Interview I did with the Icelandic artist Rúrí early spring 2005.
-------
Rúrí represented Iceland at the 50th Venice Biennale 2003 with the multimedia installation Archive - endangered waters. The work is finally displayed in Reykjavík at the National Gallery of Iceland, and will be until the 13th of March.
The work contains 52 waterfalls that we have almost lost, have lost or will lose through dam building. Rúrí has recorded the voice of each waterfall and when you pull out the image from the archive the waterfall speaks to you.
BJ: What was the inspiration for the show Archive – endangered waters?
Rúrí: “Nature without doubt. I respect nature deeply, I connect with her. Whenever we do something to her, it affects all of us. Each nation has the duty to treat their environment and nature with full responsibility and respect. This planet and its whole biosphere is our joint responsibility.
There is an extra dimension to our planet that most Icelanders are not aware of because of the abundance of water we have. It is the fact that water has become the blue gold on our planet. Pure water is a very fragile aspect of the planet’s biosphere. If the mentality of power and greed is put aside then it becomes clear what really matters; water and nourishment, not oil.”
BJ: What sort of reactions has the exhibition gotten?
Rúrí: “I have never experienced as much warmth and kindness at an opening of my work before. It was as if the child within came bursting out in people when they got in touch with the artwork. People often feel joy around water, perhaps the sounds from the waterfalls opened a space for that in them.
I have also heard that people in France cried at the exhibition when they realized what the work was telling them, that most of these waterfalls will be no more.”
When asked what is ahead for her, she said, “I am preparing work that will be a part of a new sculpture-garden in the mountainsides of Vesuvius, Italy. I am also working on two sculptures that I have been commissioned to do for a museum in Germany.”
Some artists have a unique access to the collective consciousness and their work speaks to everyone because it contains levels of truth and vision we all can relate to. Rúrí’s works have a mythological sense to them. She is a modern mythmaker.
In works like The Gate, a memorial for missing persons, The Rainbow at the Leif Eriksson Air Terminal in Keflavík, the Glassrain and her masterpiece Archive – endangered waters, she makes that quite clear.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Icelandic Government - Pimps of Nature!

Joy B finally found the message from Muninn one of Odins ravens, he will not forget what this government will be infamous for selling the things it never owned. Seeing the havoc, the destruction in the majestic highlands of Iceland not only brakes my heart but transforms me also into a warrior by all means necessary... i will fight to the bitter end if needed to save this nature, our nature, all i ever was, was part of her, all i ever will be is part of her, allowing the destruction of her means allowing my own destruction....
Little do the fools know that are messing with our nature, she is active, unpredictable, she will give us earthquakes and volcanic eruptions before they will ever be able to finish the mindless destruction. The idiots are building Europe's largest dam on an active crack in the soil, its soul will move, shake, tremble, the glacier rivers will swell, move destroy, claim back the wild nature before they will be able to finish their monument of mindless short term greed.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Joy B the spellmaker
When I lived in the beautiful valley in the East of Iceland called Fljótsdalur I was told that one could find the largest dwellings of the Hidden People in Iceland deep in the North valley of Fljótsdalur.
Last week I was walking as I often do through the ancient graveyard in the centre of the city of Reykjavik. I walked passed the grave of Kjarval, an eccentric and one of our best-known artists among Icelanders, whom used to spend much of his time in the East of Iceland, not far from the place they are killing in the highlands to build an aluminum smelter for Alcoa (international criminals of the corporate kind). Stopping in my tracks I thought to myself: “What would you have done if you would be alive now, experiencing this torture and destruction of our nature?”
In my mind a thought floated, they don’t burn witches at the stakes nowadays for a minor spell. Therefore, I asked him and all the ghosts that dwell in the graveyard to flock to the East in the company of the Hidden People of the South and deities from nature. I visualized one of the gigantic drills they are using to make the damn dam in the highlands of North East Iceland as a penis and I saw it loose its erection, becoming limp and soft, no longer capable to penetrate deep into the womb of the mountain. At this moment I felt a mighty storm move around me and the army of beings that had walked with me for a short period of time had vanished.
Later in the day I heard in the news at the national radio that one of the drills was not working anymore, limp it was, weak against the elements of nature.
So now is the time when we are told the enemies are the terrorists, the hidden enemies, the armies of hooded boogiemen, and the power of fear. Now is the time for us the spell makers to make our spells, with the elements of nature, against the killing machines of nature, of wilderness, against greed, fear and indifference.
Last week I was walking as I often do through the ancient graveyard in the centre of the city of Reykjavik. I walked passed the grave of Kjarval, an eccentric and one of our best-known artists among Icelanders, whom used to spend much of his time in the East of Iceland, not far from the place they are killing in the highlands to build an aluminum smelter for Alcoa (international criminals of the corporate kind). Stopping in my tracks I thought to myself: “What would you have done if you would be alive now, experiencing this torture and destruction of our nature?”
