Iceland review - 2016, Page 14

12 ICELAND REVIEW
POEMS & DEMONS
Fura is a collaboration between Björt Sigfinnsdóttir, a multitalented songstress from
the East Iceland town of Seyðisfjörður, and the producer duo Hallur Jónsson and
Janus Rasmussen, who are responsible for Bloodgroup and one part of Kiasmos. From
humble beginnings as record store workers, they now produce late-night electronica
and stunning vocals that have already drawn critical acclaim.
Although Björt performs material from Fura’s eponymous debut album with a dif-
ferent and rather excellent live line up, it still translates very well onto record. This
is accomplished, slick stuff, best experienced on the smooth ‘Poems’ and the sublime
‘Demons.’ The real draw, though, are the sultry vocals of Björt, which are much more
of the clubs of Reykjavík than sleepy Seyðisfjörður. BY EDWARD HANCOX.
ROLE REVERSAL IN REYKJAVÍK
The short film You and Me (Þú og ég), directed by Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir, is a touch-
ing tale of a single mother’s life gone wrong. Her loneliness and yearning for love
make her vulnerable. When she brings home a stranger after a night of drinking, her
frailty is exposed, thrusting her young daughter into the role of savior, rock, consoler
and protector that keeps out the forces of evil. You and Me is a convincing tale of a
woman who has had bad luck with men, but enjoys the unconditional love of a child
who is levelheaded and strong. The film received the Regional Council of Brittany
Award for a European Film at the 2015 Brest European Short Film Festival in France.
BY VALA HAFSTAÐ.
REVIEWS
Our critics take a look at three recent Icelandic releases: Seyðisfjörður-based Fura’s eponymous
debut album, director Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir’s short film You and Me and photographer
Katrín Elvarsdóttir’s latest book, Double Happiness.
CULTURAL CURIOSITIES
EGG CARTON AND OTHER IMAGES
Double Happiness, the new book by photographic artist Katrín Elvarsdóttir, is the fruit
of her three trips to Pingyao and Beijing, China, over the last four years. Here we
have 40 quiet images of everyday objects and situations, on 84 pages.
Katrín has been at the forefront of the Icelandic photographic art scene for many
years, featuring in and curating exhibitions at home and abroad. Here in her seventh
book, published by Crymogea, she shows what she is best at: making ordinary scenes
ordinary, and nothing more. Maybe that is what makes these pictures so interesting.
Double Happiness was curated by Brynja Sveinsdóttir and beautifully designed by
Ármann Agnarsson and Helgi Páll Melsted. BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.