Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.08.2008, Page 6

6 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 10—2008
INTERvIEW By Haukur S. MagnúSSon — pHoto By gaSOPINION
Jakob Frímann magnússon is serious about his Plans For a saFe city centre
It hardly went unnoticed this spring when Reyk-
javík’s controversial mayor, Ólafur F. Magnússon,
appointed musician-slash-jack of all trades Jakob
Frímann Magnússon (no relation) to the (some
claim) newly created position of Reykjavík’s ‘Cen-
tral City Director’. No stranger to controversy, the
latter Magnússon accepted the post unfettered by
numerous public accusations of nepotism (the
pair are childhood friends). He has since tackled
some of the problems facing downtown Reykjavík
with an apparent vigour that some celebrate and
others call excessive, and potentially harmful.
A well known, oft disputed public character
in Iceland, Jakob Frímann Magnússon has lead
the country’s most consistently popular pop out-
fit Stuðmenn through an often tumultuous career
for over thirty years. He has also pursued vari-
ous other callings, among them politics and film
production. Magnússon has also been active in
various musician’s unions and currently works as
chairman of STEF, the Icelandic Royalty Associa-
tion. He agreed to answer some of the Grapevine’s
questions via e-mail.
GRAPEvINE: What exactly is a Central City Di-
rector?
jAKOb FRíMANN MAGNúSSON: Someone who
focuses on improving downtown Reykjavík in
every sense of the word. This job was originally
held by Kristín Einarsdóttir while Ingibjörg Sólrún
Gísladóttir was Mayor of Reykjavík.
GRAPEvINE: Is such an official needed? Why?
jFM: The number of requests, phone calls, e-
mails and visits I’ve received in the last couple
of months suggest a definite yes. The Mayor of
Reykjavík would simply never have enough time
to personally deal with 101’s infinite list of sugges-
tions, complaints and concerns. The goal is re-
establishing 101 Reykjavík as a pretty, clean and
safe city centre.
GRAPEvINE: 101 Reykjavík has been known as
a vibrant centre for a long time, and studies show
that a lot of tourists (not to mention locals) ac-
tively seek out the lively atmosphere to be found
there. Do you believe a heavily regulated environ-
ment, such as the one the City of Reykjavík seems
to be creating there now, is suited to maintain in
the increasingly valuable 101 ethos?
jFM: My brief is to take on board the concerns of
everyone living, working and playing in 101. We
must seek to protect the lively and creative vibe of
downtown Reykjavik, while respecting the rights
of house and shop owners who want their prop-
erty left alone and the residents who need to get
some sleep.
GRAPEvINE: Is it then your belief that imposing
a bureaucracy on downtown activities and cre-
ativity the best way to ensure they thrive?
jFM: Like it or not, rules and regulations have ex-
isted for decades in Reykjavík as in most other cit-
ies we know, protecting ownership rights, the right
of citizens to be left alone, etc. My job is to listen
to all parties concerned, take on board different
viewpoints, suggest an amicable way forward and
seek to solve matters so that everyone is happy.
I’m optimistic we’ll succeed. So is the Mayor, Óla-
fur F. Magnússon, who has made the well-being of
Reykjavík City Centre one of his main priorities.
GRAPEvINE: Many claim that your campaign
against graffiti and “un-authorised” street art is
misguided.
jFM: I’m the first one to admit that street art is
a form of culture to be respected and reckoned
with. We have started a dialogue with lots of street
artists, gone into partnership with some as in the
case of Hljómalind square and are currently look-
ing for suitable premises to encourage and nur-
ture graffiti art and related activities. If someone
volunteers their own house, wall or premises, we
will also be happy to take their details and help
delegate matters.
We are working with young artists whose
ideas and art is currently being marketed and sold
on the Internet in the form of T-shirts and in some
cases on YouTube. Homeowners or businesses
that want their premises clean and untouched
must be respected, however, and I’m pretty sure
we are establishing a mutual understanding of
how to go about these things in the future.
GRAPEvINE: What is your position on the future
of Hverfisgata?
jFM: Upper Hverfisgata was, until recently, an
unfortunate example of ignorance and disre-
spect. We’ve managed to better it some and are
still working on it. Hverfisgata starts off really well
with the 101 Hotel, Þjóðmenningarhús, National
Theatre, Danish Embassy etc. It has the poten-
tial to become fantastic and I’m sure one day it
will. The Arts Academy will be situated there as
of 2011 and many developments and renovations
are in progress. So, for the time being, bear with
us please, we’ll soon get there.
