Letters
Hi Bart, I was in Iceland until yesterday doing my journo-ing bit looking at a new product made by an Icelandic company and picked up an issue of the Grapevine […]
How To View the Woodcarver
After reviewing Jón Adólf Steinsson’s work, one can’t help asking: is it craft, or is it art? In my opinion, the answer lies very much in the viewer. Take “The […]
Gullpensillinn (The Gold Brush)
The main space of the gallery, with its high, white walls and spacious windows, is an ideal space for showing work. On the other hand, one smaller room in the […]
The Salvation Army Guesthouse
There is only one Salvation Army Guesthouse in the world, and it’s located in downtown Reykjavík, just across from the oldest house in the city, former home to Jón Sigurðsson.
Use yo’ head, bitch!
What if I told you that raping, degrading and beating people up wasn’t in any way wrong? What if I told you that not only is it OK to promote […]
Benign Carelessness
Are you a better director now than when you made Nói Albinói? No, not really. The period between takes is always so long – three, four years– that you forget […]
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden was formed in 1976, the brainchild of bass player and chief songwriter Steve Harris. After three years of grinding metal in English pubs, a promotional single, Running
Screaming Viking, Ignoring the Volcano
That their majesties the Beckhams did not turn out was only the first of the ominous signs of the evening. The complete lack of fashion also suggested something was wrong. [&hellip
GRAPEVINE’S PURCHASES THAT JUSTIFY EXISTENCE
1 Picture postcards from The Museum of Photography. Beautifully shot black and whites of Iceland during less developed times available for 50 ISK a pop. No waterfalls, puffins or g
The Road to Chic Starts Somewhere:
In my quest to find the secret behind the inherent chic of Icelandic women, I recently visited Jói & Félagar hair studio. I rarely have a monogamous relationship with a [&hel
Nei! sagði litla skrímslið (No! said the little monster)
In keeping with our never-ending thirst for Icelandic literature, we dove headfirst into this lauded tome. Nei! won the Bookstore Worker’s Literary Prize in 2004 and was publishe
SALT,Hotel 1919
Described as “chic, upscale and casual” on its website, the hotel restaurant, Salt, actually is. Each table is decorated with a small porcelain bowl with pink, white and black
When You Own It, You Might Not Break It
When the guy that used to come by my house and steal my hard boiled eggs got a 15 million ISK loan to buy an apartment, I knew things were […]
Maru
It seems to be common practice when one restaurant files for bankruptcy to start another one in its place. In this tradition, Maru is a sushi place by Aðalstræti, where […
Nearly Independent
While my friends and I stretched out on Arnarholl on Independence Day, enjoying the sun and watching Gunnar & Felix yuck it up on stage, we noticed a ship in […]
Another Glacier on the Big Screen
With Batman Begins, Svínafellsjökull (Pig Mountain Glacier) finally gets its time in the spotlight. Fans of the glacier, including much of the Grapevine staff, are glad that this
Bezt í heimi: Lobster Soup at Sægreifinn
Sitting on a barrel inside the Sægreifinn fish shop, staring up at the stuffed seal and stuffed ram’s head, having owner Kjartan shuffle by to serve another customer and repeati
The Grapevine Presents A Spoken Word Creation Written for, But Not Performed by, the President of Iceland During the 61st Celebration of Iceland’s Independence, at Austurvöllur, Reykjavík, June 17th 2005.
Fellow citizens. It was on a rainy day 61 years ago that the youthful visionaries of an old nation came together on Þingvellir and declared Iceland’s independence. Vigorously ha
Interview with Sigríður Dögg Auðunsdóttir
Can you explain to a foreigner what exactly is going on with the banking scandal regarding privatization of Icelandic banks? Why were the foreign and prime ministers and the cover
Mired in TraditionIceland’s Courts and Sexual Assault Law
This example is, unfortunately, one of many. A visit to the Icelandic Supreme Court’s website (http://www.haestirettur.is/control/index?pid=333) outlines one ruling after another
Don’t Make Your Family Mule Those Sausages: Stock Up at Yndisauki
First of all, you need to know that there is a quota on imported cheeses and meats in Iceland. In fact, you may have found this out if you tried […]