – Cast of Mind

Installation, mixed media RUNS UNTIL DECEMBER 20

ICELANDIC PRINTMAKERS ASSOCIATION

Hlynur Helgason – Draumalandið / Elysium

Cyanotypes, processed photography RUNS UNTIL JUNE 18

KJARVALSSTAÐIR (REY-

KJAVÍK ART MUSEUM)

Kaleidoscope: Icelandic 20th

Century Art

Paintings, sketches, drafts, and more RUNS UNTIL AUGUST 7

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ICELAND

Sigtryggur Bjarni Baldvinsson – Into the Valley in Late Autumn

Watercolour paintings

RUNS UNTIL AUGUST 27

Rúrí – Glassrain Installation

RUNS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 17

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ICELAND

Rúnar Gunnarsson – An eternity in a moment

Photography

RUNS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 9

NORDIC HOUSE

For Those Who Couldn’t Cross the Sea Multidisciplinary group exhibition RUNS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 3

NORR11 Rebekka Jóhannesdóttir –Scaffolding

Paintings

RUNS UNTIL JULY 22

PORTFOLIO GALLERY Arngunnur Ýr – Eyrarrósin / Lily of the Valley

Paintings

RUNS UNTIL JUNE 25

REYKJAVÍK MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Giita Hammond – View From The Sea Photography and video work RUNS UNTIL AUGUST 13

And Now In Full Colour! Colour photo from Iceland 19501970 RUNS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 10

THE SCULPTURE ASSOCIATION

D48 Dýrfinna Benita Basalan –Chronic Pain

Running until August 20

Reykjavík Art Museum

2.150 ISK, 1.320 ISK (students)

Rising artist Dýrfinna Benita Basalan has been injecting her truly subversive work into the Reykjavík art scene for several years with a fearless and disarming perspective. Known widely as Countess Malaise, the name under which she performs some truly thrilling avant-garde rap, her visual practice is inspired by various countercultures, manga, queer culture and her personal experience as a mixed race person in Iceland. She is part of the art group Lucky 3, along with Melanie Ubaldo and Darren Mark. This is the 48th exhibition in Hafnarhús’ D-Gallery, which fosters emerging artists breaking into the contemporary arts scene with their first solo shows. RX

KLING & BANG certain technicalities of being

Multidisciplinary group exhibition RUNS UNTIL AUGUST 31

LISTHÚS ÓFEIGS

Heidi Strand – HEIÐI

Textile works RUNS UNTIL JUNE 28

MOSFELLSBÆR ART GALLERY

Halla Einarsdóttir & Sigurrós G.

Björnsdóttir – Krókaleiðir

Multidisciplinary works, mixed media RUNS UNTIL JUNE 23

MUSEUM OF DESIGN AND APPLIED ARTS

Ýrúrarí – Presence

Textile works, installation RUNS UNTIL AUGUST 27

Katrín Inga Jónsdóttir Hjördísardóttir – A Complete dream 3 – 6 – 9 Sculpture and installation

RUNS UNTIL JULY 2

SIGURJÓN ÓLAFSSON MU -

SEUM

The Gift of Children

Paintings

RUNS UNTIL AUTUMN 2023

From Various Sources Sculpture

RUNS UNTIL AUTUMN 2023

Y GALLERY Ásta Fanney – Hopefully Humans Mixed media installation, found objects

RUNS UNTIL JUNE 17

ÞULA

Kristín Morthens – Air Under Water Paintings

RUNS UNTIL JULY 2

ON THE LAST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH A NUMBER OF MUSEUMS AND EXHIBITION SPACES OFFER EXTENDED OPENING HOURS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.

Events

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

If you’re putting something on for the general public, send us a line to: events@grapevine.is

Friday June 2

Gunnar Hilmarsson Tríó

21:00 Dillon

Apocalypstick

21:00 Gaukurinn

Midnight Sun Festival: Curawaka

Dreamtime Tour

19:30 Harpa – Flói

Youth Chamber Orchestra (US)

20:00 Harpa – Norðurljós

Friðrik Dór

20:00 Háskólabíó

Groove Galaxy

18:00 IÐNÓ

Atli James

23:00 Kaffibarinn

Onoe Caponoe (UK), Goya Gumbani

(US/UK), Cyber & Ruby Francis

20:00 Kex Hostel

AC/DC Tribute Concert

20:00 LEMMY

Diego Manatrizio & Magnús Trygvason Eliassen

20:00 Mengi

Mother Lode

20:30 Tjarnabíó

Saturday June 17

Fógetarnir

21:00 Dillon

Karaoke Party 21:00 Gaukurinn

Summer Organ Concert

12:00 Hallgrímskirkja

KGB + DJ á undann

23:00 Kaffibarinn

Ólafur Kram & Ari Árelíus

20:00 Kex Hostel

PULS – Resterne Af Rigsfællesskabet

20:00 Mengi

Mother Lode

16:00 Tjarnabíó

Sunday June 18

SEEDS Summer Matinee

11:00 Andrými

Summer Organ Concert

17:00 Hallgrímskirkja

Jónbjörn 22:00 Kaffibarinn

Silva & Steini

20:00 Mengi

Monday June 19

Bring The Laughs Comedy Night

20:00 Gaukurinn

DJ André

22:00 Kaffibarinn

Tuesday June 20 Karaoke Night

20:00 Gaukurinn

HIMA Chamber Quartets

17:00 & 20:00 Harpa –

Norðurljós DJ Brynja

22:00 Kaffibarinn

Wednesday June 21 Óreiða, Dauðyflin, Svartþoka. Old Hag Howls At The Moon

20:00 Gaukurinn

Ásgeir Ásgeirsson’s Folkensemble

20:00 Harpa – Flói

Eva Luna

22:00 Kaffibarinn

Yrkjur Poetry Night

20:00 Mengi

Thursday June 22

Kristjana Stefánsdóttir

DJ Kári

19:00 Hotel Holt

22:00 Kaffibarinn

Pub Quiz

20:00 Kex Hostel

Friday June 23

Rocky Horror Picture Show: Singalong Screening

21:00 Bíó Paradís

Ottoman

20:00 Gaukurinn

Oliver Rähni

Karítas

14:00 Harpa – Hörpuhorn

23:00 Kaffibarinn

DJ Óli Dóri

JóiPé

20:00 Kex Hostel – Bar

22:00 Kex Hostel – Gym & Tonic

Loo Sim Ying Plays Classical Guitar

12:15 Reykjavík City Library –

Grófin

Saturday June 24

LJÓS #1: dreymandi hundur, Örvar

Smárasson & Damsel Talk (AR/UK)

20:30 Bíó Paradís

Doomcember: Famyne (UK), Morpholith & Mondernte

20:00 Gaukurinn

Summer Organ Concert

Event Picks

Onoe Caponoe, Goya Gumbani, Kiina, Cyber & Ruby Francis (DJ set)

Friday, June 16, 20:00

Kex Hostel

3.900 ISK in advance, 4.500 at the door

The good people of Slacker Events are bringing together three London-based artists along with local stars for one banger of a night. Hip hop artist Onoe Caponoe delivers psychedelic inspired space-funk with raw punk energy, Goya Gumbani will prove why his heartfelt rapping style has garnered the attention of Boiler Room and iD magazine, and Kiina will showcase the sick beats that have them working with some of the hottest rappers on the rise. Local baddies Cyber will set fire to the stage with their extra spicy rap stylings and Ruby Francis will DJ out the party. This seems like the perfect place to find someone to (consensually) grind up on. RX

12:00 Hallgrímskirkja

Summer Festival: Kalmarsambandið & Simon fknhndsm

17:00 Kaffibarinn

DJ André

20:00 Kex Hostel

This Is Not My Money

19:30 Tjarnabíó

Sunday June 25

Garðar Cortes Memorial Concert

17:00 Hafnarborg

Summer Organ Concert

17:00 Hallgrímskirkja

DJ Álfbeat

22:00 Kaffibarinn

Pikknikk #1: SAKARIS

15:00 Nordic House

This Is Not My Money

19:30 Tjarnabíó

Monday June 26

RVK Fringe Festival

17:00 Gaukurinn

Kyrja Vocal Ensemble

20:00 Hafnarborg

Silja Glömmi

22:00 Kaffibarinn

Tuesday June 27

RVK Fringe Festival

17:00 Gaukurinn

Hrikalegur Kjötfhleifur

Óreiða Album Release Show

Wednesday, June 21, 20:00

Gaukurinn 1.500 ISK

Next week marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere – the longest period of daylight and the beginning of the return of darkness. What better night for ethereal black metal one-man band Óreiða to celebrate the recent release of his album The Eternal as the eternal light of that day will soon fade back into night. Joining the celebration will be his bff-band Dauðyflin, who just released their latest EP Þorparaljóð, ambient-black metal witches Svartþoka, and harsh noise newcomer Old Hag Howls At The Moon, whose name sure says everything you need to know about them. RX

