Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.08.2008, Síða 31

REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 12—2008 | 31
people to Iceland (rather than repelling them). The first, as
highlighted by the recent dalliance of former Manchester
United footballer Dwight Yorke with an Icelandic model (she
wisely dumped him), is that love and emotional attachment
are hugely important. Walk around Reykjavík and the melting
pot of accents and nationalities are, when casually surveyed,
mainly due to that person meeting a boy or a girl sometime – a
subsequent tale of long distance romance ending in a move
to Iceland normally follows. Alex Somers is one such person
(“I moved to Iceland in 2005 to live with my boyfriend”) and
hundreds have made the same decision, particularly when
their home country is the antithesis of Iceland, as is the case
with America and other large industrialised countries. This
gravitation must also be due to the many obvious attractive
qualities (it’s unlikely Dwight Yorke was squiring his Icelandic
lady due to her knowledge of the cod wars and whaling) that
are manifested, in many cases, in a unique cultural outlook
with a focus on art and aesthetics, the combination of which
outsiders find fascinating and inspiring to be a part of.
Andreas Constantinou, a Cypriot who moved to Reyk-
javík from London to pursue a career in dance teaching and
music, found this aspect of the country to be a strong draw:
“Iceland has a thriving art scene, the overall society values
its art and culture very much and I find this refreshing. Our
surroundings can affect us hugely in our daily lives uncon-
sciously.” Whilst Alex Somers, whose music and art projects,
Riceboy Sleeps and Parachutes, have led to international rec-
ognition and well-supported international tours, also shares
the view that Icelandic society’s heavy leaning towards ar-
tistic culture forms a major part of its attractiveness. “Every-
thing feels possible here. If I have an idea for a project, I feel
like I can really make it happen. All the artists and musicians
I know encourage, support, and help each other develop
their work, and that is so inspiring to me.”
One of the major factors behind this strong artistic cul-
ture is the multitude of funding, such as the Kraumur music
fund, which supports artists and musicians in their efforts
to widen their audience and further the spread of Icelandic
culture. Such funding, generated by numerous government
and institutional sources and corporate sponsors (see Alex
Zaklynsky’s Landsbankinn-sponsored display in late August
as a prime example), has paved the way for international rec-
ognition amongst the artistic community in Iceland and acts
as an unofficial tourist board of sorts. Displays around the
world, from London to New York, and the huge impact of Ice-
landic music over the past few years have made sure that the
country is no longer seen as cold, in any human sense of the
word. This worldwide perception has meant that whilst some
people move to Iceland for the clean air, amazing scenery
and quality of life, many others, such as our three examples,
move here because, person-for-person, Reykjavík has one of
the most interesting and progressive artistic communities in
the world. And that’s after taxes and VAT.
“They put on such a
beautiful meal for us.
We had the most
amazing freshest fish I've
ever had in my life.
It was all so perfectly
cooked too...Beautiful!”
Jamie Oliver’s Diary
Free of charge.
Viking feasts every night
- live entertainment
“You haven't been in Iceland if you haven't been to us“ ' '
For booking and
further information:
Tel.: +354 565-1213
www.vikingvillage.is
vikings@vikingvillage.is
Strandgata 55 Hafnarfjordur
Don’t miss it!
Hafnarstræti 1-3
101 Reykjavík
tel: 561 9555
Big helpings at lower prices
www.victor.is
wALk ARounD ReYkJAvík AnD THe MeLTIng
poT of AccenTS AnD nATIonALITIeS ARe,
wHen cASuALLY SuRveYeD, MAInLY Due
To THAT peRSon MeeTIng A BoY oR A gIRL
SoMeTIMe – A SuBSequenT TALe of Long
DISTAnce RoMAnce enDIng In A Move To
IceLAnD noRMALLY foLLowS.
ALExANDER ZAKLYNSKY ARTIST AND GALLERIST OF THE LOST HORSE GALLERY. ORIGINALLY FROM RHODE ISLAND, USA.
I moved here via an art residency and just got stuck and started a gallery, plus I had a warrant out for me for riding a bicycle on the sidewalk
in Brooklyn – Homeland Security issues. Recently, we’ve been sponsored by Visit Reykjavík and Landsbanki to produce various video in-
stallations on Laugevegur and Bankastraeti for Menningarnótt and I’m currently assisting on a possible monument to the Jules Vern classic
‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ in Arnastapi , Snaefellsness. The best thing about living in Iceland would have to be the extremely high
prices on goods at 10 – 11.
WWW.THIS.IS/SUBAQUA