Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.03.2007, Blaðsíða 11

Music Art Films Events Music Art Films Events RVK_GV_INFO_ISSUE 03_007_LISTINGS_B5
Artist Birta Guðjónsdóttir saw her
basement as an opportunity to
contribute to the Reykjavik art scene
and started the Dwarf Gallery.
For the past five years
Guðjónsdóttir has been renting
a small flat at Grundarstígur 21 in
101 Reykjavík. Included in the rent
is a 12m2 basement, which turns
into an exhibition space, the Dwarf
Gallery, for a few months a year.
The name explains itself when you
visit, so watch your head.
When asked how the idea of
starting a gallery in her basement
came about, she refers to Iceland
being a creative nation where things
like that tend to happen: “In 2002 a
group of artists and myself started
a project we called ‘open gallery’;
organizing monthly exhibitions,
which lasted for one day, wherever
we could find some free space in
the centre. At that time many shops
in Laugavegur went bankrupt or
relocated, so we would ask the
owners of these empty spaces if
we could borrow one for half a
Saturday. We would then invite
as many artists as possible, by any
means, to put up their works two
hours before the exhibition would
open. We did this one day a month
for almost a year and paid out of
our own pockets to make flyers,
bake pancakes and make coffee for
the guests. One of these shows was
called We bid Farewell, consisting of
works from Icelandic artists living
abroad. Dwarf Gallery contributes
to the art life of Reykjavik. This is
always needed, everywhere, and a
good cause I think. When I organise
some Dwarf activity, I don’t do it
because I feel that something is
missing here, it is more because of
having the space to do it and with
that, an idea about starting the
Dwarf Gallery came along.“
The gallery seems to only be
open a few months a year. How will
the public know when there is an
exhibition going on?
“I send out emails and distribute
small photocopied posters and
flyers in cooperation with the
exhibiting artists. It also helps that
word of mouth spreads fast in a
small community like Reykjavík.
Those who might be interested
will notice it, I think. The good part
about the location is that a lot of
people just wander by and check
it out. It is located in a pedestrian
area in the centre, so many of the
visitors wander in by chance, which
is very nice. People have asked me if
or when I will expand into a bigger,
commercial gallery. It will not
happen, because with the current
situation, I can invite artists of my
own choice and work with them
without any dependence on, or
claim of, a third party of any kind.
That’s a situation which creates a
different artistic atmosphere to the
commercial one.”
Guðjónsdóttir invites artists
to display their works without
charging for the exhibition space,
energy bills or such and assists
them with getting the materials and
equipment needed. The artists then
do what ever they want with the
space, without her creative input.
“None of us earn money from
this activity, but I get a lot out of it,
because I invite artists whose works
I am interested in, I learn from the
collaboration and it involves a level
of creative work,” she explains.
Right now the Dwarf gallery is
showing videowork by Unnur
Andrea Einarsdóttir. The Icelandic
performance and video artist says
she gets her inspiration from so-
called misfits, bums, drag queens,
the mentally disturbed, gypsies and
those who have been wrongly named
freaks. Siamese twins, dwarfs (I will
not ask the obvious question: if we
will be seeing dwarfs at the Dwarf
Gallery, go and see for yourself),
albinos, midgets, or people that are
somehow physically deformed are
common characters in her works.
She is also a musician and a member
of the band Dr. Disco Shrimp. The
exhibition will be open until the 17th
of March or by appointment (write
to galleridvergur@hotmail.com).
Ellen Marie Fodstad
Birta Guðjónsdóttir’s own artwork
can be seen at Listasafn Reykjavikur
at the moment.
The Dwarf Gallery, Grundar-stígur
21, 101 Reykjavik. www.this.is/
birta.
Watch your Head, the Exhibition is in the Basement
Gallery Dwarf
Coulpier, François Curlet, Gérald,
Philippe Meste, Hugues Reip and Jean-
Michel Wicker. (Pourquoi Pas? Festival)
The National Gallery
Fríkirkjuvegur
Tue.-Sun. 11-17
Free Entrance
listasafn.is
9 Mar – 29 Apr
Exhibition of selected paintings by
Jóhann Briem and Jón Engilberts
The National Museum
Suðurgata 41
Open daily 10-17
natmus.is/
17 Mar – 29 Apr
Why Not Africa?
