The Haul: Go Big Or Go Home

Welcome to The Haul, where we give you a peek into our shopping bag (or the shopping bag of someone far more interesting than us) and an idea of what’s worth browsing and buying in Reykjavík these days. This time, we’re peeking into the cart of a multimedia artist Klāvs Liepiņš. His short film Godspeed won the experimental category at the 2025 Stockfish Film and Industry Festival, but as Klāvs puts it, “people call me ‘the new gardener.’”

1. XGIMI Horizon S Max Projector — as a visual artist who mainly works with video art, I can tell you one thing — exhibiting video works in Iceland is always a “vesen.” Life becomes way easier when you have your own  — 399.990 ISK, available from Mi búðin, Ármúli 21, 108 Reykjavík or mibudin.is

​​2. Giftcard at Vínstukan — Honestly, sometimes I feel like I could just live there — 500.000 ISK, not sure if it’s available, but I still want it. Hopefully available at Vínstukan Tíu Sopar, Laugavegur 27, 101 Reykjavík

3. Year subscription at Mjölnir — I didn’t enjoy myself too much at the gym until I discovered Víkingaþrek. The feeling in Vikingaþrek is like partying all night, just a healthy version — 155.000 ISK, available from mjolnir.is

4. Greenhouse — Nothing makes me feel the way I feel when I am gardening. Usually, I spend summers in Latvia, where I grow my own food. It has always been my dream to have my garden and greenhouse in Reykjavík, where I’d grow all veggies and swim in flowerbeds — 1.049.995 ISK, available from Bauhaus

5.Hyundai Inster — Spontaneous road trips and blasting the music with no worries that my car might break down? Yes, please! Go big or go home. I don’t know much about the cars, but it’s known that Hyundai is a rather “good cop” in the automobile manufacturer pond. Well, at least as good as corporations can be, if you know what I mean — 5.390.000 ISK, available from bl.is and probably other places too

6. Annual pool pass — FUNDAMENTAL — 46.400 ISK, available from all Reykjavík public pools

7. Makita Tools — Just like gardening, building stuff makes me equally happy. Because of the word limit, I won’t be listing all of the tools I want, but if I were a rich boy, I would just buy them all — 84.695 ISK, available from Bauhaus, BYKO, Husasmiðjan and many more

8. Large LGBTQI+ Flag — The occasion for the flag to be up in the air? The answer is — daily basis — prices vary, available from Pink Iceland, Pride Centre at Iðnó during the Pride, gift shops and other stores

9. A set of Hasami dishes from Mikado — When you know, you know — price per item from 2.890-19.900 ISK, available from Mikado, Hafnatorg

10. Art work from Kristín Helga Ríkharðsdóttir’s exhibition Data gígar / Data Craters at Þula Hafnartorg — It was one of my favourite shows of 2025. I find her art truly authentic, and I would love to start every day by waking up and looking at it on my wall while sipping my morning coffee — price available at request, available from gallery Þula, Hafnatorg

Follow what the new gardener is up to on Instagram: @klavsliepins

For all your non-essentials, visit the Grapevine store here.