Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.04.2007, Síða 23
8_REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 04_007_TRAVEL/EAST ICELAND
“By organising a unique international
film and video festival here in Egilsstaðir,
we are trying to get rid of the common
misunderstanding that the countryside is
tacky” explains Kristín Scheving, the director
of the experimental film and video festival
700.is Reindeerland, over a cup of coffee at
Te & Kaffi in Egilsstaðir. Now in its second
year, the festival has almost doubled in size,
screening 90 films over a one-week period in
March at various locations in Egilsstaðir and
the surrounding area.
Kristín tells me that Icelandic as well
as international video artists and film-
makers have welcomed the opportunity to
participate in the only festival of this kind in
the country, this year receiving more than
500 films from various countries including
Taiwan, Russia, the Netherlands, Britain and
the US. Advertisements were published in
newspapers and websites all over the world,
and Kristín has a hard time explaining how
the news spread so far.
The East of Iceland has slowly been
building a reputation as an artistic district,
aiming at creating an active art and cultural
scene that is no less curious than what goes
on in the capital. Projects like the film fest
play an important role in achieving that goal,
as do all the diverse events taking place in
neighbouring towns all year round.
The Slaughterhouse becomes
a showroom
It takes only an hour to fly from Reykjavík to
Egilsstaðir, the largest town of East Iceland.
Due to its central location, Egilsstaðir
has always been a service centre for the
neighbouring district and a starting point
for many tourists travelling around the area.
Ever since the Alcoa Fjarðarál aluminium
smelter in Reyðarfjörður and the Kárahnjúkar
dam project began, the traffic in and out of
the community has only been increasing,
providing residents in East Iceland with
work and attracting a lot of foreign migrant
workers. For the past few years, Egilsstaðir
has been growing rapidly and by the end of
2006 the population in Egilsstaðir and the
surrounding area had increased by 19% in
a single year.
Established in 1947, Egilsstaðir is a young
town. When driving from the airport it
becomes quite clear that the place doesn’t
boast a long history. Lacking most of the
charming characteristics of most small towns
across the country, it almost seems that no
one had really planned how the town was
supposed to develop. There is no actual
centre, the houses are spread over a large
area and the downtown is little more than
two gas stations and a shopping centre.
But we hadn’t come all this way to discuss
architecture, aesthetics or urban planning.
The reason for our trip across the country was
to experience the way the East has evolved
into a desirable environment for artists who
no longer see Reykjavík’s galleries and art
venues as the only opportunity to promote
their work. Today, artists and musicians
travel to the East to open up exhibitions and
participate in festivals while getting inspired
by the majestic nature in the meantime.
The aforementioned Kristín Scheving
moved from the UK to be a part of this
movement. She is now not only the organiser
of the Reindeerland festival but the director
of the Culture Centre of Fljótsdalshérað,
established in 2005, with the aim of
promoting performing and visual arts in East
Iceland and introducing the art form to the
public. The Centre is one of four cultural
centres in this quarter. In Höfn, the emphasis
is on literature; Fjarðarbyggð is all about the
music; and in Seyðisfjörður the contemporary
art scene gets most of the attention.
Featuring experimental documentaries,
video art and short films as well as organising
lectures and workshops, the film and video
festival was still in full swing by the time we
arrived. As Kristín had recommended, we
headed straight to the old Slaughterhouse
in the middle of town, were the festival’s
opening had taken place the weekend
before. On the outside, the building looks
a little rusty, but once inside, creativity
and resourcefulness were the only things
I could think about. Mixing computers and
headphones with the old interiors made the
whole experience much more surreal, and
as many of the films screening were highly
unconventional, using an old slaughterhouse
as a movie theatre was just spot-on.
Art students invade Seyðisfjörður
If one truly wants to experience the artistic
sector in East Iceland, it is necessary to make
a trip to Seyðisfjörður, a tiny fishing village
that also happens to be a flourishing art and
cultural community only twenty minuets by
car from Egilsstaðir.
Renowned for its natural beauty
and creative atmosphere, it is home to
approximately 700 souls. Surrounded by
steep mountain hills and located at the end
of a narrow fjord this attractive little town
with its colourful wooden houses, many of
them preserved since the late 18th century,
is as different from Egilsstaðir as possible.
The Arty East
Text by Steinunn Jakobsdóttir Photos by Skari
REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 04_007_TRAVEL/EAST ICELAND_9
Seyðisfjörður is a beautiful place and a
friendly one too. Today, it’s an important
fishing port but also serves as a connection
to Europe as the Norræna ferry operates
weekly cruises between Seyðisfjörður and
Scandinavia, which is a big boost for the
tourist industry during summer.
Only metres away from the harbour we
found the cultural centre Skaftfell.
Established in 1996, the centre
emphasises promoting contemporary art by
hosting numerous exhibitions every year by
local and international artists and art-groups.
