From the Editor’s Chair
If you have recently arrived in Reykjavík, you are probably thinking that this is a relatively safe city. And you would be right. If you have been here for some […]
Right Vibe, Wrong Headliner
A diverse mix of concertgoers flocked to bar Organ on a Wednesday evening. Four bands were about to perform but only one would actually hit the spot. The night’s concerts [&helli
“Elvis Was a Hero to Most…
…but he never meant shit to me” – to borrow the words of Public Enemy’s Chuck D. I was busy babbling incoherently at the tender age of one when the […]
National Museum of Iceland
Established in 1863, the National Museum ofIceland has been located in a spacious buildingon Suðurgata since the 1950s. The museum’scollection counts more than two million photo
The Price of Education
Every student starting a semester at school faces the fact that studying doesn’t come for free. For many students computers are necessary, as well as books, computer programs, wo
Fight for Your Right to Party: Fight Club
Political discourse is the same universal language, full of silly fights and childish talk, just like an enormous kiddie sandbox. And while the former is mainly a cock fight of [&h
The Telephone Consumer’s Guerrilla Handbook
Though a single telephone call costs just a few crowns, most people I know here in Iceland have monthly phone and Internet bills of five to ten thousand ISK. Even […]
Reykjavík Culture Night
Approximately 100 thousand people flocked downtown to partake in the annual celebration, Reykjavík Culture Night, on August 18 this year. Culture Night is the day when street perf
Reykjavík Jazz Festival
Presenting a packed four-day programme, the annual Reykjavík Jazz Festival is just around the corner. From Wednesday August 29 to Saturday September 1, various downtown concert ve
Ambrosia
“Who decided that we should take these natural things that come out of the ground and put them in a big pot and heat them up?” said one of the […]
The Accidental Musician
A lot of your music tends to be a little quirky. What inspires you to make music? I guess I try to make music that I like listening to myself. […]
Lobster Ship
Having never heard of the Lobster Ship before, I didn’t quite know what to expect, but with a name like that, I assumed it was a seafood restaurant. I soon […]
Sour Grapes
Re: Myspace vs. Facebook I am an international student and an avid reader of the Grapevine, my only source to interesting icelandic news (or I should say news put in […]
Special Souvenirs
I have always maintained that being a black sheep is not at all as unbearable as people claim. It even appears to be coming into fashion these days, you know, […]
Peacekeeping and Ideas of Masculinity
Helga Björnsdóttir is working on her PhD thesis in Anthropology from the University of Iceland. Her research has been focused on ideas of masculinity and spaces where those ideas
Is Reykjavík the City of Fear?
It should be no surprise that when up to fifteen thousand people gather in the same spot and drink alcohol, violence is likely to follow. And in Reykjavík, it routinely […]
Thorvaldsens Bazar
Located inside a dignified wooden building on the corner of Austurstræti and Veltusund, Thorvaldsen’s Bazar is among the oldest shops in Reykjavík. Opening its doors in 1901, t
Idiot Culture for the Masses
The rambunctious howls of Ljótu Hálfvitarnir, or Ugly Idiots, greeted me mid-brisk-walk towards the big stage at Miklatún Park early during Culture Night day. Upon the sound I h
New Icelanders Build on Language
In the past three or four years, the influx of immigrants in Iceland has increased steadily. According to a study conducted by the Icelandic Statistical Bureau, the country’s imm
All Things in Life – Not for All Though
The town of Akureyri, considered to be the northern capital of Iceland, is known for its charm and calm beauty. It has even been said that while Reykjavík looks like […]
Etching Bold Patterns
Twenty-seven-year-old Ingibjörg Finnbogadóttir, or Imba as she is known in the design world, has been working on a host of independent projects as a patternmaker and stylist in N