Why Trump Scares Us Foreigners
The United States and its president are often called The Leader Of The Free World. American politics affect us all. As a magazine, The Reykjavík Grapevine does not take political
The Rise Of The Machines: Artificial Intelligence In Iceland
Kristinn R. Thórisson is a professor of computer science at the Reykjavík University. He is also the founding Director of the Icelandic Institute for Intelligent Machines (IIIM),
Why Does The New Constitution Matter? An Interview With Dr. Lawrence Lessig
Dr. Lawrence Lessig is more than just another academic with a keen interest in Iceland. He has also been following Iceland’s experiment with a constitutional draft for years now,
Now What?
The world woke up this morning to the news that Donald J. Trump is the new President of the United States, that both houses of Congress are now Republican majorities, […]
Don’t Ask Nanna: About Grapewaves!
Hæ Nanna, OK, I was at Gaukurinn on Wednesday for PSB’s set and struck up a conversation with this girl in town for Airwaves from Spain and I felt like […]
Iceland’s Democracy Hangover: Why The International Media Got It All Wrong
The Independence Party emerged as the dominant party from our parliamentary elections. President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson granted them the mandate to form the next coalition governm
Wetlands And Taxpayers Drained
The following is a direct response to this article by Ari Trausti Guðmundsson. Wetlands are the biggest store of carbon on land. During 1950 – 1990 the Icelandic government enco
The Short Friendship Of An Icelandic Artist With The Woman Stealing Her Art
[update: the last name of Caroline has been omitted] It could have been awkward, but instead, Inga Maria’s stay at a summer house in þingvellir became a weekend of bonding [&hel
Indecision 2016: Iceland Edition
The pessimist’s guide to Icelandic politics One can’t help but envy the two-party systems of the US and (more or less) UK while watching the televised debates leading u
Where Do They Want To Take Us? The Platforms Explained
Normally each election cycle, we ask each of the parties with a good chance of getting into Parliament what their platforms are. But since we’re focusing on the future, Ideal [&h
The Grapevine Reader’s Poll Results
Well, we had to get in on the act, and set up our own online poll. As with all open-ended online polls, ours too was completely unscientific, only with the […]
Choose Your Team! What Your Next Government Might Look Like
One of the questions we asked every party currently polling high enough to win seats in Parliament this election year who they could see themselves partnering with in a coalition.
RECAP: Saga of Ragnar Shaggy-Britches
Listen up because I am about to recap the Saga on which your favorite, wildly inaccurate History Channel drama series, ‘Vikings’, is based. And yes, it is literally called the
Words of Interest: Light It Up
“See the Northern Lights” is an item that commonly appears on bucket lists. Lucky for Icelanders, the country is in a prime viewing spot for these lights, as it snuggles [&hell
Don’t Ask Nanna: About Viking Reparations
Hey Nanna, I read that when the Vikings raided Ireland they killed all the men and kidnapped the tall beautiful women so today 80% of Icelandic women have mainly Irish […]
Last Words: Curiosity Killed The Quiet
Reykjavík was once a quiet city. In 2008—the year I first visited, during the economic collapse—the tourism boom was just beginning. You could walking the length of Laugavegur
What Does A Utopian Iceland Look Like? Five Icelanders Talk About The Future
We regularly see articles published in the international press about Iceland, touting it as some kind of ultra-feminist, anti-banker paradise of clean living and social welfare. Wh
“So, Where Are You From?”
Most of us will recognise the common conversation opener, often used as a handy ice-breaker in awkward situations, or even as to express genuine interest into another’s backgroun
Keep Calm, Icelanders: You Are Not Leading A Global Democratic Revolution
After a few minutes watching the speech of US political activist and Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig at the Nordic House earlier this month, I felt disappointed again. It is
Circling Back: One American Commemorates His Family’s Life In Iceland
The American military presence in Iceland goes back to the middle of WW2, and there are many Americans who can trace their family history back to the US naval base […]
Wrestling The Kraken: Moving to Iceland and the Directorate of Immigration
A friend of mine says: “The problem with living in Iceland is that every time you open a door, you see yourself on the other side.” Sharp words and criticism […]