20:00 Kex Hostel

RVK Fringe Festival

11:00 Mengi

RVK Fringe Festival

14:00 Tjarnabíó

See more at events.grapevine.is

Mighty Bear

Thursday, June 29, 22:15

Gaukurinn Free

There really is no one else in the music scene like Mighty Bear. Existing in the precise Venn diagram slice that overlaps darkwave goth, genderfuck drag, art-pop star and diva energy, Mighty Bear’s performances are intensely captivating. With infectiously catchy indie synthpop tunes that are guaranteed to have you head-bopping at least and full-body moving at best, it’s a transporting and immersive experience that will leave you hooked for more honey. The show takes part within the cadre of the RVK Fringe Festival but no festival pass is required to enter, so go feel mighty real. RX

BDS Iceland Encourages Kaleo To Boycott

In a recent Facebook post, chairman of BDS’ Icelandic division Sema Erla Serda encourages members of rock band Kaleo to cancel their scheduled show in Raanana Park Amphitheater in Israeli-occupied Palestine. The venue is built on top of the ruins of four Palestinian communities. Ap proximately 900 people have signed

BDS Iceland’s petition urging the band to boycott. Kaleo, which are set to play the show on June 22, have not commented on the petition. A similar request came from the BDS movement when the Eurovision Song Contest was set in Tel Aviv in 2019. Iceland’s representatives, Hatari, did not heed the call.

Pussy Riot To Headline LungA Festival

Protest and performance art group

Pussy Riot is scheduled to headline the LungA art festival happening in Seyðisfjörður July 9 to 16. Showcasing their newest performance, Riot Days, Pussy Riot will be ending their tour of Europe and USA at the annual event in east Iceland. Two members of the group, Masha Alyokhina and Lucy Shtein, were

Chamber Music In Endless Daylight

FROM SIMPLE BEGINNINGS

granted Icelandic citizenship in May 2023. Every July, the music and art performance festival LungA attracts artists and festival goers from the country. In addition to Pussy Riot, the musical lineup includes artists Countess Malaise (IS), Dream Wife (UK/IS), Gróa (IS), Kælan Mikla (IS), Nuha Ruby Ra (UK) and Zakia (UK). Tickets are available on Tix.is

Björk Receives Honorary Doc-

The Iceland University of the Arts (LHÍ) will bestow an Honorary Doctorate upon artist Björk Guðmundsdóttir on June 16. The artist has been cordially invited to the university’s graduation ceremony taking place in Harpa’s Silfurberg hall to receive the award. Although

Björk will not be performing during the commencement, a collection of her works will be performed by LHÍ students. This is the artist’s first honorary doctorate. Björk, who cancelled her Cornucopia tour dates in Reykjavík, recently spearheaded the anti-whaling protest on June 3.

WORDS Jóhannes Bjarkason

IMAGES Supplied by Við Djúpið

TO WORLD-CLASS STATUS

Isolation does not beget monotony. The fishing town of Ísafjörður in the Westfjords is a prime example.

Like so many Icelandic villages, the town boasts a rich musical tradition. Through the organisation and support of ardent locals, the rejuvenation of the long-standing chamber music festival Við Djúpið has succeeded. Returning to the festival scene for the first time since 2015, the festival brings world-class talent to the community through masterclasses and music performances.

Aspiring music students are invited to come and learn from professional composers and instrumentalists, culminating in a performance where student and master are joined in song. From June 17 to June 21, the summer solstice is celebrated in song, dance and fervent study.

In 2003, a group of Reykjavík-based music teachers with a special fondness for Ísafjörður perceived a need to bridge the curriculum gap that summer brought. From that point, the masterclasses were ideated, with the initial plan of bringing their students north for diligent study and rehearsal. To fully utilise the trip, performances were added. “Today, you can say the order has been shifted,” says festival director Greipur Gíslason, “We prioritise the concerts, but make sure the performers are good teachers, too.” Greipur is a long-time collaborator of the festival, having joined the team in 2006.

2012, the Reykjavík Midsummer Music festival debuted. Its premise was the same as Við Djúpið: to exhibit classical music during the summer solstice. Spearheaded by internationally acclaimed pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, the festival’s location lent it to more convenient coverage by Reykjavík-based media outlets. “We had built up a good momentum and relationship with RÚV [The National Broadcasting Service]. They came all the way to Ísafjörður and broadcast the festival live. Now it was simpler for them to just go to Harpa,” Greipur says. “I had also started working with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and felt it to be a clash of interests, working on both fronts.”

After a solid decade of programming, Við Djúpið discontinued its festivities partly due to fatigue and in part because of competition. In

After several years of hibernation, Við Djúpið surprisingly sprung back to life last year with a small-scale version of the festival. As Greipur describes, “We sort of made a min-

Feature

The Við Djúpið festival returns to Ísafjörður

We had built up a good momentum and relationship with RÚV […] Now it was simpler for them to just go to Harpa.

iature festival to serve as a discussion point for future renditions.”

BETWEEN RESIDENCY AND FESTIVAL

With the focus on including music students as part of the program, it wouldn’t be far off to describe the festival as an ambitious artist residency mixed with musical performances. Sæunn Þorsteinsdóttir is a cellist and faculty member of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory as well as being Við Djúpið’s creative director. She was raised in the United States and has a long track record of teaching cello across North America. According to Sæunn, the festival is very participant-oriented, meaning that the performers are highly influential in the programming. “It’s not always that instrumentalists have such power over the programme selection. Usually, there’s some kind of theme or uniting factor,” she says. This diversity means that festivalgoers are sure to experience a breadth of works performed, from Mozart to Steve Reich.

Since the festival straddles the line between a summer camp and a festival performance, student participants are set fixed standards. The festival’s focal point is a chamber-music course intended for string players, wind players and pianists. Additionally, the festival offers both masterclasses and private lectures on three instruments: flute, piano and cello — taught by Catherine Gregory, David Kaplan and Sæunn, respectively. Originally devised for intermediate- and advanced-level students, Greipur assures that students confident in their abilities are welcome to attend masterclass workshops. “When attending the chamber music course, we need people to deliver as they’ll be performing with other people.”

For the beginner musician, the festival may not provide a great platform. However, for the adept instrumentalist, Við Djúpið opens opportunities for future channels. It especially serves small communities in the Westfjords well, as most music opportunities coalesce in the capital region. Composer Halldór Smárason has expressed his gratitude for the opportunity for connection the festival provided. The year before starting his music studies at the Manhattan School of Music, he was introduced to New York-based composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone who instantly assisted him in finding accommodation.

AN ARMY VETERAN TEACHING MUSIC

A peculiar fact about the chamber music festival is its ties to the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavík which, from 2011 to 2013, supported the festival financially. “There’s a very interesting chamber music scene and tradition in the U.S. that’s quite different to Europe. Through my work I had some connections to the embassy and found out about their cultural grants,” says Greipur. As Sæunn’s background is primarily rooted in

Ragnar, grew up in Ísafjörður, only to move to North America during the mass migration of Icelanders in the early 20th century. He subsequently enlisted in the US Army and, funnily enough, found himself stationed in Iceland. In 1948, he settled permanently in Ísafjörður, helping to establish the town’s music school.

This connection to America lives on in Við Djúpið’s line-up. Since 2011, the festival has skewed American — as opposed to European or Scandinavian — through the participation of musicians associated with Carnegie Hall. Among frequent artists performing at the festival is Decoda, a music group formed in 2012 from a partnership with New York music schools. Sæunn is a long-time member and collaborator of the group. “It’s a total of approximately 30 instrumentalists, meaning that a new combination of musicians can come and play the festival every year.” To Sæunn, it is Við Djúpið’s main chamber music course that’s most noteworthy. “Not only are students playing and learning, but the teachers join the performance. It’s a real collaboration,” she says.

the States, her onboarding of Við Djúpið’s organiser team formed an interesting extension to Ísafjörður’s musical connection with America.

Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023, Ísafjörður’s music school was pioneered by a U.S. Army veteran. Its first headmaster, Ragnar H.

Við Djúpið kicks off on June 17 with free performances by Ísafjörður locals Gosi and Kristín Sesselja. The festival runs until June 21. Tickets range from 3.000 ISK for a single night, to 7.500 ISK for a festival pass. Student discounts are available. Midday concerts are free, alongside student recitals.

It’s not always where instrumentalists have such power over the programme selection.

Kolbrún Birna And Glódís Guðgeirsdóttir, DJ Glókollur

What happened last night?

