UNA magazine / February 2015

BEYOND SÓNAR

BY CECILIA LUCIANO AND PABLO FUENTES

Sónar was founded in Barcelona in 1996, as the “Festival of Advanced M0usic and Multimedia Art”.

In the next years the festival expanded and since 2002 Sónar has organized events in different places of the world, traveling to Reykjavik, London, New York, Seoul, Lisboa and many other cities around the planet.

Sónar Reykjavik is a that was designed with the contrast of t and the darkness at

It also defined as tween people and h those who truly seek ming it and seeing t the largest stage and that matters but als relationship that for ries for all involved.

an intimate festival to enjoy the music the Icelandic winter the same time.

an experiment behow music can reach k it by those perforthat it´s not always d the biggest crowd so about the unique rms and the memo-

Furthermore, the list of artists that participated this year edition in Reykjavik includes mixed bands international and Icelandic perfiormer, such as the German, Paul Kalkbrenner and his European team, the UK project SBT RKT, combination of electronic, pop, alternative musicians and the acclaimed American electronic music artist Skrillex.

TOP 10 OF REYKJAVIK

BY CECILIA LUCIANO

In many ways Reykjavík is a cosmopolitan town by international standards, this is the capital of Iceland.

This city is heart of the cultural, economic and governmental activity. It is among the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world.

Reykjavík is located land and is famous ghtlife. This is the pl with an interest in th culture. Designated a Literature, Reykjavík Iceland´s literary he discover a treasure o people.

d in southwest Icefor its weekend nilace to be for those he world of arts and as a UNESCO City of k is also the core of eritage where you’ll of arts and talented

So, here is the top ten to visit this beautiful city: 1.-Saebraut-Walking Sea Side You can see all the city and the wonderful mountains 2.-Perlan This is “THE PLACE”…with the most beautiful view of the city

TOP 10 OF REYKJAVIK

BY CECILIA LUCIANO

3.- City Walking Free You MUST go…it is a funny and interesting way to know the city.

4.-HARPA It’s a building right in front of the walking sea, it’s a place where you will find Art + Architecture + Culture.

5.- Recycling House A house built with parts of everything you could maybe throw away and it’s ri-

ght on the walking ed view and near of a pa

6.- Church The only church in th go.

7.- Swimming Pools There is 2 swimmi vik, but these aren’t ady know, these hav you can relax just ou

dge of the sea. Great art of the beach.

he city, so you MUST

ing pools in Reykjat the same you alreve hot spots where utdoors…AWESOME!

8.- Laugavegur Street This is “the street” you need to have in mind to see all the stores and the most prestigious branches in Iceland. It is like the 5th Avenue in New York.

9.- Botanic Garden It is an indoor collection of living plants.

10.- Beach Just the place you need to relax and visit for a walk.

HAPPY ASH WEDNESDAY !

BY JUNE

It was so lucky for us to enjoy Ash Wednesday in Reykjavik on this time of my workcamp. In many western countries, carnival is celebrated at this time of year.

For the Icelandic people, the carnival just in three days – Bolludagur ( Collop Monday), Sprengidagur (Shrove Tuesday) and Oskadagur ( Ash Wednesday).

Oskudagur which means Ash Day is in many ways is the same as Halloween.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent,

7 weeks before East was firstly celebrate Iceland, in the early now it is in almost p According to the Bibl Ash Wednesday in so ple go to church to r foreheads.

In Iceland, Ash Wedn lebrated by children tionally collected into pin the bags onto inn

ter. Ash Wednesday ed in Akureyri, North y 20th century, and parts of this country. le, ash is holy and on ome countries peoreceive ash on their

On this day, children wake up early to get ready and head downtown- as soon as the stores open.

nesday is mostly cen, ashes were tradio small ash bags and nocent passersby.

They will keep singing until shopkeepers put up letters in the door as: “Krakkar! nammið er búið” means “Kids! There is no more candy”.