Dominique Darbois photo exhibit.
Photos of sculptures from the African
artistic heritage will also be on display
as well as original artwork. (Pourquoi
Pas? Festival)
17 Mar – 29 Apr
Sporlaust / Without A Trace
Katrín Elvarsdóttir photo exhibition.
Until 29 Apr
With a Silverneedle
Elsa E. Guðjónsson textile designer
Until 12 Mar
Guðni Þórðarson photo exhibition
Ingimundur Magnússon and Kristján
Magnússon photo exhibit
Permanent Exhibitions:
The Making of a Nation
The Nordic House
Sturlugata 5
Tue.-Sun. 12-17
www.nordice.is/
17 Mar – 22 Apr
Parallell Jewelleres
Jewellery-design exhibition
Reykjavík 871 +/- 2 : The
Settlement Exhibition
Aðalstræti 16
Open daily 10-17
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
Until 18 Mar
Ásmundur Sveinsson – Man and
Material
Selected works from Ásmundur
Sveinsson, illustrating his use of
materials such as wood, clay, plaster,
bronze and other metals.
2 Apr – 31 Dec
Ásmundur Sveinsson
A new retrospective of the works of
Ásmundur Sveinsson.
Reykjavík Art Museum
– Hafnarhús
Tryggvagata 17
Open daily 10-17
2 Feb – 29 Apr
Erró - Gleymd framtíð / Erró
– Forgotten Future
100 watercolour paintings by Erró
from the period 1981-2005.
2 Feb – 18 Mar
Installation and photographs by Birta
Guðjónsdóttir in the D Gallery
23 Feb – 29 Apr
Fagnaðargarðurinn / Celebration Park
French artist Pierre Huyghe displays his
recent works. (Pourquoi Pas? Festival)
23 Mar – 29 Apr
Geirþrúður Hjörvar exhibition. In her
exhibition she makes use of diverse
media mixing literature, music and
visual arts in her installations.
Reykjavík Art Museum
– Kjarvalsstaðir
Flókagata
Open Daily 10-17
10 Feb – 29 Apr
Foss / Falling Water
The exhibition explores the relationship
between art and nature through the
work of Hekla Dögg Jónsdóttir, Ólafur
Elíasson, Pat Steir and Rúrí.
10 Feb – 2 Sep
K-Þátturinn / The K-Factor
Jóhannes S. Kjarval retrospective.
4 Feb – 6 May
Kjarval og bernskan / Kjarval and
childhood
Jóhannes S. Kjarval exhibition
especially for the young ones. A
program for children every Sunday at
14:00.
Reykjavík Museum
Kistuhylur 4
www.arbaejarsafn.is
The Reykjavík Museum of
Photography
Grófarhús, Tryggvagata 15, 6th floor
Weekdays 12-19
Sat.-Sun. 13-17
Free Entrance
www.ljosmyndasafnreykjavikur.is
23 Feb – 26 May
Swim and Steam
Damien Peyret photo exhibit displaying
both polaroids of people relaxing in
Kópavogur swimmingpool and screens
his shortfilm A Taxi for Raykjavík,
made in 2001. (Pourquoi Pas? Festival)
24 Feb – 25 Mar
Made in Iceland
Jo Duchene photo exhibition
displaying his documentary of private,
public, industrial and religious housing
in Iceland. (Pourquoi Pas? Festival)
Safn
Laugavegur 37
Wed.-Fri. 14-18
Sat.-Sun. 14-17
Free Entrance
www.safn.is
Contemporary art exhibitions
Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum
Laugarnestangi 70
Tue.-Sun. 14-17
Permanent exhibition
The work of sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson
Outside Reykjavík
Hveragerði Library
Austurmörk 2, Hveragerði
Mon.-Fri. 15-19
Skaftfell
Austurvegur 42, Seyðisfjörður
www.skaftfell.is
17 Mar – 10 May
A unique collaboration between the
Dieter Roth Academy and students
from the Iceland Academy of the
Arts. Participating students are:
Christelle Concho, Harpa Dögg
Kjartansdóttir, Inga Martel, Irene Ósk
Bermudez, James Greenway, Nika
Kupyrova, Sigurrós Svava Ólafsdóttir,
Vilborg Bjarkadóttir, Þórunn Maggý
Kristjánsdóttir and Arild Tveito.
