Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.09.2007, Qupperneq 11

RVK_GV_INFO_ISSUE 15_007_LISTINGS_B5
“Every time she saw me she laughed,”
says Mary Ellen Mark smiling at one
of her large framed black and white
photographs hanging in the National
Museum gallery. “I guess she found
me pretty funny.”
Mark’s latest photographic exhi-
bition, titled “Extraordinary Child,”
or “Undrabörn,” is a look at the lives
of disabled children in Iceland. Mark,
an American-born award-winning
photographer and photojournalist,
spent six-weeks in the fall and winter
of 2006–2007 at Öskjuhlíðarskóli
and Safamýrarskóli schools and the
Lyngás daycare centre for the disa-
bled, spending full days with the
kids and often accompanying them
home.
“I have a couple of pictures of
her,” Mark continues, walking away
from the picture of the smiling girl,
titled Íris who always laughed when
she saw my camera. “I like to show
the different moods of the children
because they’re just like every child.
They have moods; they’re happy,
they cry, they’re mischievous, they’re
angelic, many different things. But
these kids are mainly angelic. They’re
really so sweet. And pure, actual-
ly.”
Mark’s past projects have includ-
ed photographing homeless youths
in Seattle, brothels in Mumbai, and
the Indian Circus. Her latest work is
another raw divulge into the human
condition, into a world that Mark
neither glorifies nor dramatises.
“This little girl, who is very pro-
foundly disabled, she recognised
her picture. She came and she went
straight to her picture. The first thing
I learned is that you never underes-
timate, no matter how seriously or
how profoundly disabled these kids
are, there’s a lot they understand and
you can’t take it for granted.”
Walking around her exhibition
Mark bears a delightful look of con-
tentment on her face, looking at
every photograph as though greeting
old friends. The photographs show
the children in their everyday envi-
ronments: eating, swimming, playing
in the snow, moments covering a
full range of emotions, yet strung
together by a quality of distinct hu-
manness.
Accompanying Mark’s work are
photographs of the bare school en-
vironment by Ívar Brynjólfsson, select
artwork by the school’s pupils, as well
as a documentary made by Mark’s
husband Martin Bell about the life
of Alexander Víðar Pálsson, one of
the pupils at Öskjuhlíðarskóli.
According to Mark, one of the
goals of the exhibit and of Margrét
Hallgrímsdóttir, director of the Na-
tional Museum who worked closely
with Mark on the project, is to raise
awareness of the kids and to encour-
age that a new communal school
with improved facilities be built. Later
that day, at the exhibit’s opening
reception, the director of the Board
of Education, Júlíus Vífill Ingvarsson,
announced that a new school would
be built in the near future that would
combine the efforts of Öskjuhlíðar-
skóli and Safamýrarskóli.
“I think I have to show the happy
moments but I also have to show the
moments of real pain,” says Mark.
“We try to kind of balance it so if
you see a kid crying you also see
another picture of another side to
their personality where they’re laugh-
ing. Like Bragi here,” she says and
stops in front of another beautifully
simple photograph. “He really laughs
if someone falls down.”
Extraordinary Child will be on display
at the National Museum of Iceland
through to January 27, 2008. For
more information visit www.thjod-
minjasafn.is
An Everyday Extraordinary
Text by Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir Photo by Mary Ellen Mark
Music Art Films Events
operate a numismatic collection con-
sisting of Icelandic notes and coins.
Reykjavík 871 +/- 2
Aðalstræti 16
Open daily 10–17
Permanent exhibition:
The Settlement Exhibition
Reykjavík Art Museum
– Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture
Museum
Sigtún
Open daily 10–16
Admission ticket is valid for three days
in all three museums.
Free entrance every Thursday.
www.listasafnreykjavikur.is
Mar 31–Dec 31
Folk Tales
An exhibition of works by Icelandic
draughtsmen who took on the task
of illustrating folk tales from the oral
tradition.
Apr 2–Dec 31
The Shape of Life
A new retrospective of the works by
Ásmundur Sveinsson. The exhibition
focuses on abstract works from 1945
onwards.
Reykjavík Art Museum
– Hafnarhús
Tryggvagata 17
Open daily 10–17
Aug 31–Oct 21
The Icelandic Love Corporation retro-
spective exhibition
Aug 31–Oct 21
D Gallery
Jóhannes Atli Hinriksson exhibition.
Aug 31–Dec31
The Erró Collection
Paintings by Erró
22 Sep at 13:00
Artist’s Talk
Members of the Icelandic Love Cor-
poration discuss their work and career
along with poet and composer Sjón
and curator Fee Quay.