In my mind a thought floated, they don’t burn witches at the stakes nowadays for a minor spell. Therefore, I asked him and all the ghosts that dwell in the graveyard to flock to the East in the company of the Hidden People of the South and deities from nature. I visualized one of the gigantic drills they are using to make the damn dam in the highlands of North East Iceland as a penis and I saw it loose its erection, becoming limp and soft, no longer capable to penetrate deep into the womb of the mountain. At this moment I felt a mighty storm move around me and the army of beings that had walked with me for a short period of time had vanished.
Later in the day I heard in the news at the national radio that one of the drills was not working anymore, limp it was, weak against the elements of nature.
So now is the time when we are told the enemies are the terrorists, the hidden enemies, the armies of hooded boogiemen, and the power of fear. Now is the time for us the spell makers to make our spells, with the elements of nature, against the killing machines of nature, of wilderness, against greed, fear and indifference.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
The Mountain Lady
I
Deep is my love that
flows into the heavy glacier river
towards the muddy sea surrounding
her fragile soil
Uneasy dreams
filled with
whimpering and screams
as they cut deep into her womb
Gigantic drill
penetrates deep into the Mountain woman
Shoots off with ever growing lust for power
-Aluminium semen
Rumble and quakes
wake me up
at the dawn of illusion
The Mountain lady
is bleeding
Her scars deep
The foetus growing inside her
has hundred heads
Eating at each other
with short term greed
-Toxic waste of a future
The mountain lady
was our ancient sacred symbol
of faith to this extreme nature
Towards the elements of beauty
that sparks from her crystal clear eyes
II
The elder women
gather in a circle
cry bitter tears
as they work up a spell
abortion
abortion
of the aluminium foetus
In the distance I see the industrial father
with his carefree smirk
King of the mountain
blinded with greed
and ambition
The spell is our love
for each rock
for each grain of sand
each shape
each life
on the hit list
of corporate greed
dedicated to each and everyone daring to make a spell against the Karahnjukar dam by doing something to stop it
Deep is my love that
flows into the heavy glacier river
towards the muddy sea surrounding
her fragile soil
Uneasy dreams
filled with
whimpering and screams
as they cut deep into her womb
Gigantic drill
penetrates deep into the Mountain woman
Shoots off with ever growing lust for power
-Aluminium semen
Rumble and quakes
wake me up
at the dawn of illusion
The Mountain lady
is bleeding
Her scars deep
The foetus growing inside her
has hundred heads
Eating at each other
with short term greed
-Toxic waste of a future
The mountain lady
was our ancient sacred symbol
of faith to this extreme nature
Towards the elements of beauty
that sparks from her crystal clear eyes
II
The elder women
gather in a circle
cry bitter tears
as they work up a spell
abortion
abortion
of the aluminium foetus
In the distance I see the industrial father
with his carefree smirk
King of the mountain
blinded with greed
and ambition
The spell is our love
for each rock
for each grain of sand
each shape
each life
on the hit list
of corporate greed
dedicated to each and everyone daring to make a spell against the Karahnjukar dam by doing something to stop it
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Saving Iceland
If there is one thing that makes my heart beat faster,
If there is one thing that makes my mind jump within chronic joy attack
If there is one thing that makes me feel Icelandic
than it is our wilderness, the silent heartbeat of earthquakes
the sharp mountains, the fragile fauna, the soft moss, the crystal clear mountain springs
I love this island of extremes for its nature and it is the thing that has always pulled me back home
but my island is under grave danger of being destroyed by corporate greed and mindless destruction of the highlands in order to build a massive dam in order to provide energy for an aluminium smelter run by the multinational criminals Alcoa. The Icelandic government has been lying on their back like cheep hookers, believing that the aluminium semen injected into Icelandic economy will make us filthy rich fast, especially those that have sold out on our nation and wilderness. No other western country would dream of building such factories or inflict such destruction on their wilderness today, maybe 20 years ago but not today like us. Please go to http://www.savingiceland.org if you care about Icelandic nature and spread the word or take part in the international protest camp that will take place this summer in the highlands of the North East of Iceland. The protest camp will be situated in the area that will be flooded.

This destruction of Iceland is not just about Karahnjukar, they have their eyes on many other gems of our nature, many historical glacial rivers are under threat and our land will be scarred to such an extent that some areas of it will be the most polluted in Europe. We have to act fast, we are few but dedicated in this fight here in Iceland. The multinational corporations think we are easy to deal with because there are so few Icelanders, so in many ways we are like a small tribe and that works to their benefit. This is why we need international help. We are experiencing a serious activist burnout and need encouragement and all the help we can get to rescue the largest remaining wilderness of Europe.
If there is one thing that makes my mind jump within chronic joy attack
If there is one thing that makes me feel Icelandic
than it is our wilderness, the silent heartbeat of earthquakes
the sharp mountains, the fragile fauna, the soft moss, the crystal clear mountain springs
I love this island of extremes for its nature and it is the thing that has always pulled me back home
but my island is under grave danger of being destroyed by corporate greed and mindless destruction of the highlands in order to build a massive dam in order to provide energy for an aluminium smelter run by the multinational criminals Alcoa. The Icelandic government has been lying on their back like cheep hookers, believing that the aluminium semen injected into Icelandic economy will make us filthy rich fast, especially those that have sold out on our nation and wilderness. No other western country would dream of building such factories or inflict such destruction on their wilderness today, maybe 20 years ago but not today like us. Please go to http://www.savingiceland.org if you care about Icelandic nature and spread the word or take part in the international protest camp that will take place this summer in the highlands of the North East of Iceland. The protest camp will be situated in the area that will be flooded.
