Iceland review - 2014, Qupperneq 15

ICELAND REVIEW 13
Björk, patti Smith and film director darren
Aronofsky joined forces with icelandic nature
protection associations last month to launch the
Stopp - let’s protect the park benefit concert.
organized by Björk, Aronofsky, the iceland nature
conservation Association (incA) and the icelandic
environment Association (landvernd), the project raised
iSk 35 million (uSd 310,000, eur 226,000) through
ticket sales to the sold-out concert in Harpa concert
Hall in reykjavík and a iSk 24 million donation from
the pálmi Jónsson nature protection Fund. Björk and
patti Smith were accompanied by a host of iceland’s hot-
test musicians—of Monsters and Men, retro Stefson,
Highlands, Samaris and Mammút—and lykke li from
Sweden, with author Andri Snær Magnason speaking
in between performances. But it was perhaps a video of
author, photographer and environmentalist Guðmundur
páll Ólafsson (1941-2012) which really drove the orga-
nizers’ message home. Shown flicking through his book
about the icelandic highlands, published back in 2000,
Guðmundur páll ripped out photograph after photograph
of highland gems which had been destroyed—until a large
chunk of the book lay on the floor.
Through the project, the organizers are striving to pro-
tect the icelandic Highlands—dubbed ‘iceland’s Heart’—
which is under renewed threat from plans to develop
power plants, roads and power lines. Forming one of the
largest territories in europe, south of the Arctic circle,
which has never been inhabited or cultivated, the icelandic
highlands are considered one of the last great wildernesses
WoRDS AnD PHoTo By Zoë robErt
in europe. “untouched nature is increasingly rare, and it’s a
great treasure of the future. it will only become more special
over time—and only if left unspoiled by roads, fences and
power lines,” said Aronofsky, whose film Noah, which was
partly filmed in iceland in 2012, premiered in iceland on the
day of the concert. Aronofsky has emphasized that he and his
crew went to great lengths to avoid environmental damage
during filming.
Having visited the country regularly since the late 60s,
iceland holds a special place in patti Smith’s heart too. “i
came here first as a 22-year-old girl. i thought iceland was the
most beautiful and remote place i’d ever seen,” she described,
adding that she returns time and time again to recharge.
The organizers are also calling for the highlands to be
made into one giant national park as well as the protection
of the river Þjórsárver and its waterfalls. Furthermore, they
protest plans to change the boundaries of the Þjórsárver
protected area so that norðlingaölduveita or other reservoirs
can be utilized. “The task ahead is to try and ensure that the
highlands will be left intact,” explained director of landvernd
Guðmundur ingi Guðbrandsson.
Grímur Atlason, manager of iceland Airwaves music festi-
val and one of the organizers of Stopp said the project had
stemmed from his earlier nature conservation work with
Björk. “i worked with her on the karaoke Marathon for
nature project [to protest a canadian energy company’s
growing stake in iceland’s HS orka power plant] and we had
been talking about doing something again,” he told Iceland
Review. “everything only fell into place in January. it’s magic
really ...” *
Stars from the Icelandic and
international stage came together
last month to raise funds in a bid
to save Iceland’s highlands.
proTecTinG
icelAnd’S
HeArT