Thirteen Weeks

The Relentless Creativity of Drengurinn Fengurinn

WORDS Francesca Stoppani IMAGE E lvar Örn Egilsson

A year of disc jockeying

DJ Glókollur

WORDS

IMAGE Art

Bicnick

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY GLÓKOLLUR. This is how all our DJ days begin, it’s always a celebration when we play.

Us girls. Glókollur. The one year old DJ duo had a birthday gig at Röntgen on exactly the same date as the year before, on May 26. We met two hours before to get warm. Warm up these fingers and set the mood. The DJs’ mood has to be good so our crowd can enjoy themselves, or at least that’s our policy here at Glókollur headquarters.

Our only rule is that people feel safe so they can enjoy themselves on the dancefloor to the fullest. We have absolutely zero tolerance for unwanted grabbing or violence on our dancefloor. One of the reasons

Gerðarsafn

we started DJing was to create a safe and fun space for all our fellow girlies who love to dance and we also noticed that the guys seem to miss out on all the greatest bangers by women.

The night started quietly and with a nice vibe and the dancefloor picked up rather late, maybe around 1 am, which is unusual for Glókollur’s gigs, yet nice for tuning the bpm up slowly but steady and getting a chance to play our more chill songs. We played a lot of new songs, around 50% of the set that night was fresh on the USB. Our expectations were really high since it was our one-year birthday and a chance to show our crowd how far we’ve come in the past year. We ordered all of our friends to come. Most of them obeyed but it was quite a loss for our disobedient friends, since Glókollur’s gigs are always a wild ride and full of fun. Our motto stays the same, GELLUR ERU BESTAR, which translates indirectly to GIRLS ARE THE BEST.

Join DJ Glókollur for a celebration on June 30 at Röntgen. Don’t miss them on Instagram, @djglokollur

Egill Jónasson is the ultimate artist. Painting, playing, performing — he does it all. In the music scene, he is known as his cryptic masked alter-ego Drengurinn Fengurinn. His music is engaging, critical, sensorily trippy and, arguably, relentless.

Before meeting with him, the article’s premise would have been to focus on the incredible productivity of Akureyri-based creative. He was, as I had learned, in the midst of releasing nine albums in nine weeks. It was only when Egill and I sat down that I learned I had been misinformed. Nine albums was an understatement. Drengurinn Fengurinn is, in fact, in the process of releasing between 11 and 13 albums – possibly more – in as many weeks.

THE MASKED SINGER

Getting into Egill’s varied artistic journey is not easy. He graduated from the Akureyri School of Visual Arts in 2012 and from the Iceland University of the Arts in 2016. “My sister pushed me to apply to art school, but I had no idea what I was doing.” Egill drank a lot, was in a

band and was very shy about making art. “I spent most of my time drawing in sketchbooks. So no one could really see and criticise my work.” Drengurinn Fengurinn first appeared on the scene in 2013 and has since dabbled in music, art, performance and video-making.

It was in 2017, when Egill procured his first smartphone, that he started experimenting more with Drengurinn Fengurinn’s concept and visual impact.

“It was on Instagram that I started to go all over the place, releasing music, making fun visuals and pretty much anything I could to get a reaction. Hopefully a good one,” he explains. Egill is an avid consumer of the attention he receives through online reactions, which is perhaps peculiar for someone who wears a mask. “I use Drengurinn Fengurinn’s mask both as a shield from feeling anxious and as an interesting feature which makes people say, ‘Oh yeah, the dude with the weird mask,’” Egill says, explaining it was difficult to perform sober once he quit drinking. “It’s something that helps me stand out.”

Drengurinn Fengurinn is a oneman show. From recording, mixing, video-making, and editing, he does everything himself. “I recently bought a new camera, so I might start to shoot better videos now,” he tells me.

The House at Eyrarbakki

Egill takes a lot of inspiration from his earlier collage work, creating liminal and immediate realities where colours and patterns are out of control. “I started with making 15-second songs because stories on Instagram used to have a maximum length of 15 seconds.” He soon found that one could be quite prolific using this sort of music-collage method.

HOW MANY DID YOU SAY?

The nine, 11 or 13 albums Drengurinn Fengurinn is working toward completing are being released weekly as we speak – they drop every Friday.

Each album has a unique theme and each differs from the others in the technology and instrumentation used in their production. One album, for example, was made using only hardware instruments. Another one is completely AI-generated.

“A couple of weeks ago I also released my heartbreak album — Disintegration II — a follow-up to The Cure’s Disintegration I,” Egill says.

Aside from pushing himself to create, another reason for this rush in productivity is that Spotify began allowing artists to upload unlimited content without a track-by-track fee. This provided further motivation for Drengurinn Fengurinn to pursue his nine (or 11 or 13) album plan.. “I wanted to make the most out of my Spotify artist subscription and, anyway, I like to finish a song in one sitting. It’s easier to make more songs with that premise.”

Egill’s secret to success is to set a goal. In the past, that goal was to impress his girlfriend. Now, his goal is to play on Gísli Marteinn’s weekly talk show.

Maybe subconsciously, that is why all Drengurinn Fengurinn’s releases are on Fridays. “I’ve already written a song called “Gísli Marteinn” – it will be released soon.”

Kópavogur Art Museum

When all is said and done, Egill hopes all these albums – however many it will be – will serve to motivate other aspiring musicians who are perhaps similarly inhibited by shyness or a fear of messing up. “For a long time, I thought everything should always be very polished and perfect before release. Now I am embracing imperfection.”

Árnessýsla Heritage Museum is located in Húsið, the House, historical home of merchants built in 1765. Húsið is one of the oldest houses in Iceland and a beautiful monument of Eyrarbakki´s time as the biggest trading place on the south coast. Today one can enjoy exhibitions about the story and culture of the region. Húsið prides itself with warm and homelike atmosphere

Óreiða is a solo project established in 2015 by Húsavík polyhedric artist Þórir Georg. We caught up with him about his upcoming release show, French existentialism and how we are trapped in the present.

YOU HAVE A RELEASE SHOW ON JUNE 21 AT GAUKURINN. WHAT DOES THIS NEW ALBUM CONVEY?

WORDS Sunna Margrét Þórisdóttir

IMAGE Supplied by Sunna Margrét

Sunna Margrét’s latest release Five Songs for Swimming is out June 2. It is written in memory of her grandmother, Unnur Ágústsdóttir, who was a champion swimmer in the 1940s, as well as a soprano singer, teacher, bird lover and lifelong inspiration to the artist. The album features Sunna’s band members Maxime Graf and Christian Schulz. We spoke with the artist about her latest record.

AFLOAT

This is a duet between my voice and Maxime’s electric bass. It’s an improvisation, although I did two takes for the vocal that both ended up being used. It’s kind of a first take song. The idea was to ease into the record, similar to dipping your toes in the water and then eventually going all in.

OUT OF BREATH

The only single from the EP. I was very inspired by Kourosh Yaghmaei when laying down the chords with Maxime. I had been listening to his music on repeat for months and I even wrote a chapter about it in my master’s thesis. The lyrics came from a very different direction, my friend had just told me about a rumour he heard about me, not a first timer and, as always, far from the truth. This also became the inspiration for the music video I made with my friend and artist Ana Bălan.

LULLABY

FOR DAYDREAMERS

My grandmother was with me in spirit when I wrote down the lyrics for the lullaby. It felt as if she were there helping me through the grief. She loved birds. She collected bird

statues and had given me a few. When I was recording the vocals a flock of birds sat outside the studio window and sang with me. If you listen closely you’ll hear them.

WAVE

This is the longest song on the EP and can be compared to a rough sea. The beat flows like a big wave and it’s as if we’re sailing forward with the wind in our back, eager to be free. Then everything takes an unexpected turn, the storm settles and you are somehow lost at sea.

ASHORE

A song about heartbreak. I wanted to imagine how a teenage Unnur Ágústsdóttir would feel after a heartbreak and I wrote the lyrics from there. In the end I think we have a lot in common, me and her.

WHEN TO GO

This is the last song on the EP and the only song not written by me and Maxime. It’s originally a song by The Feelies from their 2017 release “In Between.” It just felt fitting to include it. The end of an era kind of vibe. Maxime sings with me on it and the rest of the song is entirely made with a Korg Minilogue XD. I don’t remember why I only wanted to use one instrument for this song but I think I was just excited to use my new synthesizer. Big credit to Maxime though on this one.

ÞÓRIR GEORG, YOU’RE A GRAPEVINE FAVOURITE. TELL US ABOUT ÓREIÐA.