This destruction of Iceland is not just about Karahnjukar, they have their eyes on many other gems of our nature, many historical glacial rivers are under threat and our land will be scarred to such an extent that some areas of it will be the most polluted in Europe. We have to act fast, we are few but dedicated in this fight here in Iceland. The multinational corporations think we are easy to deal with because there are so few Icelanders, so in many ways we are like a small tribe and that works to their benefit. This is why we need international help. We are experiencing a serious activist burnout and need encouragement and all the help we can get to rescue the largest remaining wilderness of Europe.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Cold Turkey & moving houses
I guess the worst thing that can happen to an internet nerd like me is to be without access for a period of time. I moved houses first of June and the telephone company lost me in their system somehow. So I had to thread the hotspot cafe's or visit friends with routers, because everything I do has its sync with the internet. I pay my bill within the online bank, I get resources for my projects online, I use the online dictionary, I use the online telephone book, I communicate with my friends, I am because I use the internet to a great degree. So a week without access is serious cold turkey for me, but at the same time it made time change and gave me the needed space for moving. I have for some mysterious reason chosen furniture and material things that are as heavy as it gets and nearly killed my friends and family, including myself carrying it to the 4th floor. I was very very lucky; because I found a flat to rent that I can have for many years. Usually I move so often that it is hardly worth to unpack. I not only used to move because I was a tenant and that is not an easy situation in Iceland, but I also moved around the world, and that meant I would shed my material skin, and have to start all over again and again. It is a lot of work and thus it was such a wonderful thing to only have to move between houses this time, I can see my old flat from my new windows. Mount Esja is also there, the queen of mountains, ever changing and majestic in a friendly sort of way. I am so ultra happy with this new flat, it has views to all directions, it is bright, has good energy, and is even closer to the things of importance. I think gratitude is a key element to happiness. And dreams do materialise if the intent is clear. Like this flat. I loved the other flat I was renting, it was perfect except for a few minor details, and I always knew I would have to move out of it after 9 months. I didn't really want to move out of it, so I wished for a flat that would be just the same, in the same neighbourhood, plus the things that lacked in the other one, a storage room and new electricity and such. I put an add in the paper and the people that own this flat were the only people that called, but they had the perfect flat, and by pure luck and without any delay we signed contracts the day after I had a look at it. Such nice people, my heart is filled with gratitude....
Yes it is .... and now despite extreme exhaustion, I am jumping around in a chronic joy attack.....
Ready to deal with all those projects I have somehow got myself into.....
Yes it is .... and now despite extreme exhaustion, I am jumping around in a chronic joy attack.....
Ready to deal with all those projects I have somehow got myself into.....
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Joy B moving
Ravens are my kind of birds, i think because I have a ghost of a raven sitting on my shoulder and he whispers in my ear things i shouldn't couldn't know. I am moving to the 4th floor, there i will scan for news and wisdom echoing from those naked mountains and the sounds of the ravens. So my best friends tend to be rare ravens, often referred to as white ravens.

Moving is art, specially when you have done a lot of it, the art of moving is being able to move between houses and no one really noticed, except your sore muscles and your plants. I hope this will be the last time for some time to be, i have moved so many times in my life, that i have lost count of it. Who cares anyway, the most important thing is the place you are living within at any given moment. Well those empty boxes are howling at me, and i got a mountain to climb.
Moving is art, specially when you have done a lot of it, the art of moving is being able to move between houses and no one really noticed, except your sore muscles and your plants. I hope this will be the last time for some time to be, i have moved so many times in my life, that i have lost count of it. Who cares anyway, the most important thing is the place you are living within at any given moment. Well those empty boxes are howling at me, and i got a mountain to climb.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Joy B loves Joy Division
One of the bands that had the greatest influence on me during my rather stormful eventful sometimes dark teenage years was Joy Division. I would sink myself into the current of the music, try to pull out the lyric poems and feel as if this music was the only thing that was the same entity as I was during this time. As if it has a life on its own and was the only voice that understood the dark corridors of my soul. Much later I have realized that this band has in its invisible way had more influence on both what I do as a writer, specially the lyric poems of Ian Curtis and what I have been drawn to listen to ever since.
A few months back I went on a great nostalgia trip when it comes to music from the past. I downloaded all those bands I had on vinyl in some box, including Joy Division, and they are still totally cool. The music, the words, the voice, and through this unique sound and feelings they have influenced most of the musicians that play real music: and how much less music would be today without the existence of Joy Division......
Tomorrow night there will be a Joy Division tribute at Gaukur á Stöng, with some pretty fantastic musicians. I was asked to put together a couple of posters for the event and while I was at it I suggested I would read the poem lyrics to New Dawn Fades. A brilliant poem; a foreboding perhaps for what to come. I am both rather stressed to read it and looking forward to it. It is part of my mission to open people’s eyes to the fact that poetry is part of our lives in a far less serious manner than they think they are.
