Grapevine Events: RAKEL, Skjaldborg Screenings, Opera Days

Reykjavík’s currently the overcast city we know and love, but there’s no harsh wind making it harder to walk from gallery to museum to venue. So no excuses! Here’s our roundup of everything happening around town this weekend.

Lucrezia Costa’s exhibition Somewhere to belong opened yesterday in hafnar.haus’ hafnar.space, and runs just until Monday. This is the first exhibition of the space’s fall series, where the artist explores community and belonging.

This is the second, and final, weekend of Sequences XII. A smattering of events — such as the Nýló Choir & Adam Buffington, Hugo Llanes & Catherine Rivadeneyra Bello’s dinner “m a s a,” and Thomas Pausz’s pollination workshop — will all take place before the festival ends.

Today, Reykjavík Record Shop celebrates 11 years with a birthday party tonight, starting at 17:00. Simultaneously, Hulda Rós Guðnadóttir’s multi-faceted 20th anniversary exhibition opens at Gallery Grótta, starting at 17:00, with a party at Rauða Ljónið until 23:00. At 18:00, at Fischersund, there will be a release party for the book Galdrastafir, which refers to the Icelandic magical staves. And, at 18:30, feminist & queer community bookstore Garg begins their ongoing concert series; the first edition presents artists Maria Gabriela Rubio Hernandez and petals.

Tomorrow, there’s an opening at Gallery Port from 15:00 to 17:00. Skarphéðinn Bergþóruson’s exhibition, titled Gripið úr gömlu, will stand through November 1.

Jelena Ćirić, whom we interviewed for our current issue of the Grapevine, will be performing at Mengi at 20:00. Later in the evening, at 21:00, the band RAKUR takes the stage at RVK Tónabíó. They’re made up of some of the most exciting musicians on the grassroots scene today, so you won’t want to miss this.

On Sunday, DIY/DIT venue R6013 hosts a concert with Zach Rowden, KverK, <333 trio (Salóme Katrín Magnúsdóttir, Erla Hlín Guðmundsdóttir, & Maria-Carmela Raso), Yuki Mik & María Gabriela Rubio.

Got an event? Add it to the calendar at events.grapevine.is, or check out what’s already happening around town.

RAKEL a place to be Release Concert

October 17 — 18:00 — Smekkleysa

Previewed in our current issue of the Grapevine, today marks the release of RAKEL’s debut LP, a place to be. An exciting collection of delicate vocals, field recordings, intricate guitar, and fun collaborations, this album puts RAKEL in the spotlight. To see her perform live, join the celebrations at Smekkleysa. ISH

Flétta: RÁN & Sólrún Ylfa

October 17 — 20:00 — Hannesarholt — 4.900 ISK

Contemporary duo RÁN, the project of Melissa Achten (USA) and cellist Ida Nørby (DK), are visiting Iceland for a residency at SÍM in October. The two will present their folk-influenced improvisational pieces, rooted in mythology and their imaginations, sharing a bill with friend and violinist Sólrún Ylfa. ISH

Skjaldborg Winning Films

October 18 — Starting at 16:30 — Bíó Paradís — Free

Beloved Patreksfjörður film festival Skjaldborg “comes” to Reykjavík. Three of the winning films — Ósigraður, Bóndinn og verksmiðjan, and Paradís Amatörsins — will be screened in Bíó Paradís on Saturday, at 16:30, 17:00, and 19:30 respectively. If you couldn’t make it out to this year’s festival, you won’t want to miss your chance of seeing this now. ISH

Óperudagar

October 16 to 26 — Various venues — Tickets available on tix.is

This year’s Óperudagar, or Opera Days, offers the theme “roots” in this year’s iteration. Sprawling across venues such as Austurbæjarbíó, Fríkirkjan, and Hafnarhús, Icelandic and international artists present works that are funny, dramatic, and beautiful. ISH