I have been a fan of black metal since I was a kid and I’ve had a black metal project going on pretty much since the late ’90s. Óreiða is the first one I put out there properly, but when it started, I wasn’t sure it was going to become a thing. It kept growing and evolving in different ways. I label it as a black metal band although there are a lot of influences of industrial and folk music. Anyway, most black metal bands have very different sounds despite sharing a common label. There are hardly two bands of this genre that sound the same. It is nonetheless handy to put myself in this category.

HOW DOES ÓREIÐA RELATE TO SOME OF YOUR OTHER PROJECTS?

I would say it connects to the more extreme projects I have, ROHT in particular. There are aslo a lot of elements of ambient music that I developed throughout the years. It is sort of what happens when you work on different stuff.

The new album is called The Eternal. It was recorded during COVID and released with the French label Debemur Morti. It took me a while, but they were happy to move forward when it was ready. I was very influenced by Albert Camus and his take on the myth of Sisyphus. What’s described in that myth is a journey that never ends. A continuous loop where every possible end is a new beginning and where the true meaning is the journey and not the destination. One must imagine Sisyphus happy, but happiness is not the most important thing.

The show will take place on the summer solstice. Although I don’t have a spiritual connection to that particular day, I think it’s important to remember and celebrate past folk traditions and history.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?

That’s a very big question. I mean, for Óreiða I hope to be able to keep working on my music. But then there’s real life, so it’s hard to predict how that goes specifically. I will try to do as much as I can. It’s hard to imagine a future, in general. The future doesn’t exist anymore. We have been stuck repeating the present. I could go on a very long rant on this, but I don’t know if it’s appropriate. Either way, I think we have way more power to influence the future than we think we do.

Celebrate the summer solstice at Gaukurinn on June 21 with Óreiða, Dauðyflin, Svartþoka and Old Hag Howls At Moon. Follow Óreiða’s on Instagram at @oreida666

WORDS Francesca Stoppani IMAGE Supplied by Óreiða

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The Summertime Charm Of Reykjavík’s Old Harbour

It’s easy to spend an entire day in Grandi

WORDS Catharine Fulton

IMAGE Art

Bicnick

t’s summer. Some of us may be counting down the days until our trip abroad, while others are coming to terms with the fact that life is too damn expensive and there’s no way we can afford to jet off to a country where the season is imbued with such novel attributes as sunshine and warm weather. Fear not, fellow broke local, there’s plenty of fun to be had right here at home. That’s especially true if “home” is anywhere near Grandi.

Located on the west side of Reykjavík’s old harbour, Grandi is an intriguing mix of big box warehouses and converted fish processing facilities. When you’ve tired of exploring Laugavegur and Skólavörðustígur,

it’s just the central seaside retreat you need to feel like you’ve (almost) gotten away from it all. Here’s how the Grapevine would spend a day in Grandi.

Our morning would start at Kaffivagninn. Opening in 1935, it claims to be Iceland’s oldest restaurant. We haven’t corroborated that fact, but we can attest to it having an epic patio. Clinging to the rocky harbour wall and overlooking the docked boats, Kaffivagninn is the ideal spot to start the day with a strong cup of coffee. Order from their breakfast menu if you get there before 11:00 or jump right into the main menu to enjoy some classic Icelandic staples while breathing in the crisp sea air.

Fuelled up and caffeinated, it’s time for some culture. A straight shot down to the end of Grandagarður will take you to Marshallhúsið, which conveniently houses the Living art Museum, Kling og Bang, i8 Gallery and Stúdíó ólafur Elíasson. Meander, wander, take in the exhibitions on at the time of your visit (with the calibre of these spaces, they’re going to be good no matter when you roll up).

If you skipped the prescribed stop at Kaffivagninn, you could also tuck in for a sumptuous bite at Italian restaurant La Primavera, which is always *chef’s kiss*.

If the high brow offerings of Marshallhúsið aren’t your squad’s cup

of tea, the Maritime Museum might be. It’s a fun, interactive exhibition for all ages, but particularly for those accompanied by young humans. Go on a scavenger hunt through the museum’s expansive exhibitions to find specific fish on a mural, spot old-timey nautical instruments and more. Visitors can also dress up like sailors for a photo-op and try their hand at operating a forklift.

If you’re not all funned out by this point, walking one street over will deliver you to FlyOver Iceland where you can – well – fly over Iceland. Not literally, but this 4D video experience gives you the experience of soaring over some of the country’s more iconic and picturesque locales. Sick of Iceland? The theatre usually runs experiences of flights over other geographic locations, including Canada and the western United States.

You’ve seen a lot and walked a whole bunch by this point. You deserve some ice cream. Back on Grandagarður you’ll find Valdís, with its tubs overflowing with colourful frosty confections. Take a number, wait your turn and choose your flavour combinations wisely. Does Lú kex really go well with mint chip? We’re not so sure. If you’re brave enough to try it, let us know. Congrats, you’ve spent an entire day on Grandi and spent (slightly) less than an international vacation.

Powering the Future Energy Exhibition

interactive exhibition

The Energy Exhibition is open every day from 10 AM – 5 PM. No admission fee. landsvirkjun.com/energy-exhibition

An

for the whole family, located at Ljósafoss Power Station, just a 50 min drive from Reykjavík.

Melting Giants

Exploring and reflecting on Iceland’s disappearing glaciers

WORDS Lea Dörschel

IMAGES

Art Bicnick

ever-changing nature of glaciers still fascinates them.

Kateřina tells me the physical features of the glaciers she explores even differ between morning and afternoon tours, especially in the summer, due to the intensity of the sun causing the glacier to melt even quicker.

“Sometimes it looks like a completely different place – it’s sad but also pretty cool at the same time,” Kateřina explains.

The next day, I headed out on a glacier hike and got to witness the changing beauty of glaciers firsthand. It’s not my first time hiking on Falljökull, an outlet of the Vatna-

tafell Airport, which is also the basecamp of Melrakki Adventures. As Melrakki specialises in small group operations, our intrepid group of glacial explorers number just eight people, plus Antoine. We jumped into a small white jeep and after a 15-minute drive, we arrived at the foot of Falljökull. Standing in front of this majestic glacier absolutely took my breath away. Rising high into the sky, I crane my neck to try and spot the top.

Interestingly Falljökull is one of the few glaciers that is melting, but not retreating. The reason for it is kind of hidden in its name: Falljökull – the falling glacier. It’s fed by the icecap of Öræfajökull, which is always growing, especially in the winter when

If you’re visiting or living in Iceland, you should go on a glacier hike – as long as you still can. Because within the next 20 years Vatnajökull’s outlet glaciers will all have melted. But is this entirely true? What fascinates people about glaciers and why are glacier hikes so popular?

I have always been fascinated by glaciers and their ever-changing nature. Since living in Iceland, I’ve ventured out on multiple glacier hikes, ice climbing excursions and ice cave tours. There’s no denying the awe-inspiring beauty of glaciers – but there is more to them than meets the eye.

THE EVER-CHANGING GLACIERS

I met up with Oddur and Kateřina, a pair of glacier guides who founded Melrakki Adventures. Together they’ve been exploring glaciers and guiding tours for over five years. The

jökull ice cap, and it surprises me every time how much this particular glacier changes over the course of a year. It’s a completely different experience every time. While I prefer more ideal picture-taking conditions (meaning sunny days with blue skies), it’s the moody days that Oddur enjoys. “It makes the glacier seem more mystical. There are so many days where I’m standing on the glacier, just thinking, ‘I can’t believe this is real!’”

THE FALLING GLACIER

The interview with Oddur and Kateřina got me excited for today’s glacier hike. I met our guide Antoine at Skaf-

layers of snow are added and compressed to form new glacier ice. That means fresh ice keeps continuously falling down the mountain, helping Falljökull to preserve its size.

WHY IS THE ICE BLUE?

We slowly started mounting the glacier from the side. The first part of Falljökull is completely black and you’re walking on a layer which looks like sand. Antoine explained to us that he calls it the “sawdust” of the glacier, another sign of how active and ever-changing glaciers are. This so-called “sawdust” gets created by the glacier carving its way down to the lowland, scraping layers of rock

Interestingly Falljökull is one of the few glaciers that is melting, but not retreating. The reason for it is kind of hidden in its name.

off the surrounding mountains. If you use your ice axe to push the black dust aside, glimpses of crystal blue ice peek through.

One of the most asked questions

Oddur and Kateřina encountered is: Why is the ice blue? It turns out it’s due to the density of glacier ice and a bit of basic physics. “The colour blue has the shortest wavelength of the colour spectrum. When the light is entering the ice, the other colours are getting absorbed while the blue colour won’t,” Oddur explains.

