Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2018, Page 2

First 12: Sanna Magdelena Takes Office 14: Estranged Explores Queer Culture16: Fargo In Strandir18: Skjaldborg Festival
24: Heimir, Smiter In
Chief, Speaks
30: Undergound
Reykjavík
35: Meet Dadykewl
40: Ásta Fanney
48: Cheers to
Skal!
50: The Samúel
Jónsson Museum
60: Reykjavík's First Tool
Library
ON THE COVER:
Daníel Bjarnason
COVER PHOTO
Rut Sigurðardóttir
ABOUT THE PICTURE
We shot this portrait of
Daníel the day before
print. We wanted to
have him standing out
in the mossy landscape,
but he struck the idea
down and said it was
way to banal. We plead
guilty, but we're very
happy with how it
turned out.
Alice Demurtas is
from Sardinia, but
moved to Iceland in
2012. She worked in
fashion journalism
for four years before
moving on to culture
and news.
An avid reader of
anything by Zadie
Smith, Alice can’t
function without
coffee. She also loves
to fall asleep to the
sound of crinkly
paper.
Elín Elísabet is an illus-
trator and cartoonist
born and raised in
Borgarnes. At the
tender age of 15, Elín
moved to Reykjavík
and hasn’t looked
back, except for the
annual springtime
impulse to move
someplace quiet
and keep chickens.
Elín likes folk music,
stationery, seal vid-
eos, the country of
Ireland, and eggs.
John Rogers an
Englishman who first
joined us as a music
writer, later graduat-
ing to Managing
Editor. A constant
traveller, a lover of
art, culture, food and
nightlife, he edits
our Best of Reykjavík,
Best of Iceland and
Iceland Airwaves
sister publications.
His first book, “Real
Life,” was published
in 2014.
Hannah Jane is
based out of Iceland
by way of NYC. An
alumni of Columbia
University, Hannah
has lived on five con-
tinents and speaks
three languages
fluently, which is
very impressive. Her
visionary work is
known for expand-
ing the definitions of
emotion, introspec-
tion, and above all
else, taste.
Juliana Iluminata Wil-
czynski is a Brazilian-
American university
student. Her love of
the Icelandic lan-
guage led her to
Iceland for the first
time in 2016. Some-
how at age 21, she
kinda sorta lives in
five countries at the
same time. She loves
obscure linguistics
facts, samba, and a
good bloody mary.
Sveinbjörn Pálsson
is our Art Director.
He's responsible for
the design of the
magazine and the
cover photography.
When he's not work-
ing here, he DJs as
Terrordisco, hosts
the Funkþátturinn
radio show, or sits
at a table in a Rey-
kjavik café, drinking
copious amounts of
coffee and thinking
about fonts.
Phil Uwe Widiger,
Intern Phil has
already lived in three
different countries
at the age of 24. He
is currently studying
his master’s degree
in journalism. He
loves everything
connected to music,
spirituality and
culture in general.
Say “hi” next time you
see him meditating
at some black-metal
concert.
Paul Fontaine, News
Editor Originally from
Baltimore, Paul has
lived in Iceland since
1999. He was also
the first foreign-
born member of the
Icelandic Parliament,
an experience he
highly recommends
for anyone who
wants to experience
a workplace where
colleagues work tire-
lessly to undermine
each other.
Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdót-
tir is a national treas-
ure. One of Iceland's
leading illustrators,
when she's not
drawing she's the
front-woman of
Icelandic electro-
pop supergroup FM
Belfast. Her comic
strip Lóabratorium
appears every issue
on page eight, and
is also available as
a daily dose on her
Twitter.

Screw The Rain, It’s
Art Festival Time!
M a y h a s b e e n
horrible. The grey,
depressing skies
would break any
sun-loving habitant
of the European
mainland and fill
them with melan-
cholic thoughts. I’ve
seen more weatherbeaten, crying tourists
downtown for the past four weeks than I
have sunshine. It hasn't rained this much in
May for almost 70 years. It’s a new record.
And Icelanders do love their records, so: Jei!
But don’t despair. It’s time for the Reykja-
vík Arts Festival, which starts at the begin-
ning of June. So screw the rain, let’s do arts.
Among the many artists performing
is our cover star, the incredibly talented
Daníel Bjarnason. He will premiere his
dramatic war opera, built on the amaz-
ing Danish movie, ‘Brothers.’ His wrestle
with the complex contemporary position
of opera, as a medium, is intriguing.
‘Brothers,’ he says, resembles Homer’s
‘Odyssey.’ The core of the opera is the
abstract horror of war. Feel excited? Me too!
The Close-Act Theatre will be parading
the (wet?) streets of Reykjavík with their
dinosaur-like dragons, so children and
passers-by can all enjoy some colourful
culture on the streets of Reykjavík. And
god knows there are way too few activities
in Iceland for families—especially in bad
weather (we do Netflix and Playstation 4). So
come downtown and parade like it’s Rio de
Janeiro (except with rain, and depressing).

The larger-than-life actor Bill Murray
will also perform at Harpa with the talented
cellist Jan Vogler. Iceland is one of few
destinations for this intriguing show—it’s
an incredible event that could shoot the
sun up above Iceland—finally. And then
we can focus on the dreadful Word Cup
that nobody in Iceland is really thinking
about. Isn’t it in China or something? VG
FROM THE EDITOR
Valur Grettisson