Reykjavík Art Museum
– Kjarvalsstaðir
Flókagata
Open Daily 10–17
Sep 8–Dec 31
Eggert Pétursson – Retrospective
Architecture at Eye Level
Sep 8–Nov 4
Eggert Pétursson – Retrospective
Paintings by Eggert Pétursson, an Ice-
landic artist famed for his meticulous
depictions of flowers.
Sep 8–Oct 14
Sculptures by Helgi Gíslason. The exhi-
bition features new works of bas-relief.
Sep 15–Dec 31
Jóhannes S. Kjarval – Key Works
Paintings by Jóhannes S. Kjarval
21 Oct at 15:00
Guided Tour – Meditation on Furniture
Architect Óli Jóhann Ásmundsson joins
a guided tour of the exhibition and
discusses his work.
Reykjavík Maritime Museum
Grandagarður 8
Open Tue.–Sun. 11–17
www.sjominjasafn.is
Current exhibition:
Trawlers in Iceland
Reykjavík Museum
Kistuhylur 4
Open daily from 10–17
www.arbaejarsafn.is
Permanent exhibition:
Objects from Reykjavík cultural history.
The Reykjavík Museum
of Photography
Grófarhús, Tryggvagata 15, 6th floor
Weekdays 12–19
Sat.–Sun. 13–17
Free Entrance
www.ljosmyndasafnreykjavikur.is
Aug 30–Oct 24
The Lost Children of Afghanistan
Photographs by Dante
Sep 15–Nov 25
Dagblaðið Víísir! / Víísir Newspaper!
Press photography in Iceland from
1960 to 2000.
Safn
Laugavegur 37
Wed.–Fri. 14–18
Sat.–Sun. 14–17
Free Entrance
www.safn.is
May 19–Oct 20
Museum of the Surface / Desire Archive
/ Decay Complex
Unnar Örn J. Auðarson exhibition
Sep 1–Oct 7
Sigurður Guðjónsson, Huginn Þór
Arason and Tony Trehy exhibition
Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum
Laugarnestangi 70
Open Tue.–Sun. 14–17
Permanent exhibition:
Works of sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson
Start Art / Art Shop
Laugavegur 12b
www.startart.is
Sep 1–Sep 28
Anna María Sigurjónsdóttir and
Ástríður Ólafsdóttir exhibition
Thorvaldsen Bar
Austurstæti 8-10
www.thorvaldsen.is
Aug 28–Sept 28
Universe
Paintings by Mæja
Outside Reykjavík
Skaftfell
Austurvegur 42, Seyðisfjörður
www.skaftfell.is
Aug 11–Nov 11
A group exhibition featuring works by
Erla Þórarinsdóttir, Hulda Hákon, Jón
Óskar and Steingrímur Eyfjörð
Hafnarborg
Strandgata 34, Hafnarfjörður
Mon.–Sun. 11–17
www.hafnarborg.is
Sep 13–Oct 7
“Photographs”
Photos by American artist Denis Masi
Sep 13–Oct 7
“Wait”
Treesculptures by Aðalheiður S. Eyste-
insdóttir
Gljúfrasteinn
– Halldór Laxness Museum
270 Mosfellsbær
Open daily except Mondays from
10–17.
Kópavogur Art Museum
– Gerðarsafn
Hamraborg, Kópavogur
Open daily 11–17 except Mondays
www.gerdarsafn.is
The Icelandic Museum of Design
and Applied Art
Lyngás 7–9, 121 Garðabær
Opening hours: Tues.–Fri. 14–18; Sat.
and Sun. 16–18.
www.mudesa.org
Exhibitions devoted to Icelandic design.
The Icelandic Settlement Centre
Brákarbraut 1–15, Borgarnes
Opening hours: May to Sep 10–20; Sep
to May 11–17.
www.landnam.is
Permanent exhibitions:
The Settlement of Iceland: The Saga of
Egill Skalla-Grímsson
Suðsuðvestur
Hafnargata 22, Keflavík
Thu.–Fri. 16–18
Sat.–Sun. 14–17
www.sudsudvestur.is
Sep 1–Oct 7
Coup d’État
Unnar Örn Auðarson Jónasson exhibi-
tion
Vatnasafn / Library of Water
Bókhlöðustígur 17, 340 Stykkishólmur
www.libraryofwater.is
Open daily from 11–17.
Permanent exhibition:
Roni Horn installation. She has replaced
stacks of books with glass columns
containing water gathered from
Iceland’s glaciers and glacial rivers.