They dress up in colorful costumes, make up fancily and visit shops, stores in the main streets and then singing any songs to exchange for candies.

BUILDINGS OF ICELAND

BY MARIN KUSOWA

In Iceland, there are many impressive buildings. Especially, Reykjavik- the capital city has nice buildings of various styles.

Ancient- These architectures stand for classical style of Iceland. They are not only dark and simple but artistic. For example, city hall and bank are like that. You can see like these buildings in Reykjavik !!

Modern- This two buildings symbolize Iceland today. We can view whole Reykjavik city from Perlan. Harpa is located in a seaside.

BUILDINGS OF ICELAND

BY MARIN KUSOWA

Street with colorful housesIt’s a one of the most beautiful scenery in Iceland. They are really lively and vivid. Besides, Some walls are painted and so wonderful!! If we walked these streets, we would feel as if we were in fairy tale or film.

I was so impressed when I came Iceland for the first time. Because I have never seen these buildings in my country.

Each of buildings have each color. Moreover, they never destroy their character each other. You can enjoy various face of Iceland from the buildings!!

Sónar was founded in Barcelona in 1996, as the “Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art”. In the next years the festival expanded and since 2002 Sónar has organized events in different places of the world, traveling to Reykjavik, London, New York, Seoul, Lisboa and many other cities around the planet.

Sónar Reykjavik is an intimate festival that was

designed to enjoy the music with the contrast of the Icelandic winter and the darkness at the same time.

It’s also defined as an experiment between people and how music can reach those who truly seek it by those performing it and seeing that it´s not always the largest stage and the biggest crowd that matters but also about the

SÖGAR

BY PABLO FUENTES I have wielded a blood-stained sword and howling spear; the bird of carrion followed me when the Vikings pressed forth; In fury we fought battles, fire swept through men’s homes, we made bloody bodies slump dead by city gates.”

Egil’s saga The medieval or saga literature is the Icelanders´ great and permanent contribution to world culture.

The sagas of Icelanders are forty narratives of adventure and conflicts.

Set in the Viking Age but written down in the vernacular by anonymous authors in Iceland several hundred years later, during the 13th and 14th centuries.

The Sagas of Icelanders form a unique literary genre and have served as inspiration for writers of later times as Walter Scott, Jorge Luis Borges and W.H. Auden.

Deeply rooted in the real world of their days, concise and straight forward in style.

The Sagas explore perennial human problems and conflicts: love and hate, fate and freedom, honour and feud, crime and punishment, travel and exile.

The Sagas tell of the li landers during the dec fore and after the ye abandoned the Germa and Thor and adopted

In this period, too, Ic explore and settle Gre tion of this venture wa yage to North America

The Sagas of Icelande roic literature, but ra and blood humans bu legacy. These were ste domineering women wealth and power, fam And though strong me stage, it is often clev

ives and deeds of Icecades inmediately beear 1000, when they anic Gods such as Odin d Christianity.

celanders ventured to eenland. The culminaas Leif Eiriksson´s voa.

ers are not typical heather stories of flesh urdened with a heroic eely-minded men and in search of worldly me and love. en dominate the Saga ver and beautiful wo-

men who manipulate the course of events behind the scenes and outspokenly voice their opinions on the players involved in it.

But though these champions reign victorious on foreign shores they almost always turn to their Icelandic farms nestled under towering mountains in lonely fjords and valleys.

At the heart of the Sagas are wealth, power, regional status, and the inevitable conflicts that result from life in a singular society which sets its own laws and a hard justice.

Egil’s Saga tells the story of the long and brutal life of the tenth century warrior – poet and farmer Egil Skallegrimsson: a psycologically ambigous character who was at once the composer of beautiful poetry, and a physical grotesque brutality.

Reykjavik

Hveragerรฐi

WORKCAMPS JANUARY & FEBRUARY

BY NÚRIA PÉREZ

Eskifjörður

5 12/01/15 - 26/01/1 Hveragerรฐi ment Health and environ (wf129) 5 Num. Of volunteers:

The Natural Health Association has a horticultural and environmental department, including forestry, gardening, and greenhouses, which is where Worldwide Friends volunteers work most of the time.

