Older news 2009

Skark; Christmas Concert

29 December 2009

Tuesday evening 29 December the sting ensemble Skark gave a Christmas Concert in the Library Room. On the programme were the following works: Corelli’s Christmas Concert, Hinsta kveðja (Last Goodbye) by Jón Leifs, Serenade by Elgar, Musica Dolorosa by Vasks and last but not the least a new piece by the young composer Viktor Orri Árnason was premiered.

Skark string ensemble was established in the summer of 2008 by students of music in graduate schools here in Iceland and abroad. The conductor of the ensemble is Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason, who also plays the viola.

This was a pleasant and atmospheric evening for everyone present.

Culture House Gingerbread house donated and on view

23 December 2009

The Culture House received a pleasant surprise now just before Christmas and near the close of the Centennial Anniversary year. A young couple; Laufey Hlín Björgvinsdóttir and Ólafur Hilmarsson, donated a gingerbread house that they had made in the form of the Culture House and had received 1st prise in a yearly contest held for the fanciest gingerbread house. The house is an incredibly accurate model and is extremely meticulously made. Iit is even lit inside so that light emerges from the windows!

The couple had simply wanted to make a model of the most beautiful building in town and then learned that this is its 100th anniversary which only made the work the more pleasant. The making of the house took them three weeks in their free time.

The Culture House receives this unusual, beautiful gift with pleasure and has put it on display over the Holidays.

Free Christmas Concert; the New-Quartet

19 December 2009

Saturday the 19th the New-Quartet (Nýi-Kvartettinn) gave a concert in the festively decorated Library Room. The quartet’s members are the following outstanding artist: Gissur Páll Gissurarson tenor, Árni Heiðar Karlsson pianist, Hjörleifur Valsson violist and Örnólfur Kristjánsson cellist. They performed classical Icelandic and international Holiday Season songs from their CD Fegursta rósin. The entry was free and the audience age range was wide: from infants to the elderly.

The exhibition A Year in Postcards opened

17 December 2009

The artists Vera Sölvadóttir and Jarþrúður Karlsdóttir have mounted an exhibition at the Culture House. The exhibition is entitled A Year in Postcards and follows up on their yearlong performance of sending a postcard a week to a random stranger abroad. They wrote a friendly message on each card, recounting the events of the week. Aside from photographs of the postcards, the exhibition entails a sound piece and a video installation.

On the occasion of the opening Markús Örn Antonsson, director of the Culture House, held a short speech and Jarþrúður Karlsdóttir played a few songs, by herself and others, accompanied by Hallvarður Ásgeirsson guitarist.

The exhibition will be on view until 7 March 2010.

Entertaining December at the Culture House

30 November - 13 December 2009

The first half of December has been very active at the Culture House; concerts have been held almost daily and there was an open house with family oriented activity on Saturday the 12th.

The Iceland Academy of Arts held its end-of-semester concert series in the Library Room here at the Culture House. Students of music and singing performed in front of an audience and their teachers evaluated their performance. The concerts were open to all.

The singer/songwriter Fabula held an album release concert on the evening of the 4th and the ambient group AdHd held its album release concert on the evening of the 13th.

The afternoon on Saturday the 12th was dedicated to families; there was free entry and the activities included a puppet show, troubadour-guided tour and a theatre piece.

A book to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Culture House

8 December 2009

The Culture House has issued a book to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the historic building it operates in. Formerly know as the Museum Building, housing four major national collections, the book addresses the multifaceted cultural significance of operations within its walls, as well as the architecture of the construction itself. In addition articles by writers, historians and leaders of cultural institutions are included in the book, taking the reader down the building’s memory lane.

The book is richly decorated with photographs, both recent and old.

On the occasion of the issue of the book, the Culture House held a reception for the many who had to do with its creation and for other friends of the institution.

Newcastle - New York – New Iceland – new show in the art exhibition series

7 December 2009

The artist Yst currently displays coal and chalk drawings in the Culture Shop and Café. The show is entitled Newcastle - New York – New Iceland and the drawings were made in Newcastle in 2007, New York in 2008 and in New Iceland in 2009, post meltdown. Yst describes the subject matter of her art thus: Hope is common to all who start anew and push forward, either by spatial or temporal relocation or as reflected in names implying something new.

