Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.12.2009, Síða 15

Suðurgata 41 · 101 Reykjavík · Tel. +354 530-2200 · www.natmus.is
The country’s largest
museum of cultural
history featuring a
permanent exhibition on
Iceland’s extraordinary
history from settlement
to present day.
Opening hours:
Summer
(May 1st – September 15th)
Daily 10–17
Winter
(September 16th – April 30th)
Daily except Mondays 11–17
National Museum of Iceland
Tryggvagata 15, 6th floor · 101 Reykjavík · Tel. 411 6390 · www.photomuseum.is
Opening hours 12–19 mon–fri, 13–17 weekends · ADMISSION FREE
26 September 2009 – 17 January 2010
Ma France
André Kertész
A Christmas Birdcage
Gunnar Þórðarson and
Svavar Knútur at Fríkirkjan
2.000 ISK
Xmas Village
Heart Square located behind
Hemmi and Valdi between
Laugarvegur and Hverfisgata.
The 10th of December at 15:00
– until Dec 24th (at least)
On the December 17, the next show in
the Birdcage series will take place at
Fríkirkjan (The free Lutheran church,
located at Lækjargata). The series
is organised by Grapevine and the
musician’s association FTT, and is
meant to bring together musicians
from different genres and ages with
fun results.
In this fourth concert of the
series performers Gunnar Þórðarson
– who is one of the most recognised
pop music composers in Iceland –
and charismatic troubador Svavar
Knútur join forces to entertain you.
All the shows have featured a full set
by both performers, ending in some
collaborative fusion FUN!
Tickets will are 2.000 ISK and may
be purchased at www.midi.is. First one
to e-mail haukur@grapevine.is with
the subject line “CAGE ME” will score a
couple of free tickets to the event. Yay!
Christmas will come to town on
Thursday, December 10. Or at least it
will show up at small square behind
Hemmi and Valdi. In celebration of
the colliding spirits of commerce and
Christmas, a small village is being built
there. In the “village”, Xmas shoppers
are encouraged to take a break from
their material ways and partake in
some Holiday entertainment.
The village will be full of small
cabins and festivity tents that will
house concerts and other pleasantries.
Icelandic folklore figures Grýla
and Leppalúði will also make an
appearance, with other Icelandic
mythical Xmas figures, such as our
thirteen Yule Lads. So its sure to say
that your should definitely do your
Christmas shopping on the sprawling
Laugarvegur instead of your usual
mall. The village will be opened with a
grand ceremony starting at 15:00 on
the 10th and of course, all are invited.
The Mind’s Eye
Kling&Bang Gallery
Through 10.01.2010 - Free
Counts are reputed to be a wealthy
and sleepless bunch (Count Dracula,
anyone?). So it comes as no surprise
that one French 18th century count
employed Johann Goldberg to entertain
him through his long evenings by
piano. At one point, the Count even
commissioned JS Bach to write him
a lively piece that might cheer him
through those rugged nights—a piece
today known as the Goldberg Variations.
Which brings us to Bryndís Hrönn
Ragnarsdóttir ś recently opened exhibit
at Kling&Bang gallery. One of Bryndís
pieces is a recording of her trying to
learn the Goldberg Variation by ear. It
should be noted the artist does not read
music and has no experience playing
an instrument. The result is almost 70
hours of uncut video/audio chronicling
the artist’s progress. Inspired by the
concept of creating visual art for the
blind, Bryndís attempts to foster a sort
of sonic meditation. MZ
Finns take over the
Nordic House
December 5th
Finland is covered in lakes and forests. First
the Finns harvest the trees to make paper.
Then they use the paper to write sad songs
about the life they left behind in the forest.
Finally they all buy a summerhouse next to a
nice little lake and have two mobile phones in
their pockets so they don’t have to feel lonely
in their cosy little summerhouses.
Even though Iceland can’t really boast
about its woodland and waterways, or Finland
about its mountains and glaciers, there is
something very similar in the Finnish and
Icelandic mentalities. In all the Nordic events
and seminars I have taken part so far, the
Icelanders and the Finns end up mingling and
are usually the last ones to leave. Reasons
for this are rather simple. The Icelanders and
the Finns both have a language that nobody
else can understands a word of; both of our
countries were the last ones in the Nordic
area to declare independence and we both
live on the outskirts of the Nordic community.
And just like the Icelanders, us Finns get very
thrilled when someone somewhere mentions
something about our country.
To gain a better insight into Finland,
it’s worth paying a visit to the Nordic House
on Saturday December 5th. The Finnish
Cultural Festival provides a chance to take
a deeper look at the country’s culture and
tradition. Short lectures will unveil aspects
of Finnish design, the national epic Kalevala,
modern Finnish literature, Tove Jansson's The
Moomins, and movie director Aki Kaurismäki’s
life and production. The Christmas market
offers an abundance of Finnish food, the
Moomin films playing in the background will
keep the children happy, and all the visitors will
get to know one of the funniest dances in the
world: the Finnish LetjaJenkka.
Finnish Cultural Festival, 5th December, 12–16.
Free entrance. Free entrance. SR
See Some Awesome Art
ASÍ Art Museum
Halldór Ragnarsson does it all. The 28 year old artist has had four solo exhibits
both in Iceland and abroad, participated in numerous collaborations, published two
poetry collections all while playing bass with the amazing Seabear. He’s gone and
done it again.
The ASÍ Art Museum presents Halldór Ragnarsson's exhibit “Saxófónn eða
Kontór” displayed in Gryfjan. The installation is based on drawings he’s worked on in
southern Italy this fall, along with cigarette packages he’s collected and smoked in
the last year. Curious about the results? Check it out! LP
21
Nov.
13
Dec.
17
Dec.

11 GRAND ROCK
10 pm
gogoyoko Presents:
Grapevine Grand Rock
Klink + guests!
December 11, 22:00.
1.000 ISK Admission
17 Fríkirkjan
Grapevine & FTT
present: The Birdcage
Gunnar Þórðarson vs.
Svavar Knútur
December 17, 20:00.
2.000 ISK admission -
tickets on www.midi.is
18 Hemmi & Valdi
gogoyoko Presents:
Grapevine Grassroots
Nolo + guests!
Hemmi & Valdi,
December 18, 21:00.
Free admittance!
Grapevine Events December