Open 13-17 on weekends
Hafnarborg
Strandgata 34, Hafnarfjörður
Mon.-Sun. 11-17
www.hafnarborg.is
8 Mar – 9 Apr
Works of Faroese Painter Zacharías
Heinesen
Gljúfrasteinn / Halldór Laxness
museum
270 Mosfellsbær
Open daily except Mondays from
10-17.
Hafnarfjörður institution of
continuing education
Skólabraut 1, Hafnarfjörður
Paintings by Sigurður Örlygsson,
Árni Rúnar Sverrisson, Inga Dóra
Guðmundsdóttir, Ester Jóhannesdóttir,
Helga Sigurðardóttir, Kristín
Pálmadóttir, Svandís Egilsdóttir,
Charlotta S. Sverrisdóttir, Ágúst
Bjarnason and Kristbergur Pétursson
Kópavogur Art Museum
– Gerðarsafn
Hamraborg, Kópavogur
Open daily 11:00-17:00 except
Mondays
www.gerdarsafn.is
Until 18 Mar
Pictures of the year 2006
An exhibition displaying the best press
photos from last year.
Until 18 Mar
Pictures from Kárahnjúkar
Collaborative exhibition on the
ground flood featuring pictures from
photographers
Ragnar Axelsson, Páll Stefánsson,
Þorvaldur Örn Kristmundsson, Kristinn
Ingvarsson, Brynjar Gauti Sveinsson
and Vilhelm Gunnarsson all shot at the
Kárahnjúkar area.
Suðsuðvestur
Hafnargata 22, Keflavík
Thu.-Fri. 16-18
Sat.-Sun. 14-17
www.sudsudvestur.is
Sandgerði Museum
Gerðavegur 1, Sandgerði.
Until February 7th 2008
Polar Adventures
Exhibition on the life and work of the
French polar explorer, scientist and
doctor Jean-Baptiste Charcot.
Akureyri Art Museum
Kaupvangsstræti 12, Akureyri
Tue.-Sun. 12-17
www.listasafn.akureyri.is
From 13 Jan
Les yeux de l’ombre jaune
Jón Óskars exhibition
From 13 Jan
Tyrfingar
Adam Bateman installation
GalleriBOX
Kaupvangstræti 10, Akureyri
www.galleribox.blogspot.com
10 Feb – 17 Mar
Kristín Helga Káradóttir exhibition
Films
The Last King of Scotland
Set in Uganda, this movie is
B_RVK_GV_INFO_ISSUE 03_007_LISTINGS
Next Months Program:
Sunday, March 11
15.00 The Rider Named Death
17.00 The Cranes Are Flying
19.00 Rebel Without a Cause
21.15 Solaris
Monday, March 12
17.00 Andrei Rublev
20.00 Reykjavik Documentary Workshop: I for India
22.00 East of Eden
Sunday, March 18
15.00 East of Eden
17.15 Forever Young
19.00 The Cranes Are Flying
21.00 East of Eden
Monday, March 19
19.00 Forever Young
21.00 Rebel Without a Cause
Sunday, March 25
17.00 Twisted Path of Love
19.00 The Woman With Red Hair
21.00 World of Geisha

Monday, March 26
19.00 World of Geisha
21.00 The Woman With Red Hair

Sunday, April 1
15.00 The Woman With Red Hair
17.00 Kviksaga Introduces:
Narrative Culture and Opposition in Modern Cities
19.00 Still Life
21.15 Dong
Monday, April 2
17.00 World of Geisha
19.00 Twisted Path of Love
21.00 Muslims and Christians
Monday, April 9
15.00 Astrid Lindgren
17.00 Twisted Path of Love
19.00 Still Life
21.15 Dong
“The selection of films in Icelandic
cinemas is poor to say the least. Sure,
we get all the blockbusters a week or
two ahead of Europe, but that hardly
counts as an important contribution
to film culture,” says Atli Bollason, one
of the founders of the Fjalakötturinn
Film Club, established by the Reykja-
vík International Film Festival. The club
will be screening movie classics at the
historical Tjarnabíó cinema every Sun-
day and Monday evening until May.
“Films made outside of Califor-
nia hardly ever make it to the silver
screen in the mainstream cinemas so
we decided to widen the range of
the Reykjavik International Film Festi-
val by offering such movies regularly.
