Reykjavík Grapevine - okt. 2021, Side 11

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Bríet Finally On Stage
Album Release Concert
Oct. 22nd - 20:00 - Harpa 6.900-
12.900 ISK
Bríet’s long-awaited album release
concert is finally happening!
Postponed from September
to October due to pandemic
restrictions, Bríet takes over
Harpa to present her most recent
releases. Her music makes you
feel a wide range of emotions,
everything from sorrow to love.
Strong lyrics accompanied by
mellow, compelling music make you
feel like you’ve experienced exactly
what she’s singing about. The
concert is said to include secret
guests, which makes it even more
intriguing. Don’t wait, secure your
seat now. RH
Rap Spectacle For All Ages
Herra Hnetusmjör With A Band
Oct. 30th - 17:00 & 20:00 - Háskólabíó
- 3.990 - 6.990 ISK
One of Iceland’s most famous
rappers, Herra Hnetusmjör, is
playing a double-header October
30th in Háskólabíó, with one show
for minors and another for the
party crowd. What’s new in addition
to the concert being free of age
limits, you ask? Well, Herra
Hnetusmjör will be performing with
an actual band for the first time
ever. Bring your family and/or
friends to experience this
exceptional show. KÓPO! RH
Spooky Costume Contest
Halloween Iceland 2021
Oct. 30th - 20:00 - Gaukurinn - 2.000
ISK
Halloween is just around the corner,
and so are the parties related to
it. It’s time to head to the storage
room and search for materials to
make a kick-ass Halloween costume
for the most epic Halloween party in
town—at Gaukurinn, of course. The
best costume wins a prize, so go all
in with your design. The doors open
at eight o’clock, and prizes will be
doled out around midnight. RH
The Whole Town’s A Sta!e
The A! Performance Festival Li!hts Up Akureyri
Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine Photos: A! Festival
The Icelandic art scene is largely comprised
of visual art; painting, sculpture and video
that can, in theory at least, be preserved over
long periods of time. Performance art is often
overlooked. A medium that requires one to be
physically present for it to be enjoyed, once it’s
over, it’s over forever.
This is where Akureyri’s A! Performance
Festival comes into play. This year will mark
its seventh iteration, and extending over a
period of just four days, so if you want to enjoy
some of the incredible work on offer, do make
sure you’re in town from October 7th through
October 10th.
The town as performance
“I think we are the only festival that emphasiz-
es solely performance art,” Gu!rún "órsdóttir,
the festival’s project manager, tells us. “It's a
four-day festival where the town itself turns
into a performance.
“When it comes to art education, our
schools are, unfortunately, deficient” Gu!rún
laments. “The quantity of art education that
each child gets seems to depend on the prin-
cipals and whether an arts-teacher is available
in the area. This is, of course, a great concern
since art education is an important factor in
our children’s education.
“Artists in Iceland do not get much support
from the government, only some get a rela-
tively low stipend. Supporting local artists is
therefore important, so the whole community
will benefit. We should all be aware of this. It's
so important that small places like Akureyri
nourish the assets that are local,” Gu!rún
emphasizes. “During the 18 years that I have
lived in Akureyri, I have seen how local artists
such as Anna Richardsdóttir, Kristján Ingi-
marsson, Snorri Ásmundsson and Ásmundur
Ásmundsson have influenced children and
youngsters in a very positive way in regards
to creativity and art. It amazes me how these
artists enrich our community.”
That creativity is certainly blossoming this
year, with A! Performance Festival boasting
artists from Iceland and abroad. You’ll be able
to catch performances from "óra Sólveig Berg-
steinsdóttir, Liv Nome, Anna Richardsdóttir,
Egill Logi Jónasson, Sigtryggur Berg Sigmars-
son, Snorri Ásmundsson, Libia Castro & Óla-
fur Ólafsson & Töfrateymi!, Brák Jónsdóttir,
Steinunn Gunnlaugsdóttir, Elisabeth Ray-
mond, Amber Smits, Niklas Niki Blomberg,
Javier Barrozo and more.
Collaboration
“When we started, seven year ago, it was with
Ragnhei!ur Skúladóttir, Hlynur Hallsson and
myself,” Gu!rún says. “So, it was kind of like
Local, the annual festival in Reykjavík, and
Akureyri joined forces. It has been evolving
and changing ever since. The artists perform-
ing at Local came to Akureyri for more crowds
and communities to enjoy the arts.”
That is certainly the case, as just a quick
peek at the program will tell you. These joined
forces include galleries, theatres, cultural cen-
ters and much more. But what will be in store
for us?
“Well, the Constitution will be involved,”
Gu!rún says. Which is important today after
the recent scandal with counting of the votes
from the parliamentary elections in Iceland.
Javier Barrozo from Argentina will join us and
I know he has been working for several years
in the forests of Argentina, working with the
true Argentinians, the indiginous peoples and
I’m quite sure he will perform in that spirit.”
Nourishment for the mind
When asked what attendees can expect from
the experience, Gu!rún says, “They can expect
nourishment for the mind, for the heart and
for other core nodes, because for me, perfor-
mance art combines all forms together; visual
arts, dance, music, poetry and theater. It's like
poetry.”
Info: You can catch A! from October 7th through
October 10th, with the full program available
at http://www.listak.is/en/exhibitions/next-
exhibitions/a-performance-festival and on their
Faceobook page.
CULTURE
NEWS
That moment when you discover that you forgot to pack your performance art trousers
Festival Project Manager Gu"rún #órsdóttir