Here are the posters, if you are in Iceland, you have to come.... it will be unforgettable.

A few months back I went on a great nostalgia trip when it comes to music from the past. I downloaded all those bands I had on vinyl in some box, including Joy Division, and they are still totally cool. The music, the words, the voice, and through this unique sound and feelings they have influenced most of the musicians that play real music: and how much less music would be today without the existence of Joy Division......
Tomorrow night there will be a Joy Division tribute at Gaukur á Stöng, with some pretty fantastic musicians. I was asked to put together a couple of posters for the event and while I was at it I suggested I would read the poem lyrics to New Dawn Fades. A brilliant poem; a foreboding perhaps for what to come. I am both rather stressed to read it and looking forward to it. It is part of my mission to open people’s eyes to the fact that poetry is part of our lives in a far less serious manner than they think they are.
Here are the posters, if you are in Iceland, you have to come.... it will be unforgettable.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Within the Belly of the Beast - America Vs. America
Interview with Trygve Svensson and Cristoph Fielder By Birgitta Jonsdottir published in the Reykjavík Grapevine yesterday
The American flag was flapping in the wind at the entrance of Klink & Bank. Looking closer at it I noticed that the stars had been replaced by corporate logos known to all of us. Inside I found political art at its best: thought provoking, funny, ironic and inspirational. America vs. America is an attempt shatter the illusion that all Americans are right wing neo-conservatives or a mindless flock of sheep with the glare of Fox news shining in their eyes.
We are witnessing liberal rights being chipped away to protect us from hidden enemies. In the USA of today, many outspoken artists are experiencing for the first time since the McCarthy era that they are being censored or even threatened because of their artistic expression.
The opening night of the exhibition had some interesting things to enjoy; most notable was the performance “Mumia” by the Busted Chairs Theater Project. Mumia is a play questioning the judicial system in the USA and capital punishment through the case, trial and work of Mumia Abu-Jamal, an award-winning Pennsylvania journalist who exposed police violence against minority communities. He has been on death row since 1982, despite evidence that proves he was wrongfully convicted of the shooting of a police officer. For the last 23 years, Mumia has been locked up 23 hours a day, denied contact visits with his family, had his confidential legal mail illegally opened by prison authorities, and put into detention for writing his first of three books while in prison, Live From Death Row.
Beyond “Mumia”, the America vs. America exhibition offers different aspects of art in a political context: American political art, the documentary; “Should we save this empire?”; performances and workshops, but first and foremost; A Peace Project.
What inspired you to put this exhibition together?
Christoph Fielder: I have been politically active for the last ten years, founded the Swedish division of Adbusters and worked as a managing director for Artduty. I think the idea came out of extreme frustrations about the current situation, the war against Iraq and I needed a positive outlet for those feelings. I wanted to be part of this growing movement of activists around the world and it somehow felt like the right thing to find out more about the counter culture of the USA. The people you usually never hear about in the world media. It was also a quest to find my personal connection between art and politics.
Trygve Svensson: I went to the Norwegian Social forum as a freelance journalist, but ended up as one of the participant. I felt it was impossible to be there without being part of it. I guess I have been living in my own personal bubble for a long time where politics didn’t interest me at all. By doing this I am at least doing something to inspire other people to do something.
Do you believe that individuals can make a difference in our world?
CF: I think it is impossible not to make a difference.
You can’t be neutral on a moving train, can you? (Ref. to Howard Zinn’s second book of the same title.)
Do you think that America is free in its current political landscape?
CF & TS: No, a lot of times we got shocked because we heard so many stories about people that had been put in prison because of their artistic or political actions. The similarities between the USA and Germany in 1938 are frightening. In the book Friendly Fascism: The New Face of Power in American by Bertram Gross you pretty much get the picture of that is going on in the USA today. The scary part is that it is already an empire but the Nazi Germans never got further than fantasizing about it.
Nevertheless, we believe that it is important to have a positive focus and underneath this senseless and negative surface there are a lot of positive things happening. We will in our lifetime see some radical changes and actions. We have all these groups working towards common goals in our world, at some point we will unify in similar but more sustainable actions than simple protests. The Internet has been a great connection point already to coordinate global actions. Activist are shaping the world on levels that are often not reported at all, fair trade did for example go up by 38% last year. One of the goals of this exhibition is to gather information, to come up with new ideas and to hook people up together. We aim to gather political art from each country we travel with this show and when we will finally bring it to the USA we will showcase something from each country, including Iceland.
What is your goal with this exhibition?
CF & TS: We would like to reach people and show the Scandinavians the diversity of the grassroots movement in America. We hope to inspire people from the USA and Scandinavia to work together. The artists in the USA need all the support we can give to them.
Why did it premier in Iceland?
CF & TS: Simple reasons we always wanted to go to Iceland and we know that there is quite an active art scene but according to Eva the political art scene was very hidden and weak. We wanted to inspire artists to be political in their work and we feel optimistic that this exhibition might have got something going because most of the people attending the workshop are graphic artists.
