Iceland review - 2015, Side 10

8 ICELAND REVIEW
SAGA FEST
Inspired by the Icelandic Sagas, music and arts festival Saga
Fest will take place at Stokkseyrarsel farm in South Iceland
for the first time this May. Generating a hippie vibe, the
two-day festival is about connecting people and creating an
open-minded community where every visitor is encouraged
to contribute to the program. While some events are being
organized in advance, such as concerts by For a Minor
Reflection, Kira Kira and Fufanu, spontaneous performanc-
es are also welcome. The festival will include immersive art,
a range of workshops, jam sessions, fireside storytelling and
open mic events.
Stokkseyrarsel, May 23-24, sagafest.is
SPRINGY
CELEBRATIONS
FESTIVALS
SEQUENCES
A biannual celebration of realtime art, Sequences VII, will invade
the capital for ten days this April, showcasing the work of 25
local and international artists. With special focus on time-based
media, Sequences VII’s overall theme is ‘plumbing’ which will
be reflected in the video installations, exhibitions, screenings,
performances and discussions scheduled. This year, U.S. visual
artist Carolee Schneemann, whose work features discourses
of the body, sexuality and gender, will be the festival’s guest of
honor. Italian writer, curator and artist Alfredo Cramerotti, the
director of MOSTYN contemporary art gallery in the UK, will
serve as Sequences VII’s artistic director.
Reykjavík, April 10-19, sequences.is
REYKJAVÍK ARTS FESTIVAL
Held since 1970, Reykjavík Arts Festival, one of the oldest and
most respected arts festivals in the Nordic countries, will open
in mid-May and run through to early June with an array of
events across different genres. Emphasizing new commissions,
the performances and contemporary and classical exhibitions
will take place in both major cultural venues and unconven-
tional spaces. Among this year’s highlights are BANDALOOP,
pioneers in vertical dance performance; Guerrilla Girls, the
feminist masked avengers; dancer and choreographer Shantala
Shivalingappa, hailed as one of the greatest current practition-
ers of Kuchipudi, a classical Indian dance; and Magnus Maria,
a new opera about the ‘right gender.’
Reykjavík, May 13-June 7, artfest.is
BY EYGLÓ SVALA ARNARSDÓTTIR.
PHOTO OF BANDALOOP BY JIM MAHONEY.