Bringing Art to the Public
‘Miðbaugur og Kringla: Leisure, Administration and Control’ is the name of a collaborative exhibition of 11 visual artists that will open in various spaces in Reykjavík on Ju
Seabear: A Fully-fledged Team
The lo-fi country pop group Seabear will be among the many acts performing at the annual Innipúkinn music festival, taking place in Reykjavík on August 4 and 5. The band [&hellip
Gallery Crush
At various Icelandic art schools, designer/fashionista Óli has a reputation. Having focused his art in the direction of the greater community, he has worked in various underground
Toys for Tourists
Choosing that perfect souvenir to send home can be difficult when stores sell pretty much the same the world ‘round. You’ve probably often wondered how designers can be so unim
Not the Same Old Jens
The soft-spoken musings of Swedish Jens Lekman are carving him a spot in music history as one of Europe’s best-loved troubadours. Bashful, sweet, and disarmingly earnest, Lekman
Rafskinna
Rafskinna, Iceland’s first magazine in DVD format, is a beautifully packaged, attractive collectible. Beyond the 2½ hours of (mostly unseen) footage and16-page printed octavo, i
The Maritime Museum
Located only metres from the old harbour, the Reykjavík Maritime Museum might seem uninteresting on the outside. On the inside, however, an impressive collection of unique fishery
Outside and Off the Grid
“In the incessant, obtrusive drone of our technological age, we sometimes begin to yearn for whatever is original, simple, and sincere in existence – for anything that is genui
Icelandic Folk Legends
If the recent reprinting of Alda Sigmunsdóttir’s Icelandic Folk Legends is anything to go by, Jarvis Cocker has started something. Much like the Pulp frontman’s recordings of
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
What were your intentions when you were starting out? Unnsteinn: First it was to win the Samfés (the national youth club organisation of Iceland) singing competition. Þórður: Y
LungA Young Artists’ Festival
682 kilometres from the capital city in the eastern fjords, the quaint town of Seyðisfjörður plays host to a high dose of art and culture during its 8th annual LungA, […]
The Einar Jónsson Museum
The first art museum in Reykjavík, the Einar Jónsson museum, opened in 1923. The history of this beautiful building goes back to 1909 when the beloved artist offered to give [&he
Surtsey Exhibition
A continuous (and unsettling) loud rumbling sound and flickering yellow-orange light greet you as you approach the entrance to the Surtsey exhibition on the fourth floor of the Cul
Pioneering Sculptures
You’ll find Ásmundarsafn, the Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum, in a unique building near Laugardalslaug swimming pool, just outside of the city centre. Looking like some so
Rvk Tattoo Festival
The second annual Icelandic Tattoo Festival was held in Grand Rokk during the weekend June 8 to 10. Among the respected artists that visited Grand Rokk that weekend were: Santana,
Street Art: Accepted in Galleries, Banned in the Streets
It’s not just the weather. Reykjavik is a grey city. Beyond the pastel corrugated iron houses of Skólavörðustígur and the colourful storefronts of Laugavegur, the drab grey a
Bubbling Icelandic Design
If 18th century governor of Iceland and entrepreneur Skúli Magnússon were alive today he would be a happy man. After housing numerous restaurants and bars, the oldest building in
Fotografí Fine Photography
Ari Sigvaldason knew he was interested in photography, but it wasn’t until February when he quit his job of 15 years as a reporter with national broadcaster RUV that he […
June 17 Celebration
Brace yourself for Iceland’s National Day, celebrated on Sunday June 17. It was that day in 1944 that Icelanders claimed independence from their Danish oppressors. It also marks
A Cross Between Power and Vulnerability
New York artist Spencer Tunick is an internationally acclaimed photographer and performance artist, renowned for his abstract creations featuring groups of nudes posing in public s
Vitality and Relevance
Last January, Swede Max Dager took over from Norwegian Gro Kraft as the director of the Nordic House in Reykjavík. Since taking over, Dager has left no stone unturned in […