Sandgerði Museum
Gerðavegur 1, Sandgerði.
Until Feb 7, 2008
Polar Adventures
Exhibition on the life and work of the
French polar explorer, scientist and doc-
tor Jean-Baptiste Charcot.
Jónas Viðar Gallery
Kaupvangsstræti 12, Akureyri
Fri.–Sat. 13–18
www.jvs.is/jvgallery.htm
Akureyri Art Museum
Kaupvangsstræti 12, Akureyri
Tue.–Sun. 12–17
www.listasafn.akureyri.is
Aug 25 – Oct 14
Sjónlist 2007 / Icelandic Visual Art
Exhibition displaying artworks by six
artists and art-groups nominated for
the Icelandic Visual Art Award (Sjónlist)
this year. These are Birgir Andrés-
son, Hekla Dögg Jónsdóttir, Hrafnkell
Sigurðsson, Nikita, Studio Grandi and
Össur hf.
DaLí Gallery
Brekkugata 9, Akureyri
Mon.–Sat. 14–18
www.daligallery.blogspot.com
Current exhibition:
Sunna Sigfríðardóttir exhibition
GalleriBOX
Kaupvangstræti 10, Akureyri
www.galleribox.blogspot.com
Films
Hairspray Smárabíó, Háskólabíó,
Laugarásbíó
Brettin Upp Smárabíó, Háskólabíó,
Regnboginn
Veðramót Smárabíó, Háskólabíó,
Regnboginn
Rush Hour 3 Smárabíó
Knocked Up Smárabíó, Sambíóin
Álfabakka, Laugarásbíó
Simpsons the Movie Smárabíó,
Regnboginn
Vacancy Smárabíó, Regnboginn
Mr. Brooks Sambíóin Álfabakka,
Sambíóin Kringlunni
Astrópía Sambíóin Álfabakka, Sam-
bíóin Kringlunni, Háskólabíó
Bratz The Movie Sambíóin Álfa-
bakka, Sambíóin Kringlunni
Disturbia Sambíóin Álfabakka,
Laugarásbíó
Ratatouille Sambíóin Álfabakka
The Bourne Ultimatum Háskóla-
bíó, Sambíóin Kringlunni, Laugarásbíó
License to Wed Sambíóin Kringlun-
ni
Transformers Sambíóin Kringlunni
Sicko Regnboginn
Superbad (Sept 28)
Death at a Funeral (Sept 28)
Hot Rod (Sept 28)
3:10 to Yuma (Sept 28)
No Reservations (Sept 28)
Movie Theatres
Regnboginn, Hverfisgata 54
101 Reykjavík, Tel. 551-9000
Háskólabíó, Hagatorg
107 Reykjavík, Tel. 525-5400
Laugarásbíó, Laugarás
104 Reykjavík, Tel. 565-0118
Smárabíó, Smáralind
201 Kópavogur, Tel. 564-0000
Sambíóin, Álfabakki 8
109 Reykjavík, Tel. 575-8900
Sambíóin, Kringlan 4-12
103 Reykjavík, Tel. 575-8900
Sambíóin Akureyri, Ráðhústorg
600 Akureyri, Tel. 461-4666
Nýja-Bíó, Hafnargata 33
230 Reykjanesbær, Tel. 421-1170
Selfossbíó, Eyrarvegur 2
800 Selfoss, Tel. 482-3007
RIFF
Sep 27–Oct 7 This year, RIFF’s pro-
gramme consists of nearly one hundred
films. For more info see pick or go to
www.riff.is
Events
Open House at the
Intercultural Centre
07.09 Every Friday night, the
Intercultural centre plays host to an
intercultural meeting. The concept
is to bring foreigners and Icelanders
together, and to give them the
opportunity to get to know other
people and to share experiences. The
meetings feature plenty of activities
that will allow the attendees to stir
things up into a nice cultural broth.
Entrance is free.
The Intercultural Centre, Hverfisgata 18
Young people with a foreign
background
The discussion meeting will be in
Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð’s
conference room the 24th of
September 2007, from 8:30 till 12:30
For those interested in taking part,
please notify Anh-Dao by telephone
821-2523 or via email ahdao.tran@
reykjavik.is. FÍNL (Future in a new
country) is a project meant to help
young people of foreign descent to
educate themselves, organise their
lives and become active members
of Icelandic society. The discussion
meeting is part of meeting this goal.
Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð,
Hamrahlíð 10 105 Reykjavík
B4_RVK_GV_INFO_ISSUE 15_2007_LISTINGS
www.gljufrasteinn.is
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