As our team recovers from an intense print week, the weekend is nearly here. First things first, you still have time to visit the Extreme Chill Festival happening until September 8. Check John Rogers’ preview of the festival here. And make sure not to miss Mary Lattimore’s performace at Fríkirkjan on Sunday. Looking for more? How about checking out some raw stand-up comedy on how to fit in Iceland (spoiler: you don’t), or exploring the many exhibition openings happening this weekend? We know you might just want to crawl into bed and watch the new season of Only Murders In The Building, but come on, get out there and soak up some culture.
For more upcoming happenings, visit events.grapevine.is.
Friday September 6 — 20:30 — Salurinn, Kópavogur — 3.500 ISK
There are plenty of jokes to be made about the decision to move to Iceland. For starters, the weather! Here’s another joke for you. The Icelandic government! Thanks for coming out to my stand-up. But instead of getting your “comedy” from this 90-word text box like a freeloader, consider attending a proper stand-up show featuring actual comedians with actual jokes. On Friday, September 6, rising Reykjavík Fringe Festival star Dan Roh presents five foreign-born comedians in a 90-minute showcase. These performers have, unlike myself, won awards at numerous festivals such as the Edinburgh and Gothenburg Fringe Festivals. They’ll bring unique insights into immigrant life in Iceland, and you’re more likely to have a laugh there than here. JB
All the moving lines, all the shapeless words — Patricia Carolina
September 6 – September 30 — Associate Gallery, Köllunarklettsvegur 4
Patricia Carolina was born and raised in Mexico and graduated with a BA from the Iceland University of Arts in 2019. Living between Mexico City and Oslo, her work has been featured in galleries in Mexico, Brazil, Norway, and Iceland. In her latest exhibition, Patricia works primarily with moving images, texts, and textiles, investigating contradictions and the politics of both waste and water. Referencing domestic and urban themes, her exhibition engages with ideas about language, grief, and growth. JB
Saturday September 7 — 20:00 — Gamla Bíó — 7.990 ISK – 9.990 ISK
If you were around in Iceland in the early 2010s, you should be fully aware of the cultural significance of the previously hibernating acts Jeff Who and Dikta. Two of the bands which defined the post-crash music scene, they were both major players at the time, with chart-topping hits such as “Thank You” and “Barfly” — the latter of which spurred countless teenagers to take up spanking the bass. If you want an unashamedly nostalgia drive down memory lane, look no further. JB
A Room With a View by Hlynur Hallsson
September 7 – September 28 — Gallerý Port
Hlynur Hallsson has been a practising visual artist for over 30 years, and racked up no less that 74 solo exhibitions. In his own words, his latest at Gallery Port will contain: “Sprayed national flags of several countries, diary drawings, and photographs with short texts in Icelandic, English, and the language of the country where the photo was taken. Three series of different works. Drawings for each day in the Thousand Days book. Simple drawings of something mundane. A room with a different view, different seasons, different places, and short texts describing what is seen or not seen. National flags as symbols for countries, nations, dominion, and politics.” JT
Paradise II — Salka Rósinkranz
September 7 – September 15 — Á Milli, Ingólfsstræti 6
Spending her time between the Netherlands and Iceland, artist Salka Rósinkranz has been an artist-in-residence in her home country as well as participating in various group exhibitions and collaboration projects. In her first solo exhibition, Salka’s Paradise II presents a look at consumerism through her prints and drawings. Made using slow and manual modes of production, the works sit in stark contrast to the capitalist-industrial themes they depict. JB
Upprásin – Flesh Machine, KRISTRÚN og Sævar Jóhannsson
Tuesday September 10 — 20:00 — Harpa – Kaldalón — 2.000 ISK
Back from summer vacay, Upprásin first took over Harpa’s Kaldalón in September 2023. A concert collaboration project between Harpa, radio station Rás 2, Landsbankinn, and Reykjavík Music City, Upprásin is all about giving rising musicians a platform to perform. Their new season means new faces, with nine shows scheduled into the next year. The first episode of Upprásins second season features post-punk band Flesh Machine, electronica artist KRISTRÚN, and contemporary musician Sævar Jóhannsson. JB
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