Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.12.2014, Qupperneq 62

TVEIR HRAFNAR listhús, Art Gallery
Baldursgata 12 101 Reykjavík (at the corner of Baldursgata and Nönnugata, facing Þrír Frakkar Restaurant)
Phone: +354 552 8822 +354 863 6860 +354 863 6885 art@tveirhrafnar.is www.tveirhrafnar.is
Opening hours: Thu-Fri 12pm - 5pm, Sat 1pm - 4pm and by appointment +354 863 6860
TVEIR HRAFNAR
listhús, Art Gallery
offers a range of artwork by
contemporary Icelandic artists
represented by the gallery,
selected works by acclaimed
artists and past Icelandic
masters.
Hallgrímur Helgason
Húbert Nói Jóhannesson
Jón Óskar
Óli G. Jóhannsson
Ragnar Þórisson
Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir
Also works by:
Guðbjörg Lind Jónsdóttir
Hulda Hákon
Sara Oskarsson
Kristján Davíðsson
Nína Tryggvadóttir
– among others
X-MAS
2014
Open:
Mondays-Saturdays 11:30-22:30
Sundays 16:00-22:00
Now offering
catering service!
T H E R E Y K J A V Í K G R A P E V I N E I C E L A N D A I R W A V E S S P E C I A L1 0
Get some Yule Lads!
Jólabúðin, Laugavegur 4
This lovely Christmas shop on
Laugavegur (open year round!) offers
a wide range of cool, Iceland-specific
Christmas crap your friends back
home will totally appreciate (a lot of
it’s on the cheap side, too). For a safe
bet, go for one of the sweet Icelandic
Yule Lad figurines. We’re talking lov-
lingly hand-crafted miniatures of all
your favourites, from Sheep-Cote Clod
to Doorway-Sniffer, presented in all
their kitschy glory. A quirky present if
there ever was one.
Stay warm!
Gyllti kötturinn, Austurstræti 8
Who wouldn’t love to get a pair of
Christmas socks as a present, or a knit-
ted Christmas hat? In Iceland, a pair
of warm socks and a hat are never not
useful, especially during the holiday
season. Warm someone’s heart, head
and feet this Christmas, why don’t
you?
Sheep it up!
Eymundsson, Austurstræti 18
Icelanders love everything about their
sheep: the cute, fluffy lambs; their
tender, juicy meat; and their delicious
faces (don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it).
This sheep brooch is surely the thing
this Christmas—as it's available in a
range of colours, you can safely give
one to all your friends. Alternatively,
get the hairclips. Everyone loves hair-
clips.
Chocolove
Ostabúðin, Skólavörðustígur 8
If you’re looking for a small edible
thing to top the perfect Christmas
present, head to Ostabúðin for one of
the delicious chocolate treats on of-
fer. Complete your gift with a few of
the yummy chocolate stars or pretzels,
and make someone very happy.
Get quirky!
Minja, Skólavörðustígur 12
Minja on Skólavörðustígur offers a lot
of quirky, adorable stuff at affordable
prices. Whether it’s a carrot sharp-
ener, hand-painted cups, beautifully
decorated glasses or trendy wall stick-
ers, their loot is guaranteed to satisfy
any receiver.
Treasure hunt at Tiger
Tiger, Laugavegur 13
Make sure to make a stop at Tiger on
Laugavegur during your Xmas shop-
ping sojourn. You’ll often find the
most unexpected and affordable gems
there, at prices that can’t be beat. For
instance, the cute penguin and polar
bear lunch boxes are the perfect size
for any school bag. They can also be
used as a tin for Christmas biscuits,
and if you top it with a ribbon and some
candy, you’ve just crafted an original
gift.
Around Iceland
Laugavegur 18
This cool store has some exquisite
stuff to to give to someone who has
everything. For instance, check out
the luxurious vegan soaps—the herbal
aromas are sure to fill every home with
peace and tranquillity. Plus, they’re
vegan.
Kira Kira and Eskmo
team up for a
super limited
edition release
Hey. If you want to give your friend
or loved one an almost absurdly
unique Christmas present that will
make them think you’re one of those
adventurous, spiritual types: your
search is over.
Check it out: Icelandic experi-
mental electro-noise artist Kira Kira
has teamed up with LA musician
Eskmo to bring you ‘The Kira Kira
Eskmo Amulet’, a super exclusive
EP limited to 100 copies. The Amu-
let EP comes not in the form of your
usual, boring CD, 7” or cassette tape,
but as, well, an amulet. A handmade
wooden amulet at that, one that’s
filled with Icelandic volcanic ash,
California Sage, crushed crystals
(Malachite, Pyrite, Brazilian Ama-
zonite) and—according to the press
release—magic.
Yup, magic.
On top of all those crazy crystals
and their magic, you also get a
download code that grants access
to the actual songs from the two-
track EP, one from each artist. Both
tracks are live recordings and both
feature the talents of The Echo
Society, an LA-based twelve-piece
chamber orchestra.
A quick listen on Kira Kira’s
Bandcamp reveals that the mu-
sic sounds pretty much like you’d
imagine magic amulet music would
sound. Kira Kira’s track, “Call It A
Mystery—A Remedy For Patience,”
is indeed all mysterious and un-
derstated, perfect for long walks
through thick, mossy fog while pon-
dering the glory of futility. Eskmo’s
song is rather more traditional, fea-
turing a rhythm and everything.
Definitely not as mysterious, but
then not everything needs to be
mysterious. Note that this is not an
amulet review—this is the kind of
music that takes repeat listens to
properly assess.
That fancy musical, magical am-
ulet is going for $65. Get it at Mengi,
Óðinsgata 2, or at www.kirakira.
bandcamp.com, while supplies last.
HAUKUR S. MAGNÚSSON
All Out Of Ideas?
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Got Your Back!
COMPILED BY EL ÍN RÓS
PHOTOS BY EL ÍN RÓS
Seven stylish Xmas presents for less than 3,000 ISK