Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.08.2012, Síða 58

M U SI C
concerts & nightlife in August
A R T
in August
Cocktail pleasures and
Visual stimulation
How to use the listings: Venues are
listed alphabetically by day. For complete
listings and detailed information on
venues visit www.grapevine.is
Send us your listings: listings@grapevine.is

» |oPENINGS
AND EVENTS
ASÍ Art Museum
August 10 Helgi Þorgils Friðjóns-
son, Lars Ravn, Holger Bunk
An exhibit of paintings, drawings
and installations from these
Icelandic, Danish and German
artists.
Runs through September 2
Nordic House
August 11 Mindwork
Eygló Benediktsdóttir and Ingibjörg
Guðmundsdóttir exhibit art
from the previous winter in the
Nordic House’s foyer in August
The material basis of Eygló‘s and
Ingibjörg‘s art is clay but the
subjective basis origins from their
personal memories. They use
their technical knowledge and
ability to create various works,
like sculptures, where the material
and process plays a big role in
the ideology and final outcome.
Ingibjörg‘s work is based on
haunted thoughts, her emotions and
perception of the surroundings and
experiences. She regularly switches
between using things she finds and
things to make in clay.
Runs through August 26
Gallery Kling & Bang
August 17 40 Years of the Reyk-
javík Association of Sculptors
The gallery hosts an exhibition
showing 40 years of works by artists
from the Reykjavík Association of
Sculptors.
Nordic House
August 18,14:00 Autobahn
On his travels, the Finnish musician
Jimi Tenor has photographed
roadkills, the victims of high speed
driving and too much traffic. The
outcome resembles abstract
paintings. At 15.00 and again at
16.00 on Culture night there will be a
guided tour around his exhibition.
Runs through August 26
Gerðuberg Cultural Centre
August 23 Twilight Poems and
Stories
American book artist Rebecca
Goodale showcases her works in
this exhibition. She extends the
conventional ideas about books'
shape, size and function.

» |oNGoING
The Culture House
Medieval Manuscripts Eddas
and Sagas
It includes principal medieval manu-
scripts, such as Codices Regii of the
Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, law codices
and Christian works, not forgetting the
Icelandic Sagas.
On permanent view
Child of Hope - Youth and Jón
Sigurósson
Exploring the life of Icelandic national
hero Jón Sigurjónsson, made espe-
cially accessible to children, families
and school groups.
On permanent view
Millennium - phase one
A selection of pieces from the collec-
tion of the National Gallery displaying
a variety of works by Icelandic artists
in the last two centuries.
On permanent view
Happiness Is A Sad
Song
Melancholica Festival
Café Haiti
August 16 – 20:00
Free
Need to get over a break-up?
Commiserate about the near end of
summer? The Melancholica Festival
may have the fix. Singer-songwriters
will throw sad songs at you for three
straight hours on August 16 at Café
Haiti, where a gathering of somber
notes may have you bursting into tears.
Or, it could be just the cathartic lift you
need.
“I’m going to try to get a box of
tissues to put on every table,” said
festival organizer Pete Uhlenbruch. “I’m
interested to see how the crowd re-
sponds. What’s the feeling going to be?
Will everyone get sad and depressed?
Because there’s an irony in sad songs
that they can make you feel better.”
Musicians like Elín Ey and Michael
Pollock will hit the small, lonely stage
and belt two songs into the micro-
phone: the saddest song they have
written and their favorite sad cover
song. Expect to hear lots of Nick Drake,
Radiohead and maybe even some Eric
Claption.
Pete, an Australian singer-song-
writer performs under the name Owls
of the Swamp, said the “epiphany mo-
ment” to create the festival came when
he was touring the Czech Republic.
After he plugged in his iPod to test a
venue’s sound system, a crew member
pointed out his somber music tastes –
depressing folks songs and the most
miserable Sufjan Stevens ballads. “I
found myself having to defend it. But
those songs just make me feel better,”
he said.
The festival is a bit of a companion
to Melodica Festival, a festival that Pete
started in 2007 for singer-songwriters
that celebrates local music scenes
across Europe (including Reykjavík)
and in Australia and New York City.
For Melancholica, Pete said
he’s been digging through his own
catalogue of songs to pick the one that
tugs heartstrings in just the right way.
“There’s a feeling you get in the crowd
when you hear a particularly sad song,”
he added. “I always thought it’s a
shame that these moments are so few
and far between during a concert, and
I just thought wouldn’t it be interest-
ing if you had that moment but tried to
develop into an evening and see what
happens. It’s a bit of a cultural experi-
ment.” CW
Ice fresh seafood
– to satisfy your senses
OPEN FROM
11:30 - 14:00
LUNCH
Mon. - Fri.
OPEN EVERY DAY FROM
17:30
DINNER
www.rub23.is
RUB23 | Aðalstræti 2 | 101 Reykjavík
Phone: +354 553 5323 | reykjavik@rub23.is
RUB23 | Kaupvangsstræti 6 | 600 Akureyri
Phone: +354 462 2223 | rub23@rub23.is
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
Reykjavík Literally
A Guided Walking Tour
Join us for a fun introduction to
Icelandic literature, with a bit of
history mixed in. This 90 min.
walk is at an easy pace and suits
everyone. Starts at Reykjavik City
Library in Tryggvagata 15.
Free of charge.
Reykjavik City Library
www.literature.is
Tel. 411 6100
Every Thursday in July and August at 5 pm.