The show is up during the darkest months, from the beginning of December through February 2010.

Yst is a psychologist with an MFA degree from Newcastle. She has solely pursued a carrier as an artist for the last decade. See more at: yst.is.

Fabúla – release concert

4 December 2009

The singer and songwriter Fabúla, Margrét Kristín Sigurðardóttir, held a concert in the Culture House on the date of the release of her fourth solo album; In Your Skin.

The band accompanying her was made up of these fine musicians: Birkir Rafn Gíslason, guitar, Jökull Jörgensen bass guitar, Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir, violin, Hallgrímur Jónas Jensson, cello, and Scott Mclemore, drums and percussion.

Fabúla and the band created a moving atmosphere with the music and captivated the audience.

There is more on Fabúla’s music on her website: www.fabula.is.

Icelandic National League – 70th anniversary meeting and concert

28 November and 1 December 2009

Icelandic National League held its anniversary meeting here at the Culture House on Saturday 28 November.

President of INL, Almar Grímsson, opened the ceremony and welcomed guests. The president of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, gave an address, and the Canadian Ambassador, Alan Bones, and Stephen R. Watson, secretary at the Embassy of the United States, gave greetings to the League. Atli Ásmundsson, the Icelandic Consul in Winnipeg, gave a talk on his operations in Canada. Professor Gísli Pálsson gave a lecture on comparative person descriptions. Additionally Caelum Vatnsdal relates of the Núna /Now artist exchange project. Valgeir Þorvaldsson, director of the Icelandic Emigration Center at Hofsos, delivered kind words to the League. Markús Örn Antonsson, director of the Culture House, was in charge of the meeting.

Sveinn Einarsson, former theatre director, and actor Arnar Jónsson performed a programme on poet Stephan G. Stephanson, written by Mr. Einarsson.

On Tuesday 1 December the festivities continued with a concert held here at the Culture House. Katrín Jakobsdóttir Minister of Education, Science and Culture addressed the attendees and then an evening of music; classical, folk and pop ensued.

All were welcome to attend both programmes and no admittance fee applied.

CD release concert: Kristín Bergsdóttir

22 November 2009

Sunday 22 November Kristín Bergsdóttir held a concert here at the Culture House on the occasion of the release of her first CD, entitled Mubla. Kristín wrote all 14 songs on the CD herself and the lyrics are in Icelandic and English.

Kristín Bergsdóttir is a young singer and songwriter. She has studied singing and will graduate as a composer from the Iceland Academy of the Arts next spring.

The performers at the concert were the following: Kristín Bergsdóttir, singing and piano, Magnús Tryggvason Elíassen, drums, Arnljótur Sigurðarson, bass, Steingrímur Teague, keyboards, Ómar Guðjónsson, guitar, Kjartan Hákonarson, trumpet, Samúel Jón Samúelsson, trombone and Þórður Hermannsson, viola.

Icelandic Language Day – Programme in honour of Jónas Hallgrímsson

16 November 2009

The Culture House, in cooperation with the Cultural Society Hraun in Öxnadalur, hosted a programme in honour of Jónas Hallgrímsson on Monday 16 November, Icelandic Language Day.

The programme consisted of poetic speculations and choir music. Markús Örn Antonsson, director of the Culture House, opened the programme and gave a short talk. Gerður Kristný, writer and poet, gave an interesting address she entitled: How does one become the nation’s favourite? The nation’s favourite in this context is indeed the poet and nature scientist Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807-1845). Hamrahlíðarkórinn (Hamrahlíð Choir) performed songs written to Jónas Hallgrímsson’s poems by Atli Heimir Sveinsson, Hróðmar Ingi Sigurbjörnsson, Ingi T. Lárusson, Jón Nordal and Jón Leifs. Director: Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir. Tryggvi Gíslason, president of the Cultural Society Hraun in Öxnadalur, introduced the programme and talked about the poems sung by the choir. Especially noteworthy was Jón Leifs composition to the poem Sólsetursljóð, only performed once before, or at the Jónas Festival 2007. The choir sang wonderfully and some of its members became solo singers or played some instruments to accompany the choir when needed!

