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Love In The Time Of War
Aside from the bombing of the oil tanker El Grillo, whose hulk can still be found lying at the bottom of Seyðisfjörður, Iceland largely escaped the ravages of World War II. Even when a foreign army launched a large-scale invasion on May…
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You Can’t Always Go Downtown
Sun peers through the large windows at Hressó on Andri Valgeirsson, shining on his transition lenses and heavy 5 o’clock shadow. He sometimes comes to Hressó when he’s in 101 Reykjavík, but most of the time you won’t see his dark navy…
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NATURAL TRANSITION
On June 27, the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a landmark occasion for human rights took place in Iceland as a bill protecting the rights of transgender people came into effect. Already commanding a reputation of being a leader in social equality,…
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The Working Man
Hannes Bjarnason was a consultant and project manager for a small company in Norway before very recently moving to Iceland and then deciding to run for president. For much of Iceland’s voting public, he is relatively, if not completely, unknown, which may…
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The Activist
Andrea Ólafsdóttir was the last to announce her candidacy for president, on May 1, International Workers’ Day this year. Born in 1972 in Húsavík, Andrea chairs the Coalition of Home Owners (Hagsmunasamtök heimilanna) and has been a vocal opponent of the mandatory…
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The Mountaineer
Through his 63 years on Earth, Ari Trausti Guðmundsson has enjoyed a varied career that has entailed him earning a degree in earth sciences, writing award-winning books of fiction as well as several scientific and/or educational non-fiction tomes, acting as TV and…
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The Television Personality
Þóra Arnórsdóttir is a 37-year-old mother, journalist, and presidential candidate. As a reporter and game show host for the state-owned broadcasting corporation, RÚV, Þóra has been a near nightly guest in Icelandic living rooms for years, but she has formed a solid…
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The Incumbent
Incumbent President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson is Iceland’s fifth elected president. If re-elected on June 30, he will become the longest-sitting president in the history of the Republic. For the first time since he entered office in 1996, Ólafur faces real competition, with…
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Why So Many Covers, Reykjavík Grapevine?
For this very special presidential election issue, we decided to run six different covers featuring every candidate in the 2012 Icelandic presidential elections emulating incumbent Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson’s pose for his 1996 official presidential photograph, which was shot right after he took…
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The Boys Are Back In Town
‘Valtari’—Sigur Rós’ much-anticipated sixth-release—is risky. Not that the band hasn’t, in its 18-years-active, established itself as a creative juggernaut of sorts, and cultivated an insatiable fan base. But ‘Valtari’ is risky in the way all matters of the heart are risky. Because…
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Friends With Benefits
Many people speak of China and Iceland as if China’s interest in Iceland is only a few years old. This belief is forgivable—most China/Iceland relations have been decidedly low-key, with two recent exceptions: former Chinese President Jiang Zemin’s 2002 visit, during which…
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A Black Box
In post-collapse Iceland, mortgages are hard to come by, and a growing number of people are turning to the rental market. Yet, with such increased demand, finding apartments to rent for would-be tenants is only getting more difficult. So where are we…
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Why Do We Need karlssonwilker?
New York City design firm karlssonwilker is the brainchild of Messrs Jan Wilker and Hjalti Karlsson, one of whom happens to be born and raised in Reykjavík (no points for guessing which one). They have made quite a name for themselves, working…
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The Meeting That Almost Changed Everything
It was the second most important event to take place in Iceland during the Cold War. However, it could easily have been one of the most important events to take place ever, and not just in Iceland, but anywhere. World peace seemed…
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WHAT DID YOU VOTE FOR, REYKJAVÍK?
Here is the introduction to our last feature interview with Jón Gnarr, which ran in May of 2010: “Here at the Grapevine, we are all big fans of Jón Gnarr and his comedic stylings. We were amused when we learned he was…
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“It’s No Coincidence We’ve Been Called The Ironic Generation”
I guess you could call them ‘legendary.’ In any case, they’re more ‘legendary’ than most of the crap that is being sold as ‘legendary’ in these limp times of recycled pap. OK, OK, old fart mode off. HAM is one helluva band…
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FM Belfast: “It’s Incredibly Boring to Be Cool”
Árni Rúnar Hlöðversson and Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir are surprisingly fresh, considering that the day before they flew into Iceland after a short tour of Europe with their band, FM Belfast. They have spent the day in their backyard, working in their garden…
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IS HARPA JUST A FAÇADE?
Like it or not, HARPA, Reykjavík Concert Hall and Conference Centre, is now open for business, permanently altering downtown Reykjavík’s cityscape while revolutionising the conditions for live music in the country. It’s been argued about, obsessed over, protested, defended and a really…
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Information Without Borders?
The info-wars have begun, and Iceland is begging to be the legislative battleground. In the wake of the international controversy made mainstream in part thanks to WikiLeaks’ highly-publicized and continued release of leaked documents from around the world, Iceland remains curiously relevant…
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To Be Or Not To Be
Will October 6th, 2008 (the day Iceland’s luckless PM Mr. Haarde, asked God to help his poor nation since he himself could not) live on in our collective memory as a “day of infamy”—a sort of Icelandic Pearl Harbour? Pearl Harbour is…
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The Watchdog That Didn’t Bark
The media is often recognised as the fourth branch of government sitting next to the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Recognising its importance in 1787, United States Founding Father Thomas Jefferson said, “were it left to me to decide whether we should…
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Where Is He Taking Us?
We’re still wondering: What happened? How did Iceland get knocked so flat on its collective ass? And what’s being done about it? So we thought we’d call up our Minister of Finance, Left Green chairman Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, and ask him. To…
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Enjoying Emptiness
Artist Sigurður Guðmundsson has been unusually prominent in the Icelandic art scene this year, publishing a new novel, exhibiting his early photographic work in Reykjavík and inaugurating a major work of public art in Djúpivogur. Sigurður maintains a busy schedule, dividing his…