Tjarnarbíó seemed a great venue, the
house has character, the screening
room is quite big - but not too big -
and it’s completely independent of the
distributors,” Atli continues.
The idea is to present Icelanders
with quality films from all over the
world, to improve the variety of films
on offer. “We see ourselves partly as
educators, so we try to present clas-
sics both from American and Euro-
pean cinema, but we’re also highlight-
ing little known facets of film history,
such as the Nikku Roman Porno films
- Japanese erotic films from the 70s.
When it comes to new films which
make up just as much of our selection
we try to go for films that touch on
hot topics. For example we’ll screen a
pair of Chinese films that take place
in a part of China heavily influenced
by the building of the Three Gorges
Dam in the Yangtze river - Still Life and
Dong. Hopefully, these two films can
help us see the Kárahnjúkar Dam in a
new light and help us deal with what’s
to come. We also have quite a lot of
documentaries on our schedule, cho-
sen in cooperation with local academ-
ics,” Atli says.
Nearly 30 films will constitute the
club’s spring program and all screen-
ings are without intermission and
lengthy trailers. To enlist, visit www.
filmfest.is. Membership cost is 4000
krónur and gives access for one person
to all the films shown on the spring
schedule, as well as discount charges
for the Reykjavík International Film
Festival in September and October.
The restaurant Fjalakötturinn in Aðal-
stræti will offer special discounts for
members, including two beers for the
price of one on club screening days.
Individual tickets for the club’s screen-
ings are available for the regular movie
price of 900 krónur at the ticket office
in Tjarnarbíó. SBB
For more info and a full programme,
visit: www.filmfest.is.
Film Club Fjalakötturinn
Tjarnarbíó
inspired by the life of the country’s
dictator Idi Amin and his brutal
governance in the 1970s. For-
est Whitaker takes on the role of
Amin and won the Oscar as the
best actor for his performance.
Smárabíó, Regnboginn
The Number 23
A thriller starring Jim Carrey as a
pretty normal bloke whose life will
soon change after discovering a
mysterious book he thinks is based
on his life. As the book ends with
a murder, he becomes paranoid
and scared and tries to fight what
he is now convinced is his brutal
destiny. Smárabíó, Laugarásbíó,
Borgarbíó Akureyri
Pursuit of Happiness
A Will Smith drama based on a
true story about a single dad who
dreams of a better life for his kid.
Smárabíó, Selfossbíó
Notes on a Scandal
A drama flick starring Cate
Blanchett as a pottery teacher who
begins an affair with one of her
underage students. Regnboginn
Smokin’ Aces
This film centres on a young snitch
getting prepared to testify against
the mob. Rather than keep a
low profile while waiting to face
his destiny, he runs of to a Lake
Tahoe casino with a group of
angry assassins chasing after him.
Laugarásbíó, Borgarbíó Akureyri,
Sambíóin Álfabakka
Music and Lyrics
Centring on a washed-up and
struggling 80s popstar played by
Hugh Grant this romantic com-
edy follows his live as he tries to
move from a has-been to hip, with
a little help from quirky Sophie
Fisher, played by Drew Berrymore.
Sambíóin Kringlunni, Sambíóin
Álfabakka, Sambíóin Akureyri
Breaking and Entering
Set in London’s King’s Cross, this
drama deals with the life of a
landscape architect, played by
Jude Law, which gets pulled into
a world of crime and poverty
after a break-in at his trendy firm.
Sambíóin Álfabakka, Háskólabíó,
Sambíóin Akureyri
Bridge to Terabithia
Inspired by the children’s novel
with the same name, this adven-
turous fantasy flick centres on a
young boy and a girl who together
create the fantacy kingdom of
Terabithia where they rule as king
and queen. A must see film for
all true Disney fans. Sambíóin
Kringlunni, Sambíóin Álfabakka,
Sambíóin Akureyri
Hannibal Rising
Yes, Hannibal the cannibal has
returned yet another time, now
telling the tale of the man-eating
maniac when he is still an inno-
cent teenager. After witnessing
his parents getting killed during
WW2 he ends up in an orphanage
and slowly starts changing into
the brutal serial killer movie-go-
ers know all too well. Sambíóin
Álfabakka
Dreamgirls
Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy
and Jamie Foxx, in a 1960s-style
adaptation of a popular Broadway
musical. Selfossbíó, Háskólabíó.