Certainly a feast for mind and soul, the only problem was that not all of the guests attending could be seated!

Nordic Affect Chamber group’s concert; From Lilliput to Paris

22 October 2009

Thursday 22 October the chamber group Nordic Affect invited their audience on a musical trip to the country of Lilliput and to Paris in the atmospheric Library Room of the Culture House.

Nordic Affect was established in 2005 and has since appeared in Iceland, Denmark, England and the Netherlands. On this occasion two of its members, the baroque violinists Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir and Sara DeCorso performed a programme that included the Gulliver-suite by Telemann along with duos by Haydn and Telemann and one of France's foremost violin composers, Jean-Marie Leclair. In between songs they shared some information about the composers and their pieces with the audience. It is worth mentioning that the following weekend they performed the same programme in Paris, at the Danish Church.

Stefánsdóttir and DeCorso truly managed to sweep the audience along with them on a trip through the vanished or hidden worlds of the works. Reykjavik City and the Music Fund sponsored the concert.

Skúli Sverrisson in concert

18 October 2009

Bassist Skúli Sverrisson held his first concert in Iceland for years here at the Culture House. He resides in New York and travels the world touring with artists such as Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Ryuichi Sakamoto and the band Blonde Redhead.

At the concert he, among other songs, played music from his album Seria, published three years ago. Performing with him were some artists that assisted in that recording, such as Amedeo Pace, Blonde Redhead’s guitarist. Icelandic musicians Ólöf Arnalds and Davíð Þór Jónsson performed with Sverrisson as well.

Evidently many had awaited the opportunity to see and hear Sverrisson in concert as tickets sold out and many people paid the entry fee without having a seat, instead standing though the concert.

What lies beyond the horizon…

17 October 2009

The Culture House offered the show What lies beyond the horizon… as part of the programme commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Culture House and joined up with Airwaves music festival to offer this event as part of its Off-Venue programme. The play was performed in English due to the number of foreign visitors the music festival attracts.

What lies beyond the horizon… is a solo musical play that takes the viewer on an emotional journey with the settlers. Were they brave and determined or confused and reckless? One of them, Ísgerður, prepares for the voyage over the open see and tackles the dangers that await and fights for her stand.

The piece was staged as part of the Art Fart festival in August. It combines Ísgerður’s story with old Icelandic music. Svanlaug Jóhannsdóttir is the author, singer and storyteller. Rúnar Steinn Benediktsson plays the guitar and Embla Uggadóttir plays the violin. The performance was free for those attending.

Flora Islandica on display

7 October 2009

The publication Flora Islandica, with 271 real-size drawings by Eggert Pétursson of flowers in Icelandic nature, has been put on view in the Culture House. The book is published in 500 numbered and signed copies.

The Culture House displays the book as it is a grand appendage to the nation’s heritage regarding books and publications. Its display also regards the history of the Natural History Museum and its operation here in the Culture House for decades in the last century.

Eggert Pétursson has gained a reputation for his paintings of Icelandic Flora, especially his oil paintings of flowers, which have positioned him among Iceland’s best known contemporary artists. Eggert Pétursson originally drew the pictures for the book Icelandic Flora with colour drawings by Ágúst H. Bjarnason, issued in 1983. The drawings were diminished in that publication and have not been printed in their original size until now in Flora Islandica.

The book is designed by graphic designers Snæfríð Þorsteins and Hildigunnur Gunnarsdóttir and they have been granted prices for the design here in Iceland and abroad. The desk the book is displayed on was designed by artist Daníel Magnússon who has become renowned for his artwork as well as his furniture design.

The book is published by Crymogea publishing. It will be on view until 1 December.

