Disposable Art: The “Saltjökull” Project Wraps Fish ‘n’ Chips In Art Prints
You may have heard the old aphorism about the news: that one day, it’s on the front page, and the next it’s fish-wrap. Baltimore-based artist Bekí Basch has taken this
Art In Wild Places: STAÐIR/PLACES Scatters Art Around The Westfjords
When you think of the Westfjords, you might imagine a far-off land in the Iceland countryside; a place where dramatic mountains tower over the grey ocean, with no humans in [&helli
The Transformative Quality of Paper: ‘Lignin’ Sheds Light On Matter
Have you ever wondered about the process that a sheet of paper goes through before it becomes the sleek piece of A4 we all know so well? Have you considered […]
Hairy Venice: Birta Guðjónsdóttir, Shoplifter and HAM Go To The Biennale
Iceland always makes a splash at the Venice Biennale. From Ragnar Kjartansson’s portrayal of an extravagant, repetitive portraitist, to the controversial mosque project, to Egill
Comic: Elín Elísabet’s World Cup Identity Crisis. HÚ!
Elín Elísabet is an illustrator with an abnormal interest in the mundane. You’ll find her around the streets of Reykjavík, documenting the everyday with her trusty sketchbook
Blábankinn: The Blue Bank Opens In Þingeyri
In the small town of Þingeyri, in the Westfjords of Iceland, something very exciting is brewing. There’s a new bank in town that’s as far from a traditional financial institut
Documenting Inner Fantasy: Hafsteinn Viðar Ársælsson’s ‘Svartmálmur’
In February 2016, the Grapevine profiled the burgeoning Icelandic black metal scene in a feature entitled, “Welcome To The Circle.” The piece documented the birth of Icelandic
Shoplifter To Represent Iceland At Venice Biennial 2019
Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, who works under the nom-du-guerre Shoplifter, has been announced as Iceland’s representative at the 58th Venice Biennial art fair, to be held in 201
Dragons, Deities, Morphoclogs: Reykjavík Arts Festival’s Stellar Opening Day
There’s something strange going on outside Iðnó. A cluster of tall, black, bipedal reptiles stand with their backs to the wall, looking out over Tjörnin. They peer down over t
Reykjavík Arts Festival: Dragsúgur—A Gust Of Air, Or A Mobile Gallery?
The Wind and Weather Window Gallery (WWWG) is an unconventional gallery located in the front window of the 105-year-old house at Hverfisgata 37. It’s not a gallery that you go [&
Get Your Mind Blown: Reykjavík Arts Festival Picks
Reykjavík Arts Festival is here once more to take over the city with openings, exhibitions, music, and all flavours of interdisciplinary performance. Are you ready? Demoncrazy Aus
The Art Of Being Yourself: Daniel Lismore’s Inspired Nonconformity
The doors of the elevator slide smoothly open, and Daniel Lismore emerges into the fractured sunlight of Harpa’s fifth floor. He cuts a distinctive figure, dressed head to foot i
Reykjavík Arts Festival: Fresh Like Peppermint
Described as a “three-headed giant of sorts,” new performance art ‘Peppermint’ is set to take place during the highly anticipated Reykjavík Arts Festival in June. Curated
The Turning Wheel: The Philosophy Of Top Icelandic Gallery Hverfisgallerí
Sitting in a sleek downtown restaurant in a pink tulle skirt, Sigríður L. Gunnarsdóttir peruses the menu for less than a minute before she orders, with the unmistakable nonchala
The Wild Things: Enter The Surreal World Of Gabríela Friðriksdóttir
Gabríela Friðriksdóttir arrives at Hverfisgallerí on a sunny afternoon, bright-eyed and smiling. The sky is clear and blue as the spring approaches, and her mood is buzzing and
Outvert Art Space: The Inside-Out Gallery Of Ísafjörður
When you enter the space, it feels a little bit like you were dropped in a shoebox with the intent of letting you take a peek into the art world. […]
A New Era: Meet Vigdís Jakobsdóttir, Reykjavík Arts Festival’s New Director
“I truly believe that the arts are the most powerful tool to celebrate humanity and to sustain and create peace on earth. That’s why I have devoted my entire career […]
Icelandic Students Challenge Ideas Of Time & Space In One-Time Exhibit
At the top floor of an unassuming building in downtown Reykjavík, five young women are discussing the faltering equilibrium between time and space in this technology-dependent era
Lost In A Vacuum: Melkorka From Milkywhale Returns With A Space-Age Pop Opera
In a crowded café, Icelandic dance extraordinaire Melkorka Sígríður Magnúsdóttir pours her fizzy drink into a glass, barely managing to contain her equally effervescent e
Ritual Magic And The Esoteric World: Freyja Eilíf’s Search For The Art God
Icelandic artist Freyja Eilíf graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2014, opening the Ekkisens gallery in the basement of her grandparents’ house on Bergstaðastræt
Get Naked Every Day: ‘About Looking’ Explores Female Nudity In Art
In 2017, three friends and artistic collaborators—Eva Ísleifs, Katrín Inga Jónsdóttir Hjördísardóttir and Rakel McMahon—met up at an apartment in Athens during a particu