From art to action to music, there’s a ton going on this week. February might be dark and cold, but Reykjavík city is hot as hell. Here are the not-to-miss events.
Monday, February 18th
Miami Open Pink Pong Tournament
20:00, Miami, Free!
It’s ping pong, bitch. Time to get competitive! Just please not too competitive, no one wants to see that. Anyway, Miami is hosting a tournament and of course the winner will be rewarded with a big prize. Also: Boys and girls, dig out those dusty shorts, the best dressed person will be in for a treat too.
Tuesday, February 19th
i8, 11:00-18:00, Until March 16th
For nearly two decades Ragnar Kjartansson has worked within various realms of art. His most recent piece—‘Figures in Landscape’—is a video installation and a sort of clock that presents an alternate perception of time. It’s his most high-tech endeavour to date and features seven 24-hour scenes playing simultaneously on as many screens. A projection in the window of the gallery will also give pedestrians and the gallery’s neighbours a chance to experience the piece. Each scene represents a day in the week, so viewing it actually takes a whole week. That said, definitely start today. If you can’t catch Ragnar’s works today though, i8 Gallery is open Tuesday – Friday from 11:00 – 18:00 and Saturday from 13:00 – 17:00. The exhibit will run until March 16th.
Wednesday, February 20th
dj. flugvél og geimskip & Axis Dancehall Release Party
20:00, IÐNÓ, 500 ISK
IÐNÓ is fast becoming the new centre of Reykjavík’s music scene, with a constant flow of exciting concerts, fresh collaborations and gigs from Iceland’s established and up and coming musicians. On February 20th, dj. flugvél og geimskip will take to the concert hall’s grand stage to celebrate the release of her new album, ‘Our Atlantis,’ which picks up where her last LP, ‘Midnight On The Bottom Of The Ocean,’ left off. Expect strange encounters with deep sea creatures and mythical beings set to deeply eccentric electronica, with no shortage of bubbles, smoke and lasers, and an ocean’s worth of charm. Support comes from Axis Dancehall, a vaunted emerging electronica duo who’ve also been making waves in recent months.
Thursday, February 21st
Iceland Symphony Orchestra: The Rite Of Spring
19:30, Harpa, 2,500-7,800 ISK
At the first performance of Stravinsky’s ‘The Rite of Spring’ at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the audience was so disturbed by the bizarre, violent, graceless, and jarring music and choreography that they took the orchestra under siege and pelted the dancers with vegetables. When’s the last time you’ve heard of music causing such adrenaline? Fyre Festival? The Gathering Of The Juggalos? But even by contemporary standards, the unsettling melodies, complex rhythms, and harsh dissonance of Stravinsky’s work still feel ridiculously edgy. As the composer himself famously stated, “There are simply no regions for soul-searching in ‘The Rite Of Spring.’” So even if you’re not a “classical music person,” go listen to one of the most eerily eccentric pieces around. That said, please don’t throw vegetables, and if you do, please don’t say the Grapevine told you to.
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