We need art to express diversity really clearly. It is through our diversities we will survive as humankind. It is important to create a way to verbalize our thought and to raise our awareness. Art has a great role in opening up new ways of dialogue among the nations of the world.
CF: The artist Moa Salim expresses so clearly the role of art in the documentary Trygve Svensson is putting together “Should we save this empire?”
Art has the duty to communicate the uncommunicatable, as things that were allowed to be commutated expanded to everything, art almost lost its purpose. When you could talk openly about everything, why would you need art? Now we are going back to a time were there are things you can’t talk about – the era of black and white, with or against the terrorists. There are a lot of things we no longer can openly and freely discuss, which gives art another special place. These things can be perverted, manipulated and talked about. Which will allow the person to express herself without getting into trouble for that expression. So art is maybe finding a real true place in society again. There is a lot of good work to be done. It is indeed a time for celebration of the artistic expression. It has a role again.
The American flag was flapping in the wind at the entrance of Klink & Bank. Looking closer at it I noticed that the stars had been replaced by corporate logos known to all of us. Inside I found political art at its best: thought provoking, funny, ironic and inspirational. America vs. America is an attempt shatter the illusion that all Americans are right wing neo-conservatives or a mindless flock of sheep with the glare of Fox news shining in their eyes.
We are witnessing liberal rights being chipped away to protect us from hidden enemies. In the USA of today, many outspoken artists are experiencing for the first time since the McCarthy era that they are being censored or even threatened because of their artistic expression.
The opening night of the exhibition had some interesting things to enjoy; most notable was the performance “Mumia” by the Busted Chairs Theater Project. Mumia is a play questioning the judicial system in the USA and capital punishment through the case, trial and work of Mumia Abu-Jamal, an award-winning Pennsylvania journalist who exposed police violence against minority communities. He has been on death row since 1982, despite evidence that proves he was wrongfully convicted of the shooting of a police officer. For the last 23 years, Mumia has been locked up 23 hours a day, denied contact visits with his family, had his confidential legal mail illegally opened by prison authorities, and put into detention for writing his first of three books while in prison, Live From Death Row.
Beyond “Mumia”, the America vs. America exhibition offers different aspects of art in a political context: American political art, the documentary; “Should we save this empire?”; performances and workshops, but first and foremost; A Peace Project.
What inspired you to put this exhibition together?
Christoph Fielder: I have been politically active for the last ten years, founded the Swedish division of Adbusters and worked as a managing director for Artduty. I think the idea came out of extreme frustrations about the current situation, the war against Iraq and I needed a positive outlet for those feelings. I wanted to be part of this growing movement of activists around the world and it somehow felt like the right thing to find out more about the counter culture of the USA. The people you usually never hear about in the world media. It was also a quest to find my personal connection between art and politics.
Trygve Svensson: I went to the Norwegian Social forum as a freelance journalist, but ended up as one of the participant. I felt it was impossible to be there without being part of it. I guess I have been living in my own personal bubble for a long time where politics didn’t interest me at all. By doing this I am at least doing something to inspire other people to do something.
Do you believe that individuals can make a difference in our world?
CF: I think it is impossible not to make a difference.
You can’t be neutral on a moving train, can you? (Ref. to Howard Zinn’s second book of the same title.)
Do you think that America is free in its current political landscape?
CF & TS: No, a lot of times we got shocked because we heard so many stories about people that had been put in prison because of their artistic or political actions. The similarities between the USA and Germany in 1938 are frightening. In the book Friendly Fascism: The New Face of Power in American by Bertram Gross you pretty much get the picture of that is going on in the USA today. The scary part is that it is already an empire but the Nazi Germans never got further than fantasizing about it.
Nevertheless, we believe that it is important to have a positive focus and underneath this senseless and negative surface there are a lot of positive things happening. We will in our lifetime see some radical changes and actions. We have all these groups working towards common goals in our world, at some point we will unify in similar but more sustainable actions than simple protests. The Internet has been a great connection point already to coordinate global actions. Activist are shaping the world on levels that are often not reported at all, fair trade did for example go up by 38% last year. One of the goals of this exhibition is to gather information, to come up with new ideas and to hook people up together. We aim to gather political art from each country we travel with this show and when we will finally bring it to the USA we will showcase something from each country, including Iceland.
What is your goal with this exhibition?
CF & TS: We would like to reach people and show the Scandinavians the diversity of the grassroots movement in America. We hope to inspire people from the USA and Scandinavia to work together. The artists in the USA need all the support we can give to them.
Why did it premier in Iceland?
CF & TS: Simple reasons we always wanted to go to Iceland and we know that there is quite an active art scene but according to Eva the political art scene was very hidden and weak. We wanted to inspire artists to be political in their work and we feel optimistic that this exhibition might have got something going because most of the people attending the workshop are graphic artists.
We need art to express diversity really clearly. It is through our diversities we will survive as humankind. It is important to create a way to verbalize our thought and to raise our awareness. Art has a great role in opening up new ways of dialogue among the nations of the world.
CF: The artist Moa Salim expresses so clearly the role of art in the documentary Trygve Svensson is putting together “Should we save this empire?”