Before we reached the area where the blue ice is fully exposed to the sunlight, we put on our crampons. It’s not exactly rocket science, but you should still pay attention, so you won’t encounter any problems later whilst hiking. Carefully, one after another, we stepped on the fresh ice, like little penguins learning to walk. It was surprisingly easy to walk on the slippery surface, the crampons giving us ample grip, but it’s an unusual feeling and takes some time to get used to.

PLAYGROUND FOR GROWNUPS

The fog was hanging low, creating a mystical mood for our glacier hike.

I’m not surprised why Iceland is such a popular filming location for any

kind of fantasy film. It was a picturesque day as we explored crevasses, ending at a small waterfall that appeared ahead of us – the perfect chance for a drink! Leaning into the waterfall, I sipped some of this fresh, cold glacier water. The taste was truly amazing! To be totally honest with

rope at a 90-degree angle to the wall of ice. I felt the adrenaline rushing through my veins, as I went abseiling, taking one step after another, the ice cracking under my crampons. The view was incredible and I got to experience the glacier from a completely different perspective.

To get the full picture, it’s important to understand the historic background of glaciers in Iceland. When the first settlers arrived in Iceland, the glaciers were significantly smaller than today and were only located on top of mountain ranges. Vatnajökull is not only Europe’s second largest glacier, it’s also one of the youngest. It formed about 2.500 years ago, during the Little Ice Age that settled over Iceland around the year 1450.

During this period, the glaciers expanded, reaching down from their mountaintops into the lowlands. Whole farms had to be relocated and some were even swallowed by the ever expanding ice. Vatnajökull has never been bigger than it is right now.

you, it wasn’t as majestic as it might sound and most of the water ended up on my face and hair. And by “most water,” I mean I was soaked.

If this wasn’t adventurous enough, Antoine asked us if we were up for something crazy. He was mum on the details, but after another 10 minutes of trekking along the ice Antoine came to a stop and started drilling a hole into the ice and pulled a rope through it. After securing the rope tightly around my hip, I was standing on the edge, looking down a huge crevasse. My legs felt shaky, as I leaned backwards hanging on a

THE LAST GENERATION TO WALK ON GLACIERS

After three hours of hiking on Falljökull, we found ourselves back at the foot of the glacier. I couldn’t stop admiring the ice giant I had just explored, happy to have collected so many wonderful memories, but also saddened by the fact that my generation might be the last to walk on glaciers. Even influencers are using this slogan on social media to generate more clicks. But is it entirely true?

“Most tourists are surprised about how young Vatnajökull is,” Kateřina explains. Just for comparison: glaciers located in the Alps are hundreds of thousands of years old

Sadly, it’s undeniable that glaciers all over the world are melting and retreating – some more rapidly than others. The glaciers in Iceland are no longer expanding, although new ice is added on every winter. Flatter glaciers like Breiðamerkurjökull –famous for its Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon – are melting faster than

thicker glaciers like Falljökull.

If you visit the same glaciers on a regular basis, you’ll see the undeniable impact of climate change. It’s been estimated that some of the glacier outlets will be gone within the next 20 to 30 years. “But this is just an estimate. Nobody really knows, but you can say for sure that some glaciers won’t be so easily accessible in the future – possibly already in a few years,” Oddur told me.

“Since the year 2000, the outlet glaciers have retreated exceptionally fast and their mass loss per unit area is among the highest recorded in the world. Individual outlet glaciers have lost 15–50% of their ice volume during this period,” according to the data published by Vatnajökull National Park. “After 200 years, only small ice caps will remain on the highest mountains.”

Nobody can accurately predict when Iceland’s glaciers will have melted entirely. They are perishable phenomena, which we should enjoy while we still can, while pressuring global administrations to enact policies that will massively reduce the carbon emissions contributing to the climate crisis and, consequently, glacier loss. Do it now. There isn’t infinite time to explore Iceland’s beautiful glaciers.

I felt the adrenaline rushing through my veins, as I went abseiling, taking one step after another, the ice cracking under my crampons.

has seen the opening of ambitious wine bar and bistro Eyja; new restaurants Eyr and Austur; and the takeover of Kaffi Lyst by enterprising young chef Reynir Gretarsson. On top of that, numerous pop-ups coordinated by the likes of Gísli Matthias from Slippurinn, Kjartan Gíslason from Omnom and Kári Þorsteinsson from Nielsen have taken place.

And then there is North. Like with most things Gunnar undertakes, this too was tinged with the sedate calmness I’ve come to associate with the man. No fanfare around the launch, and in a social media strategy driven restaurant industry, even their Instagram account has remained largely mysterious. Open just under a year now, North was my perfect excuse to head north.

relaunch of Dill in its new location a few years ago, he admitted to wanting a “you’re dining at a friend’s home” vibe. With North, that vision crystallises.

The hallway leads to an intimate living room, with a dining room setup perfect for large groups at one end and a very minimal kitchen with bar seating at the other. In between are comfortable armchairs, couches and benches, furthering that homestead atmosphere.

Despite a fairly full seating, the space exudes the same calm as the quiet kitchen — an energy I now associate with a grown up kitchen culture — you’d be hard pressed to find an Icelandic restaurant kitchen that subscribes to brashness. Almost im-

NORTH, BY DILL

If you have been to Akureyri, chances are you appreciate the sense of arrival the town offers, with its terraced winding streets dotted with dollhouse-like colourful timber houses that are straight out of a children’s storybook. On this occasion, I was lucky enough to plan my visit with a whole weekend of +15 degree temperatures, making the skies seem bluer and the dandelion studded grass even greener.

Housed in Hotel Akureyri, a micro-hotel stretched over four different buildings, its collection of the old vernacular makes for a perfect setting for Gunnar’s latest project. Walking through the doors, you are guided by warm smells reminiscent of cosy fireplaces. That signature tones of baked terracotta in the narrow hallway is the only giveaway that you are not in a private home, but in Dill. The colour scheme, and dried sweet summer herbs and flowers are all reminiscent of the celebrated Reykjavík restaurant.

Gunnar has previously revealed his vision for a renewed fine-dining experience that isn’t steeped in the manicured, orchestrated affair it otherwise tends to be. With the

mediately, we are swooped up by the genial hospitality of executive chef Rafn Svansson. On this occasion, his sous chef Tryggvi Þór Traustason helms the kitchen, while Rafn plays the able sommelier. My friend and I had consciously stayed away from social media posts and refrained from looking up the restaurant website, all in an effort to retain surprise. Both of us are familiar with Dill and its ethos, and we didn’t want our senses clouded with presumptions and expectations.

How does the effort pay off? In spades.

NORTH VS DILL

The menu echoes Dill’s in its format — snacks, followed by larger dishes — offered at a jaw-droppingly affordable price. Incidentally, the tasting menu priced at 11,900 ISK (10,900 ISK for the wine flight) is what the Dill menu was also priced at not too long ago. Comparisons with Dill are inevitable, but what sets North apart is its razor-sharp focus on local purveyors.

The menu acknowledges producers by name and barring some lumpfish roe from the West of the country (by the able Nora), most else is from in and around Akureyri. Rafn is espe-

I once said that North is my hidden agenda to get my wife to move to Akureyri.

cially proud of that point. “We are focused on showcasing the ingredients we can get here in the north of Iceland and showcasing the farm or fishermen we get the produce

fraiche. The strawberry has us divided, but the ale from Danish brewery To Øl brewed with Saltverk’s arctic thyme salt unites us in the strength of its pairing. There are other mem-

kjavik, which means a venture like this is only possible with a reliable team. “I was lucky enough to have a sweet friend, Rafn, who comes from the north and was able to join me in this adventure.”

from is important to us,” he says. “Like Dill, we use our surroundings and treat the ingredients and season with utmost respect.” It’s at this point that he leans in to ask if we could add that “if someone is growing something nice in their gardens or farms, they should reach out to him.”

The trio of snacks we start with are small bites of big flavour that echo this sentiment of local and seasonal. Each bite is composed of a hero ingredient of dried monkfish, lamb tartare and smoked trout, partnered with a pickled or fermented foraged green — aniseed-y angelica and chervil, earthy beets and mushrooms and, in case of the trout, a superb fried bread chock full of caraway.

An interlude before the big dishes arrives in the form of a warm, halved brioche with a “much too generous,” as my friend quipped, schmear of whipped noisette butter. But just one bite in we were asking sous chef Tryggvi Þór for seconds. He obliges. A strategy, I am aware, many might want to deploy.

One of the season’s last hurrah lumpfish roe is served with a tangy Greek yoghurt, a wonderfully light alternative to the traditional creme

orable plates, like the summer-ishere vibe of the plaice crudo where the well seasoned tomatoes steal the show, an unctuous braised beef cheek with nubby mustard, and a curiously simple potato dish that had us stumped with its decidedly misplaced hefty wedges of roasted spuds.