GRAPEvINE: The Grapevine has received com-
plaints from Hverfisgata residents that they are
threatened fines and legal action from your office
to clean up and maintain their properties, while
the infrastructure on the street goes all but ig-
nored by the same office (citing broken sidewalks
and a lack of streetlights, for instance). We have
also received numerous complaints that your of-
fice’s current actions, while welcome in theory,
are proving one-sided and one dimensional,
among other things neglecting the viewpoint of
101’s current residents/dwellers. Do you care to
comment on any of this?
jFM: It is a well known fact that some property
owners and developers have intentionally let their
property be run down, unattended with no care
or maintenance, in the hope of city officials giv-
ing up and allowing them to tear everything down
and build a concrete tower with lots of square me-
ters to sell at a premium price. In some cases these
“cold wars” have lasted for years and I find it very
sad, because the rest of the area suffers as a result,
and things get totally out of hand as happened in
some parts of Hverfisgata.
Once you let things slip below a certain
standard there’s no respect left and you’ll soon
face a horrid slum. Reykjavík City officials have
not given in to any of this and have no plans to. In
other cases people simply seem too broke to do
any maintenance at all. Yet others have applied for
some help and gotten it. One theory claims that
if you can’t afford to maintain your property, you
can’t afford to own it.
Things are getting back on track however
and I predict we will see some fantastic restora-
tions on Hverfisgata in the near future as well as
some beautiful new buildings.
In regards to sidewalks and streetlights be-
ing broken, your report will be taken most serious-
ly and has already been forwarded to the relevant
party.
When one encounters a new culture, the best way
to immerse yourself is with your palate. Sniff and
taste your way around until your guts feel Icelan-
dic. Don’t scoff at what you might think are weird
oral pleasures, just pinch your nose and swallow.
Everyone’s culture has delicacies that seem bizarre
to the outsider. I personally prefer ram’s testicles,
or hrútspungar, to genetically mutated crops any
day. (Figuratively speaking because I am actually
a pescetarian and yes this is a real word.)
Being a non-meat eater, I respect the fact
that in Iceland all parts of an animal are used, in-
stead of senselessly slaughtering an animal only to
use the prime cuts and discard the majority of the
carcass. I think it shows how Icelanders haven’t
lost their farmer’s roots and are proud of their (I’ve
heard) incredibly delicious livestock which roam
freely around the countryside blocking your car’s
way along the Ring Road and dotting the land-
scape with cotton balls.
I do what I can to fit in culinary wise and
embrace the delicacies of the sea. My first intent
at hákarl, or putrefied shark, was unsuccessful as
I spat it out before allowing my senses to get drunk
with ammonia. The second time I tried it, I man-
aged to swallow but did not enjoy the curiously
strong aroma that accompanies the more demure
taste. The Brennevín, a potato-based schnapps,
definitely came in handy in dissolving the unwel-
comed aftertaste.
My boyfriend’s belly is definitely Icelandic.
He proudly eats hákarl on a weekly basis. He
loves going to BSÍ and devouring a sheep’s head
and chewing its eyeball obnoxiously loud. He has
also tried whale meat, to his dismay. It is the only
time I have seen this carnivorous man feel guilt,
and he’s even eaten zebra in Africa.
His culinary triumphs and mishaps made
me feel like my intestines weren’t becoming Ice-
landic enough. So I succumbed to tasting smoked
puffin with blueberry sauce, which I unwittingly
and thoroughly enjoyed. (I know. I know. Those
loopy clown-like birds are so cute you just want to
eat them! I mean hug them.) I was also not as ap-
palled as I had imagined I would be when eating
putrefied skate. The first bites were even kind of
good until my eyes started getting watery.
There are lots of ways of embracing the Ice-
landic gastronomic culture that don’t involve the
peculiarities that I mentioned above. You can eat
rhubarb jam with waffles and savour some home-
made skyr, but if you really want to feel like a local
it takes balls.
Re-establishing 101 Reykjavík
The Central City Director has clean-up on the agenda
one tHeory claiMS tHat if you
can’t afford to Maintain your
property, you can’t afford to
own it.
When in Ice-
land Do as the
Icelanders
By alexandra Hertell