Art has the duty to communicate the uncommunicatable, as things that were allowed to be commutated expanded to everything, art almost lost its purpose. When you could talk openly about everything, why would you need art? Now we are going back to a time were there are things you can’t talk about – the era of black and white, with or against the terrorists. There are a lot of things we no longer can openly and freely discuss, which gives art another special place. These things can be perverted, manipulated and talked about. Which will allow the person to express herself without getting into trouble for that expression. So art is maybe finding a real true place in society again. There is a lot of good work to be done. It is indeed a time for celebration of the artistic expression. It has a role again.
the dead tern
Walking through the old cemetery last night with my friend, we saw a dead tern, it was a bit creepy. A victim to the graveyard cat. I have never seen a dead tern in the city. In Iceland we believe terns are a symbol of the spring (one of many).
Did this mean spring was dead, summer was officially here??? It was cold last night yet all of nature was forcing its green buds out of the cocoon of winter. Was this an omen of dreadful times to come??? No such feeling of doom. Terns used to attack me when I was a kid walking in the moor ..... one even got so close to make a hole on my head, needless to say they never used to be among my favourite of birds. However in the last years I have learned to love their beautiful dance in the sky and protective nature for their young ones. And here at the end of the world, any sign of spring is a welcomed signed. It is an interesting fact that no other nation in the world celebrates summer as early as we do. I have no idea why, maybe it is the daylight. Makes us all eternal optimists. Sort of funny to hear people say "Happy Summer" when it is still snowing.......
Did this mean spring was dead, summer was officially here??? It was cold last night yet all of nature was forcing its green buds out of the cocoon of winter. Was this an omen of dreadful times to come??? No such feeling of doom. Terns used to attack me when I was a kid walking in the moor ..... one even got so close to make a hole on my head, needless to say they never used to be among my favourite of birds. However in the last years I have learned to love their beautiful dance in the sky and protective nature for their young ones. And here at the end of the world, any sign of spring is a welcomed signed. It is an interesting fact that no other nation in the world celebrates summer as early as we do. I have no idea why, maybe it is the daylight. Makes us all eternal optimists. Sort of funny to hear people say "Happy Summer" when it is still snowing.......
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Joy B is a Buddhist
I don't remember how many times I have said to people; if I were to belong to any organised religion ever, than the only one that I could possible belong to would be Buddhism, because it is tolerant towards all other religions. And by some strange twist of fate I went with a friend to do some chanting and I had no idea it was a Buddhist chanting, it could have been any sort of chanting. I love to chant and make strange ancient sounds to get into that space of feeling my feelings. To ride the tide of joy with sounds and strange noises. As I was chanting with these people, it felt like I had done this all my life. I felt after months of feeling out of focus, in focus. My eyes were clear and bright again. And I was full of joy. I read some about this form of Buddhism and it was all common sense and felt like something I wanted to devote my energy and life to. And so it is that Joy B has a calling and her calling was answered and so she is taking this path, and if you ever hear strange sounds from her flat, it is only those ancient sounds that have found their runway into the big stream of sounds, a drop of crystal clear reason. I am devoted..... what a strange feeling it is.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Monday, April 18, 2005
Making nostaliga real
Sunday was a big day in the house of Joy B. Her teenage son chose to have a civil confirmation. You see, at the island of extremes all kids his age get confirmed to Christianity, well almost all, believers or not. However on April 17th (my birthday) 93 brave souls went against the stream and got confirmed in a civilized way. The kids got fantastic preparation and education before the confirmation ceremony took place, such as; ethics, human relations, human rights, equal rights, relations between the sexes, prevention of alcohol and drug abuse, skepticism, protecting the environment, getting along with parents, being a teenager in a consumer/advertising-dominated society, and what it means to be an adult and take responsibility for your views and behavior. 
You might not know it but Joy B is a rather nostalgic person, she craves for a big family and likes family traditions. She likes to carry on with the things she loved when she was a kid. Like how the family used to come together every year at my grandparents house and after eating much and talking much we sang, my grandfather played the guitar, my mom too and my granny played the harmonica, the rest of us sang. It was just something about it that would make me get all warm inside. Therefore, my aim was to get that warm feeling inside and try to give that to the rest of the family somehow. Most people in Iceland are just too busy to meet the rest of their family; aunts and uncles relations are almost over. It is quite crazy, and I refuse to take part in it. Anyway the most important thing was to see it is possible, so when I have a bit bigger living space, maybe a house someday, who knows, than I will start to have big family parties… I shall make new traditions. Anyway Neptunus the king of the ocean was of course beautiful during the ceremony and at his confirmation party. Poor thing my mom had made a poem about him and his many qualities and we all sang except him that wanted to sink into the earth or something. Of course I managed to have a little accident, the zipper on my antic dress broke in front of everyone as I was opening the window. The most important thing about this all was how everyone helped out in making this possible, even my neighbor let me keep my bed in her flat because my flat is small and I had to rearrange everything to fit all these people in here….

My birthday was a bit in hiding, because it was my sons day, he was to shine… I don’t understand people that don’t cherish their birthdays. I think it is cool to have a day that is mine mine mine…. Moreover, I get to have a cake, always, no matter what. For an artist, writer or a poet age is good, because it creates a depth, the knowing we want to share..
