A performance of music, nature and art

The total population of Iceland recently broke the 300,000 mark and a large percentage live in Iceland’s capital Reykjavík, which happens to be the most northern capital in the world. Relatively speaking, the number of art galleries and cultural institutions in the city and elsewhere on the island that cater for those producing work and those interested in viewing it, seems phenomenal. In Reykjavík most of this activity takes place within the postal code 101, hence, the excessive use of this number in place names and titles.

Surprisingly, this generous collection of exhibition spaces is busy and active, all with full programmes and steady audience numbers. This is due to Reykjavík being home to an unusual creative buzz spurred on by the country’s short, but complex history littered by myths and legends; a location which allows for easy access to both the US and the EU; a mind bogglingly, inspiring landscape just down the road and a tight knit community of people that work together and support each other. The artists know those running the art spaces and quite often in addition the best editor, producer and technical support in the country. It is this unique structure that keeps things highly productive. A result and symptom of this prolific output is that local artists have the chance to show their work on a pretty regular basis. These aspects of Reykjavík’s art scene make it fertile, although it has to be accepted that quantity does not always result in quality.

Many artists continue to reference features of the Icelandic environment in their work and this is something that can be hard to relate to as an outsider. Therefore, in order to begin to understand the significance of the many natural influences on local creativity it is vital to also experience the surrounding landscape. Without wallowing in the clichés of Iceland being a land of purity, fire and water, it is nevertheless impossible not to be inspired by the island’s naturally occurring phenomena. Between the still, hardened lava plateaus there are live volcanoes, moving tectonic plates and geysers that erupt at varying intervals. There are shifting glaciers, a raging North Sea and geothermal pools, one of which, the power plant pumped Blue Lagoon at Grindavík is frequented by locals and tourists alike and is a definite must do for the list. Finally, the sky is like an expressionistic canvas where clouds gather, rainbows form and the Aurora Borealis majestically pattern the blackest of nights. After seeing such amazing, natural performances, complementing works such as those by Ólafur Elíasson feel far more minimal than they did before; as does Rúrí’s Endangered Water’s Archive presented at the 50th Venice Biennale, and her public sculptures which include Rainbow at Reykjavík airport.

About three hours drive from Reykjavík is a work that frames the landscape in a way that is really worth traveling to experience. Less than a year old, having opened in July 2005 is Finnbogi Pétursson’s Frequency. Commissioned by the Vatnsfell Power Station this massive fife acts as an acoustic pipe, which is large enough to walk into. When the north wind blows into its entrance, the structure vibrates at 50 Hz producing a tone that mimics the frequency of electricity generated by water passing through the power station.

Experimenting with sound and music is a predominant cultural interest and past time in Iceland, where just about everyone is, or was in a band. The key spots to hang out in, to hear the best of the up and coming local bands and meet the art crowd of Reykjavík are Sirkus, where Spike Jonze shot a music video for Björk and for a slightly more refined scene Kaffibarinn owned by film Reykjavík 101’s writer/director Baltasar and Blur’s Damon Albarn. Just as these scenes converge to listen to music at night, there is also a strong connection back to the music scene from within the visual arts. Well known as a member of the famous electronic/rock and roll group Trabant, Ragnar Kjartansson is simultaneously producing well-received performance and video art works. Another former musician Sigurður Guðjónsson of death-metal band Cranium is now showing his haunting atmospheric videos internationally and in July will have a solo show at the Kunstverein Langenhagen in Germany. Then there are the music performance videos of the more established Icelandic Love Corporation, the members of which Eirún Sigurðardóttir, Jóní Jónsdóttir and Sigrún Hrólfsdóttir are due to celebrate a decade working and performing together this year.

With music, nature and art coming together so emphatically, the result is a performative genre of art production that is both eccentric and yet very settled in its own surroundings. The art space Kling and Bang, run by eight Icelandic artists is set to explore this very grounded eccentricity by collaborating with the art collective Gelitin this coming July. Judging by the results of previous collaborations, the most provocative being the production of a series of Sheep Plugs and their public parade with Jason Rhoades and Paul McCarthy leading the carnival; and if Gelitin can be kept away from the infamous Runtur bar crawl, this artistic overture is set to be a head on competition with Iceland’s geysers and volcanoes for the biggest summer explosion.
Top 6:

Kling and Bang gallerí
Laugavegur 23
101 Reykjavík
+354 696 2209
kob@this.is
An artist run space that hosts local artists, as well as forming collaborations with key international artists, which so far include the likes of Jason Rhoades, Paul McCarthy and John Bock, to work on large-scale projects made in Iceland. The next such collaboration, with renowned art group Gelitin opens on 8 July.

The Living Art Museum
Laugavegi 26
Reykjavík
+354 551 4350
www.nylo.is
Run by an association of artists, The Living Art Museum was founded in 1978 and its main objective is the care of a collection of post 1960s Icelandic art. The museum also organises around 8 contemporary exhibitions every year, as well as other events including performances, readings, conferences and concerts. Between June and August the museum will host Esperanto Kiosk and work by Olof Olofsson from Denmark.


CIA
Hafnarstræti 16
101 Reykjavík
+354 562 7262
www.cia.is
The Center for Icelandic Art was set up in 2005 to promote Icelandic artists nationally and internationally. It holds files and publications on Icelandic artists and institutions and visitors are welcome to spend time researching the archives in the ground floor lounge area.

101 Hotel and Gallerí
Hverfisgata 10 & 18a
101 Reykjavík
+354 5800 101
www.101hotel.is
Hotel 101 perfectly complements the great outdoors of Iceland and the attitude of Reykjavík with its minimal, but innovative design and additional touches such as products by Aveda, comfy slippers, dressing gown and a choice of DVDs and CDs to fill the evenings. The lobby and public areas of the hotel are littered with art works collected by the owners over the years. In addition the hotel boasts a gallery also called 101, which presents solo exhibitions by Icelandic artists and from June - July will host Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir.



i8 gallerí
Klapparstigur 33
101 Reykjavík
+354 551 3666
www.i8.is
Opened in 1995 by Edda Jónsdóttir, i8 is the main commercial gallery in Iceland. It shows and represents a mix of Icelandic and international contemporary artists. During June and July this year i8 will have an exhibition of work by Finnbogi Pétursson as well as a group show in the basement floor.

Kaffibarinn
Bergstaðastræti 1
101 Reykjavík
+ 354 551 1588
Featured in the film Reykjavík 101, the bar Kaffibarinn is owned by the film’s writer/director Baltasar Kormakur along with his soundtrack composer Blur’s Damon Albarn. These claims to fame and the fact it is frequented by celebrities including Bjork make it Reykjavík’s trendiest starting point for the Runtur (meaning circuit, the Runtur is similar to a serious pub crawl and takes place every Friday and Saturday night until the early hours).