Rafn honed his cooking style and foraging know-how as a sous chef at Dill. When asked how the reception has been, Rafn is clearly pleased. “We have been blown away by how the locals have received us,” he smiles. “We could never have imagined how some people from here have been to eat multiple times already” His passion for his customers is evident. “I want them to come five to eight times a year and never have the same full menu. They can always expect something new when they come back.”

After Systir, Dill’s once upon a time sister restaurant that nosedived, I was cautious about North being either a replica of the same, or worse, a replica of Dill. But my experience

HOMECOMING

In many ways, North is a homecoming of sorts for chef Gunnar Karl. A native of Akureyri, opening a restaurant in his hometown has been a long held dream. “I once said that North is my hidden agenda to get my wife to move to Akureyri,” he chuckles mischievously. “That is still the case.”

But he runs the show at Dill in Rey-

proved otherwise — these are distinct restaurants, even if bound by the same values. Rafn sums it up best: “We feel like the restaurant scene here in Akureyri has been slowly on the rise and we want to be a part of that. We want to showcase what North Iceland has to offer. That we don’t need to import everything and charge a lot of money to have a nice dinner.” It is a simple sentiment, but hard to achieve, yet North seems like it is more than making it a reality.

are Gullfosskaffi, Rammagerðin and many others

We are focused on showcasing the ingredients we can get here in the north of Iceland and showcasing the farm or fishermen we get the produce from is important to us.

With the relaunch of Dill in its new location a few years ago, he admitted to wanting a ‘you’re dining at a friend’s home’ vibe. With North, that vision crystallises.

WORDS The Grapevine Historical Society

IMAGE The Reykjavík Grapevine Archives

in 2005. Then there’s a fascinating feature by Ian Watson on kennitala usage called “We Know Your Identity Number,” which was published in October 2005.

Anna Andersen: Iceland is quirky and journalist Larissa Kyzer had a nose for sniffing out some of the most quirky stories. She found interesting subgroups doing interesting things, and her stories always made me smile. Some that come to mind are her investigation of sightings of the Lagarfljót Worm, interviewing Iceland’s only steampunk and having coffee with a group of Elegant Gothic Lolitas.

they were displacing music venues downtown.

Valur Grettisson: I loved “Krútt vs Hip-Hop” by Hannah Jane Cohen mostly because it’s just so outrageously silly. We were contemplating what would happen if Sigur Rós got into a fight with some hip-hop star in Iceland. My money was on the fiercely peace-loving Sigur Rós but Hannah Jane wasn’t so sure. So we made this article which is an excellent example of Grapevine silliness and love of culture.

Bart Cameron: Given the staggering number of words I wrote for the Grapevine more than a decade ago, it seems unfathomable to select favourites. The most important article, to me, was Andie Sophia Fontaine’s coverage of Ashley Turner’s murder

I also love Parker Yamasaki’s writing. It’s not necessarily my favourite article by Parker, but “Hotel, Motels, and Holiday Inns” feels representative of my time at The Reykjavik Grapevine because people were really upset about all the hotels and how

“An Ocean Of Sound” by John Rogers is another favourite. I love this article because The Grapevine was the first publication to put the incredible Anna Þorvaldsdóttir on the cover of a magazine. Now she’s making waves in cinema composition and has brought a new depth into classical music.

Some Of The Happiest Hours In Town

If your bar has a happy hour, email us on events@grapevine.is with the details.

101 HOTEL

Wednesday to Saturday from 16:00 to 19:00

Beer 1390 ISK, Wine 1590 ISK

12 TÓNAR

Every day from 14:00 to 19:00

Beer 1100 ISK, Wine 1200 ISK

AMERICAN BAR

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

Beer 900 ISK, Wine 1000 ISK

APÉRO

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

Beer 950 ISK, Wine 1100 ISK

BÍÓ PARADÍS

Every day from 17:00 to 19:00

Beer 850 ISK, Wine 850 ISK

BJÓRGARÐURINN

Every day from 15:00 to 19:00

Beer 900 ISK, Wine 900 ISK

BODEGA

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

Beer 900 ISK, Wine 900 ISK

BRAVÓ

Every day from 12:00 to 20:00

Beer 750 ISK, Wine 1000 ISK

BREWDOG

Wed-Sun from 14:00 to 17:00

Beer 990 ISK, Wine 990 ISK

BRÚT BAR

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

Beer 700 ISK, Wine 750 ISK, 2F1 on wine and beer on tap

DEN DANSKE KRO

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

Beer 750 ISK, Wine 750 ISK

FJALLKONAN

Every day from 15:00 to 18:00

Beer 990 ISK, Wine 1190 ISK

FORRÉTTABARINN

Every day from 16:00 to 18:00

Beer 800 ISK, Wine 900 ISK

FORSETINN

Every day from 15:00 to 18:00

Beer 990 ISK, Wine 990 ISK

FRÖKEN REYKJAVÍK

Every day from 16:00 to 18:00

Beer 990 ISK, Wine 1100 ISK

GAUKURINN

Every day from 16:00 to 21:00

Beer 900 ISK, Wine 1100 ISK

HOTEL HOLT BAR

Wednesday to Saturday from 16:00 to 18:00

Beer 1000 ISK, Wine 1350 ISK

THE IRISHMAN

Every day from 12:00 to 19:00

Beer 850 ISK, Wine 850 ISK

JÖRGENSEN KITCHEN & BAR

Every day except Thurs. 16:00 to 18:00, Thursday 16:00 to 20:00

Beer 890 ISK, Wine 1100 ISK

JUNGLE COCKTAIL BAR

Every day from 16:00 to 18:00

Beer 1000 ISK, Wine 1100 ISK

KAFFI LÆKUR

Every day from 16:00 to 18:00

Beer 1000 ISK, Wine 1000 ISK

KAFFIBARINN

Every day from 15:00 to 19:00

Beer 800 ISK, Wine 900 ISK

KAFFIBRENNSLAN

Every day from 16:00 to 20:00

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KALDI BAR

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

Beer 950 ISK, Wine 950 ISK

LOFT HOSTEL

Every day from 16:00 to 20:00

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LÓLA FLÓRENS

Every day from 15:00 to 18:00

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ÖLSTOFAN

Every day from 15:00 to 20:00

Beer 1000 ISK, Wine 1000 ISK

PETERSEN SVÍTAN

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

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PRIKIÐ

Every day from 16:00 to 20:00

Beer 700 ISK, Wine 1000 ISK

PUNK

Every day from 16:00 to 18:00

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RÖNTGEN

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

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SÆTA SVÍNIÐ

Every day from 15:00 to 18:00

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SATT RESTAURANT

Every day from 15:00 to 18:00

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SKÚLI CRAFT BAR

Every day from 12:00 to 19:00

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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 1000 ISK, no wine or cocktails

STÚDENTAKJALLARINN

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

Beer 710 ISK, Wine 850 ISK

TIPSÝ

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

Cheap Eats

Here are some sweet meal deals that’ll fill your tummy and without draining your bank account.

50% off select cocktails

UPPSALIR BAR

Every day from 16:00 to 19:00

Beer 750 ISK, Wine 950 ISK

VEÐUR

Every day from 12:00 to 19:35

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VÍNSTÚKAN TÍU SÓPAR

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Beer 1300 ISK, Wine 1600 ISK

VOX BRASSERIE & BAR

Every day from 16:00 to 18:00

Beer 900 ISK, Wine 1200 ISK

“What if Icelanders had settled in North America during the Viking Age? And why didn’t they? Could a religious war between Pagans and Christians in Iceland have led to an exodus to the newly discovered continent?

In the late 18th century, the Icelandic population was nearly wiped out by a volcano and there was a plan to

Featured Gaukurinn

Tryggvagata 22

It’s that bright time of year when night looks like day and you don’t know what’s what anymore. A lot of people embrace it, but just as many are missing the darkness. Gaukurinn is the happy hour for all the friendly psychos in the scene who love hiding in a dark bar with a stiff drink, no SPF 50 required! It’s a delightful and heartwarming place that welcomes everyone (except bigots and assholes), creates a super safe space for their patrons and is always ready to wet your whistle. You can stick around for a metal show or karaoke night, and they’re also one of the main venues of the RVK Fringe Festival at the end of the month!

Happy hours

Every day from 16:00 to 21:00

Beer for 900 ISK

Wine glass for 1100 ISK

Additional special offers daily

transport the survivors to Denmark. What if this had occurred? And did the volcano cause the French Revolution?

What if Iceland had been occupied by Germany during WWII instead of under British and American protection? Hitler had a plan drawn up but why was it never put into practice?...”

