Reykjavík Grapevine - Jan 2019, Qupperneq 36

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Like Flies To
The Light
Nightlife institution Kaffibarinn publishes second
portrait collection on 25th anniversary
Words: Phil Uwe Widiger Photo: Snorri Bros
Kaffibarinn is no ordinary bar. It
just recently celebrated its 25th an-
niversary—and in the ever-evolv-
ing nightlife environment of Reyk-
javík, this really means something.
And, well, there’s a reason for its
longevity. The bar has thrown many
legendary parties over the years—it
made the news recently when the
drummer of renowned electro-pop
band FM Belfast crowd surfed out of
the bar, down the street, and back in
again. GIven all this, it’s no surprise
that Kaffibarinn has been listed by
The Guardian as one of the top 20
nightclubs in Northern Europe.
The original barfly
It’s not common for a bar to release
a book with portraits of their reg-
ulars, staff and other people that
form part of its history. But in No-
vember 2018, Kaffibarinn released
the second edition of just such a
book.
When the bar opened in 1993,
then owner Friðrik Weisshappel
wanted to create an ad that would
make Kaffibarinn stand out in the
101 downtown district. The bar had
already established itself as a social
hub within 101, with a who’s who
clientele of musicians, artists, fash-
ion designers, journalists and other
creative types that it’s still known
for today.
Einar and Eiður Snorri, known
collectively as the Snorri Bros, were
commissioned for the job, and con-
sequently shot around 15 portraits
of regulars and staff with a nos-
talgic Hasselblad polaroid camera.
Happy with the outcome, 60 more
portraits were commissioned. The
results were shown in an exhibi-
tion. “It was 1993, you know,” Einar
chuckles. “We just called everybody
who was in our phone book. Every-
body who happened to be home
came, the others didn’t.”
The photos were added to the
media databases of local newspa-
pers and were published again and
again, accompanying articles about
the people who’d had their portraits
taken. It was marketing done right.
Good things take time
But, a portrait book was not re-
leased until 2008, when power-
House Books discovered the photos
and decided to publish them. “Bar-
flies: Reykjavík” went on to become
a popular among locals and foreign-
ers alike.
In 2018, and Kaffibarinn cel-
ebrated its 25th anniversary, and
the idea to do another portrait book
came up. “‘Barflies: Reykjavík II’ is
not just to publicise the bar,” says
Kaffibarinn manager Guðný Jóns-
dóttir. “It’s about saluting the loyal
customers and staff without whom
we wouldn’t be anything.”
International barflies
Naturally, the Snorri Bros were
hired to do the job once more. But
this time, there would be 400 por-
traits, taken with the same camera,
the same lense, and the same light-
ing. Many were shot in Kaffibar-
inn, but with Icelanders scattering
around the world, there were also
photoshoots in Berlin, Copenhagen
and New York City, which is in itself
a testimony for the diverse and ex-
pansive crowd that’s connected to
the bar. 280 portraits made it into
the book—both fresh faces, and
recognisable figures from the first
book.
As with everything in life, chal-
lenges had to be faced. “I almost lost
the films of the shoot in Berlin,”
recounts Einar. After having dinner
in a restaurant in Berlin, he only
realised in the taxi on the way home
that he had forgotten his backpack.
Luckily, after about half an hour of
stressful uncertainty, he managed
to find the restaurant and his back-
pack with the film still inside.
The spirit of Kaffibarinn
Even at 25 years old Kaffibarinn
manages to gather a bustling so-
cial crowd of 101 faces, regulars and
newcomers. With a DJ every night,
its popularity is still going strong.
“Friðrik Weisselbell brought the
spirit of hospitality to the bar when
he opened it in 1993,” Guðný ex-
plains. “Since then, it has had many
good managers that have continued
with the same spirit of being good
to the regulars.”
“It’s also just a great place, in
terms of its energy,” Einar says. “It's
a very solid spot, like an anchor in
Reykjavík’s nightlife environment.
The energy has always been good."
‘Barflies: Reykjavík II’ is not only
a book with aesthetically beautiful
portraits, but also a time-capsule
of a moment in Reykjavík’s creative
scene and nightlife, and an ode to
the diverse and loyal crowd that
calls Kaffibarinn a second home.
After all, they are what kept the
place alive all these years. So, cheers
to the Barflies of Reykjavik!
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