Iceland review - 2015, Qupperneq 18

16 ICELAND REVIEW
10Q
SP: Directly and indirectly. Indirectly,
obviously, because I work with the lan-
guage, the testimony to our existence for
1,000 years. We have access to a collec-
tion of manuscripts from the 13th centu-
ry, which is unusual. Any taxi driver can read these manuscripts
without any higher education or the aid of a glossary. And directly
because I have speculated on this cultural heritage of ours. In my
poetry book Ljóð námu land [1985], I bring forth speculations
about the settlement and our origin.
3. Is renewal, doing something new, important in your
creations?
SSE: I constantly push myself to step out of my comfort zone.
When Vesturport [theater company] asked me to write the music
for The Heart of Robin Hood, I immediately said “yes” and signed
the contract. Then I thought “shit, what have I gotten myself
into?” … After the premiere I realized that I had taken a huge
step and that’s what I want, to grow as an artist.
ÓEE: Yes, and I’m happy that this is the general principle in my
work. Each role is different, each project unique. But in a certain
way it’s all still the same, stories of people. The important thing
to remember I think is that the subject doesn’t have to be new but
you have to look at it with fresh eyes.
HH: It has great significance. I create a clearing for myself that
I continue to expand. Everything I do … exists within that space.
I push out the boundaries into new territories but maintain the
original core. I can’t do the same things over and over again. I
take joy in creation and if I repeat myself, an undefined spark
disappears from my work.
SP: It’s very important. Each work is new and is supposed to be,
in the same way that every day is new. The author remains the
same, but it’s important not to repeat oneself.
4. What are the most exciting and most difficult aspects
about your work?
SSE: I’m juggling many projects and it’s fun. It doesn’t feel like
work. … Things have happened really quickly for me, though,
which brings out new emotions and that can be difficult to deal
with. But at the same time, it’s nice to have a voice.
ÓEE: The most exciting part is when I finish a project and the
most difficult part is starting one—and the other way around.
HH: What I find most exciting is the work itself. I love everything
about it. Self-criticism is what I find most difficult, but I can’t do
without it.
SP: If something works out, I’m pleased, especially if it’s some-
thing I’ve been working on for a long time. The most difficult
part is the opposite: if something doesn’t work out.
5. Do you cooperate with artists of other genres, or do you
take part in some sort of interplay between genres?
SSE: Yes. The music genre is huge and within it I’ve worked on
many different projects. I’m also fascinated by theater—I was raised
in the theater [Salka’s father is actor Hjálmar Hjálmarsson]—and
I’m an actress too. … Working with actors brings me joy. I learn
a lot through working with other artists. In AmabAdamA we’ve
worked with visual artists on making music videos.
ÓEE: Yes. I’ve even participated in a dance performance with my
brother Gunnlaugur [Egilsson], who is a ballet dancer and cho-
reographer. I’ve been in a rock band, pictures I’ve painted hang
on my walls and the walls of others—fortunately not too many,
I designed the costumes for [Hrafn Gunnlaugsson’s 1999 film]
Myrkrahöfðinginn, and I’ve made scenography for musicals.
HH: No. I’m a soloist. It has never occurred to me to take such
a path. I’ve worked at an advertising agency and I know how dif-
ficult making compromises can be. It suits me better to make all
the decisions myself.
SP: I write poetry, prose and plays, which is interplay with the
theater. I’ve worked in film and television, which I find interest-
ing. The art scene has been changing in the past decades, which
is something I’m excited about. Doors are opening up in walls
which used to separate genres: dance theater, for example. Art is
becoming more diverse.
6. Are Icelandic society and the surrounding environment
inherently creative, or do they further creation in some
respect?
SSE: All my friends and everyone I hang out with are connected
with art in some way. I wonder whether it’s just the bubble I live
in or whether I specifically seek out artists. Artists are visible
here and they open up doors for other young people. It can be
an advantage that the market is small because we can afford to be
ourselves, we don’t have to please some big corporation, can do
what we want to and in that way influence each other.
ÓEE: Icelandic society actually seems very divided when it comes
to views on creativity, one part is perhaps excessively creative and
art-loving while another doesn’t really consider art to be a valid
profession. Perhaps it’s stimulating or just frustrating, I’m not
sure.
HH: Icelandic society isn’t any more creative than other societies,
and I often miss it that we aren’t ambitious enough. As for our
environment, planning issues, the design of buildings is often
determined by the constructor’s taste. … The city center is being
harassed and there are many things that aren’t beautiful which
aren’t going anywhere—and that isn’t creative.
SP: People—artists—are creative. The environment cannot
be creative. The environment can be encouraging, and as such