There we met Þórunn Eymundardóttir,
the manager, who led us to the exhibition
space on the second floor, where artworks
by students of the Icelandic Academy of
Arts were on display. Every year for the past
six years, Skaftfell, in collaboration with
the Dieter Roth Academy, has hosted an
exhibition displaying the work of students
who get the opportunity to spend three
weeks in Seyðisfjörður and work on their
projects with help from the townspeople.
The students run around town and invade
factories and construction sites and use all
they can find to create their pieces. This
chaotic and confusing mixture reaches its
peak with a grand opening, drawing all the
town’s residents to the culture centre to
see what crazy art works this collaboration
brought into existence.
“The whole town participates in this
event. And everybody loves it” Þórunn
explains. “Seyðisfjörður as a whole is an
artistic town. There’s some magical energy
streaming down from the mountains I
suppose.”
And the town’s prime season gets longer
every year. One of the summer highlights is
the annual Arts Festival LungA in July. During
one week, the town turns into an arty circus
with street theatre, workshops and events
taking place on every corner.
“The summer is getting more and more
crazy. It’s sort of like a long Saturday with
guests constantly coming and going. Now
people are flocking to Seyðisfjörður from
May to September, asking for houses or
apartments to buy and many of the artists
who visit us once don’t want to leave at all”
Þórunn adds.
No mercy!
Þórunn had told us about the newly opened
Mini-Ciné microcinema, run by the couple
Hassan Harazi and Lilja Dögg Jónsdóttir Eldon,
and as it is only across the street from Skaftfell
we headed straight over to take a look.
Located inside Iceland’s oldest shop,
which dates back to 1890, nothing on the
outside gives a hint that inside is a cinema.
The building seems just like a regular family
home, not a brand new venue for alternative
and independent film and video.
Unfortunately the owners were at work
when we arrived and all doors were closed
so we didn’t get the opportunity to take a
closer look this time.
Instead of going to the movies we
therefore headed to the gas station for
a cup of coffee. There we met another
pioneer, Óli, known among locals as Óli
Skálanes. A year ago, Óli and his three
sisters established the Skálanes Nature and
Heritage Centre, situated at the mouth of
Seyðisfjörður, which is about 17 km from the
town. Skálanes is an old farm that has been
used as a guesthouse for a long time, but
due to its natural environment and the fact
that tens of thousands of birds of over 40
different species nest annually at the site, its
main purpose today is to be an independent
conservation site that offers guided tours,
housing and food to travellers, students and
scholars, from May to September.
”We want to attract students who are
interested in researching the area. We offer
grants to graduate students who can work on
their studies. They get free accommodation
and can use our equipment. Their reports will
later be used as educational material for our
visitors” Óli explains, encouraging students
to apply.
At the same gas station, which seems to
be a popular lunch-spot, we are introduced
to Eyþór, a man in his late sixties and a
legend around the area. Eyþór is the proud
owner of Verslunin Ósk, a shop selling all
sorts of clothes as well as quality reindeer
skin. Lucky for us, Eyþór also happens to own
the popular Café Lára, a charming old-school
pub in the centre of town, and is more than
eager to give us the grand tour and one last
drink for goodbyes even though the pub isn’t
regularly open to customers that early in the
day this time of year.
The building housing Café Lára was
constructed in 1899 and the interiors have
been remarkably preserved, featuring all
sorts of old and amazing monuments, like
a 106-year-old piano that apparently still
works.
“Yes, I played it last night. No mercy!”
Eyþór says before guiding us to the bar.
While bringing us drinks Eyþór starts
telling us about the beer he is brewing. He
named it El Grillo, after a British tank ship
that sank in the fjord during the Second
World War. He has been working on this
secret recipe since he took his first sip of
beer but, up until now, the residents of
Seyðisfjörður are the only ones who’ve been
able to enjoy his brew. Now he’s expanding,
and in June his beer bottles will hit the liquor
stores around the country. For the occasion,
Eyþór is planning a grand celebration at Café
Lára.
“Yes, there will be a big party. No mercy!
I’m going to open the El Grillo garden
outside. With lots of seats and live music
every Wednesday when the Norræna ferry
arrives. And the garden will have a fountain
with my head in the middle. No mercy! You
have to come back for the party. Ok? No
mercy!”
As I’m a big fan of good parties and
would never ignore the chance to drink a
fine beer with the inventor himself, especially
when surrounded by such majestic nature
and creativity, I promise to come back to
celebrate. After raising a toast to El Grillo,
and life in general, we need to leave this
peaceful and arty paradise and the numerous
inventive individuals we had come across
during our much-too-short visit. By now,
the townspeople are getting ready for the
touristy summer months, planning concerts,
film screenings, festivals, beer parties
and art exhibitions so every single visitor
stepping foot in the town will find some
entertainment. Who knows, you might even
end up not leaving at all.
Air Iceland flies directly to Egilsstaðir.
Fly and discover
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