The nature of the w on weather condition ge quickly. Voluntee thes appropriate for also clothes for work

work depends largely ns, which can chaners should bring clor outdoor work, but king inside the warm

greenhouses.

The working hours are usually from 09 am to 15 pm and volunteers will have one hour lunch break.

26/01/15 - 0 9/02/15 Hveragerรฐi Health and e nvironment (wf107) Num. Of volu nteers: 7

09/02/15 - 23/02/15 Hveragerรฐi Health and environmen t (wf109) Num. Of volunteers: 5

19/01/15 - 30/01/15 Reykjavik and wf farm Winter renovation (wf104) Num. Of volunteers: 8

The renovation camp in Reykjavik has two major activities.

WF Iceland is currently renovating houses downtown Reykjavik where our volunteers are living and working.

The organization is a farmhouse in the out km away from the ca

The volunteers will novation in Reykjav

also renovating an old tskirt of Reykjavik 15 apital centre.

help us with the revik and the farm, the

work depends on the skills of each volunteer.

Volunteers will also participate in workshops related to visual art.

03/02/15 - 1 3/02/15 Reykjavik a nd wf farm Winter renov ation (wf106) Num. Of volu nteers: 8

17/02/15 - 27/02/15 Reykjavik and wf farm Winter renovation (wf166) Num. Of volunteers: 9

21/01/15 - 31/01/15 Reykjavik Journalism and photography (wf17) Num. Of volunteers: 5

WF Iceland publishes a magazine called UNA where people can read about the life of the organization.

In the beginning of the project volunteers will receive an introduction about the tas-

ks - afterwards we w the newsletter.

This is a great opport fferent projects and t javik in a better way.

will choose a topic for

tunity to step into dito get to know Reyk.

The group will take photos and make videos and interviews with volunteers, local hosts and people living in the area.

The outcome will be published in the UNA WF magazine.

11/02/15 21/02/15 Reykjavik Journalism and photograph y (wf173) Num. Of vo lunteers: 4

WF Iceland publishes a magazine called UNA where people can read about the life of the organization.

In the beginning of the project volunteers will receive an introduction about the tas-

ks - afterwards we w the newsletter.

This is a great opport fferent projects and t javik in a better way.

will choose a topic for

tunity to step into dito get to know Reyk.

18/02/15 - 02/03/15 Reykjavik European film festival (wf158) Num. Of volunteers: 4

The group will take photos and make videos and interviews with volunteers, local hosts and people living in the area.

The outcome will be published in the UNA WF magazine.

20/01/15 - 01/02/15 East of iceland Art and environment (wf100) Num. Of volunteers: 7

The volunteers will be the leaders of environmental education sessions in kindergartens and children schools in Fjardabyggd.

The main goal is to create awareness

among children and mote protecting the e life.

The work will be divi ration of materials s

teenagers and proenvironment in daily

chure, info mobile centre with photos and explanations, power points, and videos.

ided between prepasuch as posters, bro-

During the second week the volunteers will visit schools and kindergartens to perform the session.

01/02/15 - 13/02/15 East of iceland Art and environment (wf105) Num. Of volunteers: 6

During this work camp volunteers will develop different task related to renovation and maintenance of our accommodation in the East of Iceland.

5 - 13/02/1 5 1 / 2 0 / 01 celand East of i

aurora d n a n io t Renova wf202) hunting (

:9

nteers lu o v f O .

Num

The Work will depen skills and knowledge such as painting, cl things and basic kno and construction.

nd on each volunteer but it is focus on task leaning, fixing small owledge of carpentry

13/02/15 - 25/0 2/15 East of icelan d Art and enviro nment (wf108) Num. Of volun teers: 7

It is time here in Iceland during the winter to prepare our accommodation for the summer.

In addition to this work winter time means in Iceland aurora hunting.