You might not know it but Joy B is a rather nostalgic person, she craves for a big family and likes family traditions. She likes to carry on with the things she loved when she was a kid. Like how the family used to come together every year at my grandparents house and after eating much and talking much we sang, my grandfather played the guitar, my mom too and my granny played the harmonica, the rest of us sang. It was just something about it that would make me get all warm inside. Therefore, my aim was to get that warm feeling inside and try to give that to the rest of the family somehow. Most people in Iceland are just too busy to meet the rest of their family; aunts and uncles relations are almost over. It is quite crazy, and I refuse to take part in it. Anyway the most important thing was to see it is possible, so when I have a bit bigger living space, maybe a house someday, who knows, than I will start to have big family parties… I shall make new traditions. Anyway Neptunus the king of the ocean was of course beautiful during the ceremony and at his confirmation party. Poor thing my mom had made a poem about him and his many qualities and we all sang except him that wanted to sink into the earth or something. Of course I managed to have a little accident, the zipper on my antic dress broke in front of everyone as I was opening the window. The most important thing about this all was how everyone helped out in making this possible, even my neighbor let me keep my bed in her flat because my flat is small and I had to rearrange everything to fit all these people in here….
My birthday was a bit in hiding, because it was my sons day, he was to shine… I don’t understand people that don’t cherish their birthdays. I think it is cool to have a day that is mine mine mine…. Moreover, I get to have a cake, always, no matter what. For an artist, writer or a poet age is good, because it creates a depth, the knowing we want to share..
Monday, April 11, 2005
The crime of silence when we should speak out
I saw a brilliant documentary a few nights ago about the vagina monologues. A true inspiration in action. I had in my own little everyday word forgotten how many women suffer because SOME men believe they have ownership over them. Suffer because of the shame of the unspeakable violence brought upon them. It is so easy to forget things in our world if they don’t inflict on our personal life directly. It is so easy to fall into the pit of roughhouses and close the heart and mind to other perspectives. I had become fed up with the feminist movement; our world is a bit out of balance still because the changes different thinking has brought about. I personally don’t think the best or the only solution is to abandon motherhood for carrier oriented thinking. I don’t think that is what all women want, it would also be nice to see a world where there was a choice and respect for those that want to stay at home. That is also work, but not highly appreciated because the lowest wages are for women that work as caregivers for our kids in day cares and elementary schools. So is that a reflection of how we look at homemakers, that looking after your kids is the least interesting work there is, the least valued work. I think so. Women have gotten so caught up in the male oriented thinking that they have forgotten the matriarch, how can we justify dumping our children and parents into institutes instead of making them a real home. I don’t understand it. I mean I want to be successful but isn’t one of the greatest successes to raise healthy children who will have the moral fiber to evolve beyond us?
I don’t understand why I should feel more of a person if I am working as a manger for other people than for example my family. I mean can’t I do both? No not really it is all or nothing at least in Iceland. But are we happy, we claim we are the happiest nation in the world, at the same time no other nation uses as many happy pills, and no other nation gives their kids as much Ritalin as we do. No other nation has as many women that fake satisfaction during sex, I wonder if that is also the case in the real life. What I like about the vagina monologues is that it addresses the silence. It gets people to talk about things that are shameful and often very painful. We need this sort of monologues in so many fields of our lives. We are living in a world out of tune with itself. Our is the path of self-destruction. We have to do something NOW or there will be very little left for the next generations, not only have we destroyed more than we can ever repaired when it comes to our planet but we have are responsible for much more damage. The crime of doing nothing when we know we should. The crime of silence when we should speak out. The crime of indifference to everything except material security, yet nothing is as frail as material security.
I don’t understand why I should feel more of a person if I am working as a manger for other people than for example my family. I mean can’t I do both? No not really it is all or nothing at least in Iceland. But are we happy, we claim we are the happiest nation in the world, at the same time no other nation uses as many happy pills, and no other nation gives their kids as much Ritalin as we do. No other nation has as many women that fake satisfaction during sex, I wonder if that is also the case in the real life. What I like about the vagina monologues is that it addresses the silence. It gets people to talk about things that are shameful and often very painful. We need this sort of monologues in so many fields of our lives. We are living in a world out of tune with itself. Our is the path of self-destruction. We have to do something NOW or there will be very little left for the next generations, not only have we destroyed more than we can ever repaired when it comes to our planet but we have are responsible for much more damage. The crime of doing nothing when we know we should. The crime of silence when we should speak out. The crime of indifference to everything except material security, yet nothing is as frail as material security.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Diane999 - the Cobalto Saga
Diane999 the graphic novel I am developing with the Hand aka Maurizio di Bona is now being introduced online. Beautiful web and amazing drawings. Content flowing in, make sure to have a look when you can. I am only a humble writer in this project, but it is inspirational to draw words from the space the Hand has created.
In other news, the Tsunami video Jim Wrathall put so skillfully together with my tribute poem has been downloaded more then 11.000 times in less than a week.
