Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.08.2008, Blaðsíða 22

22 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 11—2008
ICELAND SURvIvAL GUIDE
On June 8, 1783, a volcanic explosion began in
volcano Lakagígar in south Iceland, accompanied
with earthquakes and noxious gases. The eruption
continued until 1785 and is still considered one
of the greatest volcanic eruptions in the world.
The whole catastrophe that followed was named
Móðuharðindin (The Mist Hardship). The ash
and poisonous gases blocked out the sun, killed
crops and suffocated both people and cattle, wip-
ing out a fifth of the population and 75% of the
country’s livestock. It has even been speculated
that Móðuharðindin may have indirectly sparked
the French Revolution by causing crop failure on
the continent.
If a natural disaster of this magnitude hap-
pened today it would make air-travel to and from
the island impossible for the better part of a de-
cade and escaping the country by sea would also
be practically impossible. Suffice it to say if such
a catastrophe were to occur again, you’d be a lot
better off knowing how best to react.
fIRST
Be prepared. In the event of a natural disaster you
might have to abandon your home at a moment’s
notice. Having some kind of “escape-kit” (contain-
ing food and supplies) ready can make the evacu-
ation a lot less traumatizing.
SECOND
Waste not, want not. Keep in mind that if you’re
lucky enough to survive the initial eruption and
quakes, the after effects of the disaster will last for
more than a decade. Uncontaminated food and
water will be hard to come by and will be more
valuable than ever before.
THIRD
Try to find refuge near the ocean. Not only will the
withering of crops and livestock make fish an in-
valuable food resource but if by luck a rescue pos-
sibility does present its self, you’ll be more likely
to see it on the horizon than hidden in a cave.
fOURTH
Beware of poisonous gases. Invisible and in many
cases odourless, the danger may not always be
obvious. Dead plants and animals are good indi-
cations that something is amiss.
fIfTH
Don’t give up. Dying under these circumstances
is very easy and becomes 10 times more so if you
lose hope.
If a disaster comparable to Móðuharðindin were
to repeat itself it would be necessary to keep these
points in mind, although the key ingredient to sur-
vival however would be sheer luck.
How to Survive
Móðuharðindin
By oDDur sturLuson
ARTICLE By MarCus waLsh
Out of twenty entrants, five were short-listed for
the leading blueprint and received funding from
the Academy to complete their designs. The win-
ning proposal is currently showcased at the acad-
emy’s future site, but the issue remains locked in
political debate between those who wish to pre-
serve Laugavegur’s 19th century street-image (to
which the proposed building does not adhere)
and their adversaries. Ragnarsson told the Grape-
vine all about it.
At present, the academy is split into five loca-
tions. Ragnarsson believes these establishments
would be better utilised in a unified entity that’s
“[...] not only a teaching institution, but an art in-
stitution,” and highlights “[...] the cross-disciplin-
ary work and studies between art disciplines” as
a reason to conjoin its departments. International
awareness is also high on the agenda as Ragnars-
son professes: “We believe that the standard of
competition is very high and shows more than
ever that architecture in Iceland is developing at
a high level”.
NOTHING TO DO WITH AESTHETICS
Recently, the debate has risen to the forefront of
Icelandic discourse, as the main opposition to
the school focuses primarily on the preservation
of Laugavegur 43-45 – two houses that were built
at the beginning of the 20th century. However,
“[...] none of them have actually been declared
off-limits,” explains Ragnarsson. “It has nothing
to do with aesthetics or value, and should be
kept professional and not too emotional.” He is
philosophical about the three-to-six month wait
for a verdict from city council’s planning depart-
ment. “We are very positive about the results”,
he explains, but concedes that, “[...] since it has
become a matter of city politics, you never know
what will happen”.
The contentious issues at stake in the con-
struction of the Academy involve both architec-
tural and social space. “The feminine design that
was picked from the five finalists stood out against
the more masculine runners-up,” says Ragnarsson.
The Director explains that the interior of the build-
ing employs different levelled ceilings to suit the
different disciplines of dance, drama and music.
Ragnarsson also stresses that in terms of exterior
space the Academy building would free up a cou-
ple of feet on the pavement, creating more space
for pedestrians to appreciate the grand design.
MAKING HISTORY
Ragnarsson champions the winning submission
as “delicate” and this represents “[...] the feminine
culture of Iceland, one that’s not as connected to
nature as one might anticipate. The winners took
note of “[...] different spaces, different sizes and
different heights,” that were outlined in the design
brief to determine that “[...] the building grows
from inside out, like a living organism.”
Ragnarsson has an upbeat view on the fu-
ture of Reykjavík: “We believe that having the Art
Academy here will be a major step towards reno-
vating the city centre.” He points to the architec-
tural degeneration of the city as a reason to act
with the spirit of the time: “I know the value of his-
tory. I also realize that history is not frozen, it has
to be made. The academy is certainly part of the
21st century and we definitely want to make our
mark on the city life.”
art School StudentS uSually wear crazIer clotheS than the cgI people repreSentIng them here
Grand Design for a Grand Institution
Debates rise as the Art Academy reveals its dream of a new home
Hjálmar Ragnarsson, Director
of The Icelandic Academy of the
Arts (LHÍ), has been in the news a
lot lately. He recently introduced
a proposal for the academy’s
new headquarters to be built by
Reykjavík’s main shopping-street,
Laugavegur, by 2011. The proposal
was the result of a competition set
up by Ragnarsson and a school
committee to determine LHÍ’s long-
awaited new building.
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