Reykjavík Grapevine - 17.07.2015, Page 14

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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2015
Steindór Sigurgeirsson, who co-owns
the real-estate company responsible for
the possible changes, cited their desire
to have businesses that are more similar
to the tourist information and souvenir
stores that saturate the nearby Aus-
turvöllur area—though neither he nor his
partner Jason Wittle would disclose any
specific plans.
The power of music
The biggest names in Icelandic music
have performed at these venues and the
irony of these potential developments
is that highly exported musicians—like
Björk, Sigur Rós and GusGus—have been
a big inspiration for Iceland’s thriving
tourism activity.
Though operating under different
names, Gaukurinn, for instance, has
been hosting music and arts events in the
city for more than three decades. When
co-owners Starri Hauksson and Sólveig
Johnsen took over the space three years
ago, they broadened the rock venue to ca-
ter to all genres of music.
These businesses play a vital role
within the ecosystem of Iceland’s music
scene, which provides both cultural and
economic benefits for the country. These
venues have served as charming location
alternatives to Harpa for the Iceland Air-
waves festival, which brought a record
1.6 billion ISK (that’s billion with a “B”) of
foreign capital into Reykjavík last year.
The news has understandably both
frustrated and surprised a large com-
munity of locals and visitors. Thousands
of people joined a Facebook event called
“Save Icelandic Music Events” just days
after the news broke. There, many are ex-
pressing their anger while others discuss
and devise ways to protest the proposed
changes.
“Thank you for the support, we'll be
here hosting concerts till they carry us
out,” Starri wrote on the Facebook event
page.
Creating real value
The uproar is warranted, of course, be-
cause these spaces are about more than
just protecting bars or small venues.
These businesses transcend economic
value by sustaining a community of
people ripe with creativity and entrepre-
neurial flair, crucial elements for sustain-
ing the vibrancy and culture of the urban
centre.
All of the threatened venues host
events outside of the field of music, too:
Tuesday evening poetry readings which
are wall-to-wall packed, open mic nights,
steampunk and entrepreneurship gath-
erings, and even daytime painting ses-
sions. These spaces are necessary for a
thriving society, a goal embedded in the
planning and building act adopted in
2010 by the City of Reykjavík, which re-
quires the city to ensure “the preserva-
tion of natural and cultural values” and
“public participation” in its urban plan-
ning practises.
Moreover, these venues serve as
meeting grounds for diverse groups
of people to gather. Despite the rise of
digital interconnectivity, it still requires
great effort to build and maintain strong
communities. Bringing people together
to experience music and art doesn’t just
make people feel good—it leads to health-
ier lives because it helps with cultivat-
ing positive relationships. This isn’t just
about music; this is about public health.
Arguably, it’s the local government’s
responsibility to keep art alive in Reyk-
javík and prevent the city from becoming
flat and hostile to locals or foreigners that
visit. A sensible idea that has been sug-
gested is to impose stronger regulations
on the number of hotels and tourist shops
that can be built in the city centre.
“The people you vote for in elections,
you want to make sure that they will en-
sure this city is lovable,” Starri said. “I’m
interested in living, not surviving.”
Playing the short game
The potential closures also speak to a
larger problem that exists in Iceland,
where the interests of the public are of-
ten undermined by shortsighted money-
grabbing opportunities orchestrated by
small groups of wealthy investors and
developers. If the city chooses to not in-
tervene or demand for accountability, it is
essentially crony capitalism. By ignoring
or neglecting the long-term social, envi-
ronmental and economic consequences,
these groups are able to walk away with
profits at the expense of the public’s wel-
fare. This kind of mentality is pervasive
in today’s chase for the Shiny Object—
this time, the boom in tourism—and has
created several pressing issues in the
country such as the destruction of neigh-
bourhood identities and history, and ir-
responsible attitudes toward protecting
Iceland’s culture and nature.
This toxic attitude was first spotted
by Icelandic environmentalists who ral-
lied against the construction of dams and
geo-thermal plants, built by corporations
whose primary interest was short-term
financial gain despite the long-term con-
sequences. Now, the chase for money has
shifted to the tourism industry as well.
Companies are irresponsibly shepherd-
ing hordes of visitors to natural sites even
though it’s expediting the degradation
of the land. Last week, for example, the
owners of the private (yet traditionally
open to the public) Hrunalaug hot spring
in Flúðir told press they were unable to
maintain the site, mostly due to frequent
visitations by busloads of tour groups.
In the long-term, these venues are job
creators, strengthening the local econo-
my and supporting professionals work-
ing in an industry different than tourism.
Recent Icelandic history is rife with ex-
amples of single-industry towns—pri-
marily focused on fishing—which have
completely unravelled after short-lived
success. Supporting the arts and music
creates a more sustainable multi-indus-
try economy that provides diverse rev-
enue sources for the city and country.
Converting these buildings into
tourism-related businesses also ignores
the cultural value that these venues pro-
vide for the community in the long run.
Though there may be economic gain if
the property is converted, it will likely be
short-lived and at the expense of the live-
lihood of visitors and locals alike.
Moving forward
It could be argued that replacements will
crop up, like the Nasa music venue, now
set to eventually re-open but its opera-
tion within a hotel will place large con-
straints on its operations. The current
climate between hotels and music venues
remains mostly hostile, with scenarios
like 101 Hótel trying to exert noise limits
on Gamla Bíó, which was recently forced
to cancel its Páll Óskar concert.
Other alternatives like Harpa only
serve as a forum for specific audiences
and do not provide adequate opportu-
nities for emerging artists that don’t
yet have the fanbase to afford the costs
of renting out the concert hall. As a re-
sult, shows at these venues are more
affordable and accessible to the general
public. These venues are also uniquely
located outside of residential areas,
which means they are the last standing
sites in downtown Reykjavík to have
the ability to host shows late into the
night, something that would be lost if
these venues are converted.
Obviously, it is fair for businesses to
have power and choice in determining
how they operate. Nonetheles, business-
es also have an obligation to the com-
munities they serve, and an obligation
to promote a greater good. The city also
has a duty to foster arts and music, and
to engage the public’s opinions in its de-
cisions related to planning. We, as public
citizens, also have a responsibility to stay
vigilant in the fight to protect these ven-
ues that provide cultural value. We can
demonstrate this through voting in elect-
ed officials who also care about these is-
sues. We can also demand accountability
and transparency from the city and real
estate developers.
This is about more than just saving
Iceland’s music scene. Advocating for
these venues is taking a stand to protect
the arts, music and culture in Iceland. It’s
also about active citizenship: encourag-
ing the City of Reykjavík and property
developers to make decisions that also
consider long-term consequences. These
kinds of planning decisions impact the
trajectory of Reykjavík’s future, so it only
makes sense to allow the public to engage
and participate in that evolving dialogue.
Words by Scott Shigeoka
Photos by Magnús Andersen
It’s Faktorý all over again.
The buildings that house downtown’s booming music
scene—venues like Húrra, Gaukurinn, Paloma and Dub-
liner—will likely be renovated into “tourism-related busi-
nesses.” The news is reminiscent to the sad fate of Fak-
torý, a popular Reykjavík music venue that was shut down
two years ago to make way for a new hotel.
Potential Closure of
Downtown’s Music Venues:
It’s About More Than Music
Opinion | :(
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