Photographs on display at the Culture Shop and Café

25 September 2009

New exhibitions have been opened in the Art Exhibition Series at the Culture Shop and Café. On view are photographs by two artists:

Sigurður Gunnarsson (1978) displays photographs of Icelandic Goðar; i.e. the priests of the Germanic Neo-paganism congregation, Ásatrú, here in Iceland. The exhibition is entitled Iceland’s Goðar. The photographs were all taken in the spring of 2006 and were formerly on display at Mokka Café. They are all black and white and enlarged by hand on fibre-based paper. Sigurður is a photographer and an historian.

Kristín Elva Rögnvaldsdóttir (1972) displays photographs taken at her summer house in West Iceland, and a drawing based on mummies in Greenland. Her motive is the minute in nature, i.e. mice and flowers. The photographs were taken in 2009 and the exhibition is entitled the Mummified Mouse. Kristín Elva has studied art and anthropology.

The exhibitions will be on view for 2 to 3 months.

Ceremony on Stamp Day; a stamp featuring the Culture House issued and a new exhibition by Iceland Post opened

16 September 2009

A ceremony was held in the Library Room of the Culture House on Wednesday 16 September, i.e. Stamp Day, celebrating the issue of a stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Culture House. Ingimundur Sigurpálsson, director of Iceland Post, and Sigurður R. Pétursson, head of the National Stamp Collectors Association, gave talks and so did Markús Örn Antonsson, director of the Culture House.

The exhibition; Postal History and Transport - Post riders, cars, ships and airplanes, was opened on this occasion. Iceland Post produced the exhibition which was curated by Vilhjálmur Sigurðsson.

Means for postal transport on land, at sea and in the air, remain one of the most common and popular motifs on our stamps, especially during the time of the Republic. This exhibition features rare stamps from the award-winning collections of Árni Gústafsson focussing on Icelandic ship and flight post. The exhibition also touches on the 136 years‘ history of Icelandic stamps and the production process of the souvenir sheet commemorating the Culture House.

The exhibition will be on view until 1 December.

Culture Night

22 August 2009

The Culture House stood open from morning to night on Culture Night and visitors streamed through the entire time. A programme by musicians Hjörleifur Valsson and Vadom Fedorv and actors Þórunn Lárusdóttir, Baldur Trausti Hreinsson and Arnar Jónsson on Jørgen Jørgensen’s reign in the summer of 1809, attracted an audience in the evening. The performance combined music and singing and acting and even dancing, and was staged two times; at 9 and 10 pm. The performance was well received and the audience sang along to the chorus.

The Culture House Café; Food and Culture, offered refreshments inspired by raw materials available 200 years ago, or during Jørgen Jørgensen’s reign. The chef Jón K. B. Sigfússon is an expert on culinary customs in Iceland in the past so that the taste must have been quite authentic!

The Culture House extends thanks to all the guests that visited on Culture Night.

EWLA congress at the Culture House - Eva Joly was key speaker

3 - 4 July 2009

European Lawmaking and Practice - Fundamental Rights and Financial Markets was the theme of the annual congress of European Women Lawyer’s Association, held 3 - 4 July 2009 here at the Culture House in Reykjavík. The congress was attended by roughly 150 people; thereof lawyers from EU countries, heads of EU institutions, members of the European Parliament and the Congress of the Council of Europe along with the president of the largest woman lawyers association in the United States.

Norwegian/French magistrate Eva Joly was the key speaker at the EWLA congress – addressing the theme of Fundamental Rights and Financial Markets.

Dr. Herdís Þorgeirsdóttir was elected president of EWLA at the annual meeting held in conjunction with the conference. Dr. Þorgeirsdóttir is the third president of the association, which was founded in year 2000 and is situated in Brussels. The aim of the association is to serve as a platform for women lawyers to cooperate on influencing legislation and politics in EU and EEA countries towards gender equality.

Three exhibitons opened for the summer

5 June 2009

Friday 5 June three exhibitions were opened that will be on view during the summer.