In other news, the Tsunami video Jim Wrathall put so skillfully together with my tribute poem has been downloaded more then 11.000 times in less than a week.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Tsunami video
I am lacking words today. Been working with a friend Jim Wrathall on the making of a Tsunami video using a poem i wrote in a response to the second of christmas disaster. He added a new dimension to these words. Even brought me almost to tears. Tonight i fear that many more will suffer in this region that has already suffered so much. My heart goes out for all of them. I wish i was there so i could help. But i am stuck here and all i got to offer is hope in those darkest of times. Click here to see the video. Jim did an amazing work combining photos, art, sound and my voice into something beyond words.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
riding high on the wings of my muse
Most people that I know think that I might be a little bit to active, some even think that I am a super woman, but hell no I am just intoxicated by the movement of life within and around and NO I am not pregnant I am just filled with the holy muse of creation. Gosh that sounds quite absurd. The chameleon strikes again, bleeds into the picture like sweet water drop into salt water.
I am such a lucky person; I get to be driven, with a force beyond greed and sometimes ego:) By the force of the muse of creativity. It is quite merciless sometimes. I am always working because I am what I am, art. Everything I do is a reflection of my art and my art is a reflection of me and so everything I do is artistic. lol. How brilliant, so I am the canvas, I am the empty page, the silence, until I fill it with me. How egocentric this sounds though. I am possessed with the spirit of creativity and it is intense. But before I started this rant I just wanted to share a few of the things I have been up to in the last month or so in servitude of the muse.
First of all I have been doing some groundwork for Diane, a graphic novel born in the mind and soul of Maurizio di Bona, he has set up a brilliant website to explain the concept, the evolution and lots of goodies. I was invited to take send work to the newest issue of Poems Niederngasse in the Pancultural Exploration of Love Supplemental issue. What better way to start spring than to think of love and to explore it through the eyes of so many brilliant writers the contributing editor Annette Marie Hyder had gathered. I got one article and one poem plus a couple of artworks in it. A warm thank you to the editor for remembering me. In addition, I have a few articles in the next Grapevine and the fancy title Art Correspondent and the pick of the week online.
And next week I will publish 10 books by myself in Icelandic, they are finally the way I want them and this week I have been hand stitching and cutting all sorts of paper, gold, transparent, silver, recycled and seeing it come together, what a wonderful feeling. These books are only in Icelandic and the result of many many years of gathering my work from all different places and bringing them home within their theme and the shape on the page….. I will make them available online in e-book format for those curious enough to bother download it. And I have translated 2 poems by Diane di Prima to Icelandic, and it was such joy. Her work is so brilliant. What a voice, what a warrior of brutal honesty. Working on getting her work published in Iceland. None of her work has been published here and as a matter of fact very few USA poets have been translated to this ancient sound.
I am such a lucky person; I get to be driven, with a force beyond greed and sometimes ego:) By the force of the muse of creativity. It is quite merciless sometimes. I am always working because I am what I am, art. Everything I do is a reflection of my art and my art is a reflection of me and so everything I do is artistic. lol. How brilliant, so I am the canvas, I am the empty page, the silence, until I fill it with me. How egocentric this sounds though. I am possessed with the spirit of creativity and it is intense. But before I started this rant I just wanted to share a few of the things I have been up to in the last month or so in servitude of the muse.
First of all I have been doing some groundwork for Diane, a graphic novel born in the mind and soul of Maurizio di Bona, he has set up a brilliant website to explain the concept, the evolution and lots of goodies. I was invited to take send work to the newest issue of Poems Niederngasse in the Pancultural Exploration of Love Supplemental issue. What better way to start spring than to think of love and to explore it through the eyes of so many brilliant writers the contributing editor Annette Marie Hyder had gathered. I got one article and one poem plus a couple of artworks in it. A warm thank you to the editor for remembering me. In addition, I have a few articles in the next Grapevine and the fancy title Art Correspondent and the pick of the week online.
And next week I will publish 10 books by myself in Icelandic, they are finally the way I want them and this week I have been hand stitching and cutting all sorts of paper, gold, transparent, silver, recycled and seeing it come together, what a wonderful feeling. These books are only in Icelandic and the result of many many years of gathering my work from all different places and bringing them home within their theme and the shape on the page….. I will make them available online in e-book format for those curious enough to bother download it. And I have translated 2 poems by Diane di Prima to Icelandic, and it was such joy. Her work is so brilliant. What a voice, what a warrior of brutal honesty. Working on getting her work published in Iceland. None of her work has been published here and as a matter of fact very few USA poets have been translated to this ancient sound.
The many faces of insanity
Just after I came home from the theatre I watched the film the Butterfly Effect with Neptunus, when it started I thought, oh no another thing about insanity and its many ugly faces. But the film turned out to be good, I mean it had a bit of mystery in it and was almost mythological at times, specially when it was over and it all started to make sense. I very rarely watch TV or use my DVD player; most of the films I have watched in the last months are political. What a geek I am. Anyway the best part about last night was the simple fact that because Neptunus and me watch so rarely films or TV it was a special moment. We discussed the film after it and the fact how often the TV is turned off compared to most homes we know. We always have our heads stuck in the computers. At least we are doing something, not only receiving, not like vegetables having to be spoon-fed with information.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)