Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.10.2018, Qupperneq 2

Noemi Ehrat is a
student of English
and political science
hailing from the
Swiss city of Zurich.
She came to Iceland
first through her
love of the majestic
Icelandic horse and
could somehow not
stop coming back
ever since. Reading,
writing and hating
make her happy, too.
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.
An international
man of mystery, Art
Bicnick moves like
a shadow through
the subcultures and
soireés of Reykjavík,
never still, ghosting
the scene in a puff
of blue smoke—the
exhaust fumes of the
elusive, well-travelled
Bicnick Mini. He
takes photographs
and oversees
photography in
the magazine.
Hannah Jane Cohen
is based out of Ice-
land by way of New
York. An alumni of
Columbia University,
Hannah has lived
on five continents
and speaks three
languages fluently,
which is very impres-
sive. Her visionary
work is known for
expanding the defini-
tions of emotion,
introspection, and
above all else, taste.
John Rogers an
Englishman who
first joined us as
a music writer,
later graduating 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.
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.
Christine Engel
Snitkjær has a
diverse interna-
tional background
in studies ranging
from Literature to
Character Animation.
An avid traveler and
cosmopolitan, Chris-
tine uses her experi-
ences as sources of
inspiration for telling
stories. Her passport
says Denmark and
she loves rabbits.
Andie Fontaine has
lived in Iceland since
1999 and has been
reporting since 2003.
They were the first
foreign-born mem-
ber of the Icelandic
Parliament, in 2007-
08, an experience
they recommend for
anyone who wants
to experience a
workplace where
colleagues work tire-
lessly to undermine
each other.
Timothée Lambrecq
is a French freelance
photographer and
filmmaker who can
be found exploring
Iceland’s nature,
small towns and 101
music scene, or on
the dancefloor at
Berghain in Berlin.
He’s made music
videos for sóley, JFDR
and Samaris, likes
shibas and techno,
and is an avid burger
aficionado.
First 14: Homelessness Crisis In Iceland16: Blackface Is Still Not Okay 18: Culture Night Comes20: Animation In Iceland
38: Special K:
The Pop Alien
27: Plan-B Festival
28: Ólafur Arnalds
39: Norðanpaunk Review
44: Rakel Mjöll
44: Bastard Bar 's
Stellar Burgers
50: Hunting For Puffins In
Vestmannaeyjar
52: Viking Ghost Village
60: Turf House Revival
ON THE COVER:
Power siblings
Ólafur Elíasson, one
of Iceland's best-
known artists, and
Victoria Elíasdóttir, an
acclaimed chef
COVER PAINTING:
Ari Magg
arimagg.com
ABOUT THE PICTURE:
SOE Kitchen is a social
dining concept based
on the staff canteen at
Ólafur Elíasson's Berlin
studio. Now a pop-up
at The Marshall House
Restaurant + Bar, it
combines communal
seating with art, locally-
sourced food and an
events programme.
Smell The Salt
There are dark clouds brewing over the
airline industry in Iceland. Our oldest
airline, Icelandair, announced at the end
of July that they lost almost 3 billion ISK
(around 22 million euros) in the second
quarter of the year. The other Icelandic
airline, the private company WOW Air,
is keeping the market in the dark. So
people are concerned, especially because
tourism in Iceland has never been as
strong as in the recent months and years.
Reykjavík Grapevine reporter, Colin
Arnold Dalrymple, looked into the issue
and wrote an in-depth analysis about the
airline industry and its problems, which
you can read on page 12.

And although some people think Iceland
is some kind of a social paradise that
has conquered gender inequality and
jailed all of the corrupted banksters,
we are experiencing an alarming rise
in homelessness. The difficult housing
situation in Reykjavík has led to a 90%
increase of homeless people in just
five years, and the opposition in the
City Council are demanding that some
steps will be taken. Our intern from
Switzerland, Noemi Ehrat, dives into
the issue on page 14
In our cover story, Rex Beckett talks to
one of Iceland’s biggest international
artists, Ólafur Elíasson, and his
sister Victoria. They talk about their
incredible SOE Kitchen project, and
how their father, Elías Hjörleifsson,
had a deep impact on how they perceive
food and art. You can literally smell
the salt from the ocean in this lively
narrative on page 22.
Amongst all of this, one thing is for
certain: the faultlines, permeable
barriers and friction points between
the mainstream and those seeking to
influence it is where the interesting
things happen and culture evolves as a
result. As you leaf through this issue,
we hope you’ll agree.
Valur Grettisson
EDITORIAL
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