The opening ceremony was held in the Library Room where the exhibition Nordic Bookbinding 2009 is mounted. Featured are some 89 handcrafted bindings by 91 bookbinders, as two of the pieces are made in collaboration. All participants bound the book Northern Wind (Norðanvindur), with poems by 18 contemporary Nordic poets and graphic drawings by Icelandic artists. The pieces were submitted to a Nordic competition in manual bookbinding. This is the 14th competition since 1956 and the first arranged by Iceland. An association of Icelandic bookbinders, the JAM-group, organised the competition and exhibition. The exhibition will travel through all the Nordic countries until August 2010.

The exhibition was opened by former president of Iceland, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. The director of the Culture House, Markús Örn Antonsson, and the head of the preparatory committee, Svanur Jóhannesson, gave addresses. Violinist Laufey Sigurðardóttir and harpist Elísabet Waage performed a few Icelandic songs. In addition the poets Þorsteinn frá Hamri and Vilborg Dagbjarsdóttir read their poems from the book Northern Wind.

The exhibition Sheepskin, Saffian and Shirting was opened in relation to the bookbinding exhibition. The exhibition traces the story of the National and University Library Bindery, the centennial of which was commemorated last year with the production of this exhibition. It was formerly on view at the National and University Library’s premises.

The story of the bindery is tightly knitted to the story of the Culture House as the National Library was housed here for the greater part of last century. It opened its doors to the public in this building a century ago, along with three other national museums, and thus the centennial of the Culture House is celebrated this year.

The title of the exhibition refers to three raw materials used for bookbinding through the ages. On view are differently bound books and various tools and equipment used in the profession.

Finally, a new show was opened in the art exhibition series in the Culture Shop and Café. On view are paintings by Hulda Vilhjálmsdóttir (1971). Hulda graduated from the Fine Arts Department of the Iceland Academy of Arts in 2000. She has held private exhibitions and participated in common exhibitions since 1996.

Through her paintings Hulda seeks to convey the impression nature in Iceland has on her, as well as the feeling to be near something supernatural while close to nature. The paintings were completed in 2008-2009.

The Culture House became the scene for a play

16 - 30 May 2009

During Reykjavík Art Festival the Culture House became the scene for a performance on borders and bureaucracy and a play about the culture of war. The performance, Orbis Terræ – ORA, was carried out by a group of artists led by actress and artistic director Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir. The audience was lead through the Culture House, where faced with questions on inner and outer borders of our mindset, on the values of the past, present and future, and on the culture of war and reformation. The collective brought these delicate matters into this building which symbolizes Icelandic democracy and independence. The highly respected Culture House became a venue for a circus of warfare, a debate about women, war and peace. The Island remains, a play inside the play by Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir, was about women meeting after a long war.

The Culture House was pleased with housing this performance, adding a new dimension to the function of building. The audience appreciated the variation as well.

Händel concert, courtesy of Icelandic Broadcasting Service

19 April 2009

This year marks the 250th anniversary of Händel’s death and on Sunday 19 April the European Broadcasting Union commemorated the anniversary by broadcasting concerts held in honour of Händel throughout Europe. The Icelandic Broadcasting Service contributed by sponsoring a free concert at the Culture House. The concert was on the programme of participating European radio stations later in the day.

At the concert the chamber group Nordic Affect performed works by Händel and his contemporary; Thomas Augustine Arne, as well as a new piece by Hugi Guðmundsson, written specially for this concert.

Many paid a visit to the Culture House to listen to the performance.

A lecture in English: Fire on Ice: The Story of Icelandic Latter-Day Saints in Iceland and Utah

9 April 2009

Dr. Fred Woods, professor at Brigham Young University, Utah, gave a lecture in the Culture House on Maundy Thursday, 9 April. He discussed the history surrounding the conversion, emigration and assimilation of the early Icelandic Latter-Day Saints that left their homeland between 1855 and 1914 and settled in Utah. Dr. Woods has written a book on the subject and a film was made parallel to the book.

Dr. Woods is in Iceland to hold a seminar on the history of the Mormon Church at the Department of Theology at the University of Iceland.