Norbit
An Eddy Murphy movie starring
Murphy as Norbit, a nerdy fella’
who has a hard tome dealing with
his overweight girlfriend, also
played by Murohy who is total
hag. (March 9)
Venus
Starring Peter O’Toole as a veteran
actor who discovers new aspects
of life he had never dreamed of
before when meeting an impulsive
teenage girl. O’Toole has received
top reviews for his performance.
(March 9)
The Good Shepherd
Directed by Robert De Niro and
starring him, Matt Damon, Ange-
lina Jolie and Patrick Wilson, this
political flick is described as the
untold story of the birth of the
CIA, where misdeeds and corrup-
tion unfolds and lives have to be
sacrificed to protect the agents’
secrets. (March 9)
Everyones Hero
Young Irving is a kid with big
dreams. He has always wanted to
play for the New York Yankees.
The only problem is that he sucks
at baseball. When Babe Ruth’s
legendary bat gets stolen he, with
the help from a talking baseball
named Screwie, takes on a mission
to find the thief and return the bat
and will soon become the hero he
always dreamt of being. (March 9)
Epic Movie
From the writers of the Scary
Moviy series, this movie has one
plot. Mixing together blockbusters
such as Snakes on a Plane, Narnia,
Harry Potter, Willy Wonka, Pirates
of the Caribbean, and even Borat
and Superman with the hope of
being remotely funny. Very likely
to be torture to watch. (16 March)
Wild Hogs
Middle-aged friends who need to
spice up their lives decide to go
on a motorcycle trip and regain
the long lost youth. Starring Tim
Allen, John Travolta, Martin Law-
rence and William Macy, as can
be expected, the road-trip doesn’t
end up being as comfortable as
planned. (March 16)
The Hitcher
It’s spring break and a young
couple decides to hit the road
and enjouy the pleasure of school
vacation. When coming across a
mysterious hitchhiker the trip turns
out to be a total nightmare. From
the Producers of Texas Chainsaw
Massacre and the Amityville Hor-
rors. (March 23)
300
Based on the epic novel by Frank
Miller, this movie retells the story
of the famous battle of Thermopy-
lae in 480 BC where 300 Spartian
soldiers fought the much stronger
Persian army to protect Sparta.
This visually stimulating and
historic thriller has received top
reviews by critics around the world
and no true movie fan should pass
up on. (March 23)
School for Scoundrels
From the directors of Old School
this comedy, starring Billy Bob
Thornton as the confedence-build-
ing teacher Dr. P and Napoleon
Dinamite’s star Jon Heder as a
young man suffering from anxiety
attacks and low self-esteem is a
hilarious entertainment. Heder,
who enrolls in Mr. P’s class has to
learn to be confident the hard way
when he ends up fighting with the
twisted teacher over the same girl.
(March 30)
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
Events
Slovenian art collective opens an
embassy in Iceland
22.03 Official opening of the Icelandic
embassy of the Slovenian NSK State.
Lecture and ceremony at the Reykjavík
Academy.
Reykjavík Akademy, Hringbraut 121.
700IS Film fiesta
24 -31.03 Held for the second time
the Experimental Film and Video
Festival Reindeerland will take place at
Egilsstaðir in the East of Iceland by the
end of March. Local and foreign art-
ists and filmmakers will present their
works in the form of documentaries,
short-films, video-art and everything
between creating a one week culture-
party. The festival is open for all free
of charge.
For a full program and venues see
www.700.is
To Other Horizons
04.04 April 4th will see the premiere
of an original contemporary dance
piece in Reykjavík City Theatre. Entitled
To Other Horizons, this is a collabora-
tion project between the Icelandic
Dance Company, French choreog-
rapher Serge Ricci and visual artist
Fabien Almakiewicz who together
created the piece specifically for the
Dance Company. The description
reads that in To Other Horizons “Ricci
approaches the subject matter in a
logical manner, revealing his intention
of articulating dance as the progres-
sion from obscurity towards the light.”
This performance is part of the French
Pourquoi Pas? festival. For tickets visit
www.id.is.
Reykjavík City Theatre, Listabraut 3.

www.gljufrasteinn.is