101 STREET FOOD

All day, every day

All appetizers & main courses: 2.050 ISK.

APÓTEK

All day, every day

Soup of the Day: 1.990 ISK.

BÆJARINS BEZTU

All day, every day

Hotdog and soda: 990 ISK.

BRÚT

On Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Bottomless Brunch, including selected drinks: 6.900 ISK.

DEIG

On weekdays after 10:00

Poor Man’s Offer: filled bagel, doughnut & drink: 1.850 ISK.

DOMINO’S Tuesday, pick-up only Tuesday Special: medium pizza with three toppings: 1.200 ISK all day on.

DRAGON DIM SUM

Every day, except Sunday, from 11:30–14:30

Choice of any two dumpling baskets: 2.190 ISK.

GLÓ All day, every day Bowl of the Month: 2.290 ISK.

HAM BORGARA BÚLLA

TÓMASAR All day on Tuesday Tuesday Special: burger, fries & soda: 1.790 ISK.

HLÖLLABÁTAR

Every day until 14:00

Lunch Offer: Choice of any sub and soda: 1.995 ISK.

ÍSLENSKI BARINN

All day, every day

Soup of the Day: 1.650 ISK.

LEMON

All day, every day

Combo of the Month: large sandwich & juice: 2.195 ISK.

MAI THAI BISTRO

Every day from 11:00–14:00

Lunch of the Day: 1.890 ISK.

NOODLE STATION

All day, every day

Vegetarian noodle soup: 1.100 ISK.

PIZZAN

All day, every day

Combo Pick-up Offer: choice of menu pizza & breadsticks: 50% off.

PHO VIETNAMESE

All day, every day

Pho & wonton soups: 1.890 ISK.

REYKJAVÍK ROASTERS

All day, every day

Breakfast menu & sourdough toasts (various toppings): 580–1.350 ISK.

SHALIMAR

Weekdays from 12:00–15:00

Curry in a Hurry Lunch Special: 1.590 ISK.

SHANGHAI

All day, every day

Choice of 3-dish combo: 2.290 ISK for one; 4.390 ISK for two.

SUBWAY

All day, every day

Sub of the Day: 1.399 ISK for 6”; 1.899 for 12”.

ZORBIAN HOT

All day, every day

Chicken shawarma wraps & falafel wraps: 1.490 ISK.

What If The Nordic Countries Had United?

warfare for the next 300 years. That culminated during the Napoleonic Wars when suzerainty over Norway was handed from Denmark to Sweden.

hood and commemorated in painting and song.

the Prussian king now also German Emperor.

Scandinavianism became fashionable in the 1840s among students in Copenhagen and Uppsala. At the time, the Nordics were divided into two kingdoms: Sweden-Norway on one side and Denmark on the other, which also included Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Finland was dominated by the Russian Empire.

The revolutionary year 1848 has sometimes been referred to as “The Spring of Nations.” It would eventually lead to the unification of Germany and Italy, but its effects in the Nordic Countries were primarily felt through the end of absolutism in Denmark in 1849. The revolution reached Iceland in a miniscule way in 1850, when a group of Reykjavík college students protested their headmaster’s insistence that they join a sobriety society. The students went from house to house shouting “pereat,” Latin for “down with him.”

The event, known as “The Pereat,” resulted in no one graduating that spring and very little social life in Reykjavík College for the next decade and a half.

Could the Spring of Nations have led to a common Nordic identity?

THE KALMAR UNION SURVIVES

The Nordic Countries had previously been united in the Kalmar Union in 1397 under Queen Margaret I of Denmark. This was ruled from Copenhagen until 1523 when Sweden, which then also included Finland, broke away, resulting in intermittent

Had the Kalmar Union survived, a common national identity would likely have sprung up. During Viking times, the Nordic peoples conversed in old Norse, which is similar to modern day Icelandic. By around 1300, the Scandinavian languages had changed enough to be no longer mutually intelligible with Icelandic, though they remained similar to each other. The Norwegian and Danish written languages would have largely converged during the 400-year union, especially in the Oslo area where Danish influence was strongest. The Scandinavians might have retained dialects, but surely their language would have melted into one over the span of half a millennium of political union.

PAN-SCANDINAVIANISM BREAKS THROUGH

The Pan-Scandinavian movement was first put to the test in the years 1848 to 1851. The German-speaking population of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein revolted against their duke, the newly enthroned King Frederick VII of Denmark. The rebels were supported by the German confederation, including Prussia, which sent troops to their aid. Denmark was supported by Sweden and Norway, which promptly sent an

But it was to be a high-water mark. When the Crimean War broke out two years later, some Swedes wanted to use the opportunity to reclaim Finland from Russia. This seemed a good idea to some Scandinavianists who saw another opportunity for the Nordics to work together. The Åland Islands were conquered by a Franco-British fleet and offered to Sweden, which declined. The islands were eventually handed back to the Russians on the understanding that they would be demilitarised.

The Swedes opted to stay out of wars but the Danes were more militant. Flush from victory a decade earlier, they decided in 1863 to annex Schleswig outright. This went against the previous peace settlement that had stipulated the two provinces were to be considered separate from Denmark despite being ruled by the Danish king.

THE KRONA UNION

The response was swift. Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck dispatched an army and was soon joined by Austria. This time, there would be no support for the Danes from any quarter. In 1864 after brief but intense fighting, Denmark surrendered Schleswig to Prussia and Holstein to Austria, thereby losing half of its industry and a third of its population.

The whole affair was not only a disaster for Denmark but for Scandinavianism in general. Sweden and Norway had stood by while the Danes fought alone. Scandinavian-

peaceful Germany, their unification coming about democratically rather than through war. Without disaster in 1864, Denmark might not have experienced the cultural renaissance they did later in the century, which was partially a reaction against external defeat.

army to the Danish island of Funen, but peace had been secured before it saw combat. The Danes had triumphed over Prussia, not least because of the diplomatic support of Britain and Russia, which didn’t want Germany encroaching on the Baltics. The Three Year War, as it is known in Denmark, was seen as a victory for Scandinavian brother-

The question over how to divide the spoils would lead to a war between Prussia and Austria in 1866, which Bismarck won. Germany was to be unified not by constitution-loving liberals, as had been attempted in 1848, but by Prussian military might. France was defeated in 1871 and a German Empire proclaimed, with

ism fizzled out and the final meetings held under the moniker took place five years later, in 1869. The ideology had never gained much ground in Finland or Iceland. Those countries did not speak languages easily understood by the others.

Independence movements were gathering pace, emphasising distinct national identities rather than a larger Nordic one. The only Icelandic Scandinavianist in Copenhagen was ostracised from the society of Icelandic students there. In Norway, the situation was similar, as most were more interested in independence from Sweden rather than another merger. The movement was mostly confined to those two countries that were already independent.

The only concrete thing to emerge from the unification proposals of the 19th century was a monetary union of Denmark and Sweden, later joined by Norway. This lasted from 1873 until the First World War. But what if the Nordic countries had unified fully?

NORDIC GREAT POWER?

A

A Nordic alliance defeating the Germans in 1864 could have had major consequences. Germany might not have unified, or at least not in the way it did in our timeline. Perhaps there would have been something of a role reversal, with a more militaristic Nordic Union and a more

But if we assume the rest of history would have unfolded much as it did, the Nordic Countries would have stayed neutral in World War I. Finland might have opted to join after independence was achieved in 1917. Perhaps the Baltic States would have, too, precluding annexation by Stalin. In any case, a Nordic Union would have been strong enough to deter German, Soviet and British intervention, staying out of World War II. This would probably also lead them to stay out of NATO and the European Union.

The population of a Nordic Union would be 28 million and it would be among the largest economies in the world. For the individual, not much would change. Norwegians might complain about sharing their oil fund, the Danes about not joining the EU and everyone would complain about the Swedes. They would be dominant with more than a third of the population, but they might not have the monarch. In 1872, Swedish King Charles XV died without leaving any sons. His daughter Louise had married prince Fredrick, son to Christian IX of Denmark, in 1869. It would probably be their heirs on the throne, leading to the current Queen Margrethe II of Denmark being queen of all the Nordic countries. Like her illustrious namesake. And check out the Grapevine’s Alternative History Of Iceland podcast for more hypothetical hijinks.

WORDS Valur Gunnarsson IMAGE Adobe Stock

Alternate Reality

The Nordic Countries had previously been united in the Kalmar Union in 1397 under Queen Margaret I of Denmark.

The Three Year War, as it is known in Denmark, was seen as a victory for Scandinavian brotherhood and commemorated in painting and song.