Centennial celebration – new exhibitions opened

28 March 2009

A celebration in commemoration of the centennial of operations in the Culture House was held on Saturday 28 March. The programme consisted of addresses, music and poetry along with the formal opening of three new exhibitions. Markús Örn Antonsson, director of the Culture House, welcomed guests and introduced the speakers and performers. Addresses were held by the President of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the Prime Minister of Iceland, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, and the president of the board of the Culture House, Salome Þorkelsdóttir. The commemorative speech was given by the former director of the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland, Vésteinn Ólason. Representatives from the cultural institutions that were formerly housed in the building presented greetings from their respective institutions, two of which have set up commemorative exhibitions in the Culture House: On one hand the exhibition A Look into Nature - the Story of the Icelandic Museum of Natural History, that traces the story of the museum from its early stages in 1889 until it closed temporarily to the public in 2008. The golden age of the museum was during the first half of the 20th century when it was located in the Culture House. On the other hand the exhibition National Archives of Iceland – 90 Years in the Museum Building, with selected drawings and documents regarding the Culture House itself and city planning in the vicinity, as well as papers regarding the short reign of the Danish adventurer Jørgen Jørgenssen in the summer of 1809, and other documents pertaining to the governance of the country.

Finally the exhibition ICELAND::FILM was opened by the Minister of Education and Culture, Katrín Jakobsdóttir. The exhibition provides an overview of Icelandic filmmaking and thus Iceland’s social and cultural history over the past 100 years. About 100 films can be selected and viewed in full length; feature films, documentaries, short films and literature adaptations.

Chamber Music by Icelandic Female Composers

8 March 2009

On International Women’s Day, 8 March, a concert was held at the Culture House with original chamber pieces by contemporary Icelandic female composers, performed by Icelandic female musicians.

The two hours long programme consisted of pieces by nine composers. Eleven performers; a soprano singer and instrument players, delivered the music.

The concert was a great success; well attended and joyful.

New art exhibition in the Culture House café and shop

20 February 2009

The current exhibition in the art exhibition series in the Culture House café and shop features drawing by Sigga Björg Sigurðardóttir. Her drawings usually portray an elusive fantasy where unreal, although in some way human, creatures appear. She draws without thinking and instead lets feeling, intuition and spontaneity lead the way.

Sigga Björg Sigurðardóttir (b. 1977) lives in Reykjavík but has also studied and worked in Glasgow, Scotland. She graduated from Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2001 (BA) and Glasgow School of Art in 2004 (MA).

Sigga Björg’s works have been on display in numerous venues, mainly abroad, and have been incorporated into public and private collection in Iceland and other countries.

Sigga Björg has a website at: www.siggabjorg.com.

Museum Night was held on Friday the 13th

13 February 2009

The Culture House participated in Museum Night in Reykjavík on Friday evening 13 February. Museums and exhibitions were open from 19:00 – 24:00, with free admission to exhibitions and events.

The Culture House offered a varied family programme in addition to the viewing of exhibitions. Visitors could try their hand at writing with a quill on parchment in the Medieval Manuscripts exhibition, guided by the museum educator. There was singing; a mixed quire sang Icelandic songs, and the audience was invited to join in. In addition there were lectures and guided tours in Icelandic. Many local people took the opportunity to visit the Culture House on Museum Night, along with a few tourists.

From Bohemia and Moravia, the Crystal – Iceland Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Concert Series

24 January 2009

The third concert in the chamber concert series the Crystal was held on Saturday 24 January. A string ensemble from the Iceland Symphony Orchestra performed music by composers from Bohemia and Moravia – thus the concert’s title. The works on the programme were String quartet no. 1 – the Kreutzer sonata by Leoš Janácek and String quintet in G-moll op. 77 by Antonín Dvorák.

The musicians were: Hildigunnur Halldórsdóttir, violin, Júlíana Elín Kjartansdóttir, violin, Guðrún Þórarinsdóttir, viola, Sigurgeir Agnarsson, cello, and Hávarður Tryggvason, contrabass.

The concert was well attended and the audience left the premises content at heart.