Andrými’s Persistent Work Towards Social Change

Reykjavík’s radical social centre in a nutshell

WORDS Jóhannes Bjarkason

IMAGE Art Bicnick

All things Icelandic in design and craft

Andrými organiser during my visit. Visitors must take off their shoes before entering, passing by old May Day posters plastered on the wall.

Since 2018, the building has housed various grassroots groups. It has hosted concerts and harboured cultural events, sheltered refugees and ensured food for the hungry. NO GODS, NO MASTERS

At Andrými, you can hardly talk about membership. Every user and participant of the space can qualify as a member. The centre’s visitors are united in working towards societal change, however small or big that might be. It is not governed by a hierarchy. No board of directors or administrators manage the space. Instead, Andrými implements formal consensus decision-making processes based on self-organisation – a “by the people, for the people” principle, if you will, although a reference to a former US president may not be apt in this context.

Each month, Andrými’s participants meet and make decisions to plan the upcoming weeks.

material resources. In the basement, several workshops are open for those interested: a carpentry facility, a bicycle repair shop and a darkroom for photographers.

THE FERMENTED REVOLUTION

Furthermore, Andrými offers opportunities for individuals and groups to host events. The premise is simple: if you have a skill you’d like to teach others, you are able to do so. But there’s a catch. Certain conditions must be met by the organisers to be able to host an event. First, the event cannot be affiliated with any political party; second, it must accommodate equal accessibility; third, the event must be in accordance with one of Andrými’s diverse aims, for example empowering marginalised groups.

Andrými’s mission and values have often been covered in contemporary cultural media. Yet, its message bears repeating – radical change through intersectional ideals and mutual respect.

On Bergþórugata 20, in a house painted a striking yellow – a bright canvas for a mural by Kosmonatka and Krott & Krass – is Reykjavík’s radical social centre Andrými. “If something like a soul exists, I believe this house possesses one,” said one

Spread over three floors, each room of the building serves its own purpose. Filling one of the side rooms on the ground floor is the anarchist library Andspyrna (Resistance). A key feature of the space is its offering of literature on intersectional social issues, political theory, philosophy and economy. A straightforward checkout system is implemented: you write your contact details and the name of the book you want to borrow.

In addition to its social and informational role, the building also offers

A big part of events hosted at Andrými is the implementation of safer space protocols. In essence, safe spaces are places without conflict or harassment. Those unfamiliar with the concept may want to attend one of Andrými’s safer space training modules. Some of Andrými’s staple events include kimchi labs, the free supermarket on Fridays and a weekly open house on Tuesdays.

For a person unacquainted with radical ideas, Andrými’s operations might sound like a far-out, hippie commune where people play make-believe. That cannot be further from the truth. The people involved in Andrými are firmly rooted in reality – the reality of profound economic disparity, social inequality and environmental destruction. In a society where social change is sparse, Andrými is an oasis of positive transformation.

Eden Blanket, designed by Aníta Hirlekar. Made in Reykjavík from pure Icelandic wool. Arctic Blanket, designed by Sigrún Halla Unnarsdóttir. Made in Reykjavík from pure Icelandic wool.

The Neighbourhood Watch

Stay like a local

8 hotels, restaurants & spas in the heart

Majesty

Discovering the secrets of the swimsuit dryer

WORDS Charlie Winters IMAGE Garðabær

ruthlessness with which Icelanders uphold their social pool etiquette. Unlike Icelanders, I was worried that my tote bag would be soaked by my wet swimsuit, so as a precaution, I brought along a plastic bag. O’ what a fool I was, for the locals already had a device to deal with this exact problem: a centrifugal swimsuit dryer. A chrome majesty that sits in the corner of (near) every pool changing room, a perfectly shaped cube with a cylinder in the centre. Placing a swimsuit in the dryer spins it at such a high velocity that physicists remain astonished at its efficiency. Within this device is where all Icelanders dry their swimsuits. I was amazed! Since when has this been a thing?! I must get to the bottom of this.

of the wheel in the 4th millennium BCE, but the records seem to cease in the 1800s with some device for separating milk and cream. Though the journal ends abruptly, the author had left me a clue: “The Servants of the Spin Cycle meet at the Secret Lagoon.”

My destination was set: Seljavallalaug hot spring, Iceland’s oldest swimming pool. Upon my arrival, the Servants had already gathered. They wore their dark robes over their swimsuits, all immaculately dry. They had been expecting me; worse, they knew my kennitala! This went far deeper than I could have imagined. They brought me under the pain of death to the dryer, yet this one had no lid.

The wet feet shlop against the tiled floors. Water from the showers batters the ground as people clean themselves. The scent of chlorine fills the air. But the spinning, it is the spinning that draws me in. That perfect blend of rotation and drying. I cannot resist its allure. It sits in the corner, this marvel of technology. This box of metal secrets is known only as the pool swimsuit dryer.

When I first visited a pool in Iceland, I, like most foreigners, had already heard about the nudity and the

I decided to make first contact with the dryers. I went to the pool closest to my house. Disguised as a common swimmer, I was able to talk to some water enthusiasts. I actually, genuinely interviewed a confused passerby who will remain anonymous for their own protection. I pressured them to tell me of the wonders of this device. They said “You close it, and it spins… I guess?” Marvelous. There has to be more.

I delved deep into the catacombs of the Reykjavik Borgarbokasafn to find the forbidden knowledge of this art form. The librarians, though helpful, seemed confused when I asked them where their rotational section was. All I was able to find was a weathered journal detailing the history of the pool dryer. The dryer’s story began with the invention

There I saw it. The spin. The machine churred and whirred and spun in a beautiful spiral. My swimsuit went in circles round and round dizzying, blurring, spurring, cleansing it of all moistness. Soon I too was spun to perfection. I had finally understood Icelandic pool culture. It was about refinement; it was about absolute relaxation. Beginning with the enjoyment of increasingly ridiculous shaped water bowls set at random temperatures. Then indulging in bubble machines, water massagers, and even the fountains that spurt regularly. And to end this ritual, one leaves the pool, with a swimsuit not drenched in water.

Perhaps one day, humanity itself will be spun and dried. We live in the shadow of the swimsuit dryer. ALL HAIL THE SWIMSUIT DRYER.

[

of Reykjavik ]

Inflation and Safe -

The Grapevine answers your most pressing questions

herine Magnúsdóttir

“Jesús minn.”

“How much for a paprika??”

“Ugh.”

“What the fokk.”

“Unbelievable .”

“Yikes.”

WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT US NUCLEAR SUBS VISITING YOUR COUNTRY?

INFLATION AND THE HIGH

Well, I can tell you that you nuclear subs are welcome to come by of course but I can’t promise many atomic doms given that the popu-

lation is still pretty small. But hey, Pride is in August and the BDSM scene usually gets their own float for the parade and if it’s warm enough, you can wear your favorite, subiest outfits and enjoy yourselves. Just don’t forget sunscreen and your safeword.

IS BJÖRK STILL A BIG STAR IN ICELAND ? OR DOES THE NEW GENERATION NOT CARE ?

Who?

Jk I think I saw her at the grocery store the other day grumbling about vegetable prices.

Sour Grapes

HYPOCRISY

To Catharine Fulton

I read your ramblings about how badly you believe Icelanders treat the environment.

You are a person who gets paid for producing huge stacks of paper, sent to various places in the country, with left overs to be destroyed monthly to make room for a new stack of the same.

There is one word that fits your behavior perfectly: HYPOCRISY!

You refer to your eyes hurting in the ramblings. I suggest that they are just totally blind regarding your own targeted polluting behavior.

R. Ragnarsson

Dearest Ragnar S. Ragnarsson,

Thank you for your email.

In publicly critiquing the environmental practices of the country in which I live, I am doing my small part to hold policy makers accountable for the decisions they make on behalf of the Icelandic nation. I am also imploring my fellow Icelanders to do better in their daily lives for the sake of the world. I think that is an important practice for everyone to engage in — neither Iceland nor Icelanders lack room for improvement.

And nor does the Grapevine! You reference my editorial from Volume 20, Issue 7 in your email and while I consider myself a conscious consumer, actively striving for a zero-waste home and living a car-free lifestyle, I do, as you rightly pointed out, work for this magazine so let’s look at its emissions. The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times per year in 20,000 copies. Looking at the data, that would bring the estimated total carbon footprint of the Grapevine’s annual 360,000 copies to 54 metric tons of CO2. That’s the equivalent of 42 Icelanders taking one round-trip flight between Reykjavík and Tenerife. Or 270 cars driving from Reykjavík to Selfoss once.

The good thing about the Grapevine is that, unlike the emissions of, say, an eight cylinder rally car, our newsprint is recyclable. So, Ragnar, if you’re reading this be sure to toss it in the blue bin when you’re done.

Cheers, Catharine