One feels the joy of relating to the world of ideas in Akureyri, a very cozy, civilized town of 14,000 in the north of Iceland, and the country’s second largest city. The town definitely prides itself on being an outpost of culture and creativity as well as the former home of American forces in WWII. The aim of my trip here which turned out to be very short, was to gleam into Iceland’s northern sensibility and to see Roni Horn’s work at the university. Within a short time I found myself drawn into a web of relative emotional reflection, turning my thoughts to the world of those habitual sensations that help us understand why we need our time to be measured by the fruits of our love and labour. In habitations of this size, one’s individual experiences seem to count more than in larger cities, to the extent that every little modicum of life has something to teach us, where common bonds are strengthened on the basis of efficiency, and human freedoms and frailties are accepted gracefully. At the large bookstore/cafe on the corner of the main square, this coalition of thoughts and expression are in full view as people stop by at the end of the day to rekindle personal interests in art, fashion, books or clothing, all in a robust way that reflect the Nordic sensibility of method and openness. In an evening of entertainment, at one of the city’s nightspots, The Greifinn (Green Hat), I found this inner and outer reflection expressed in a poignant synthesis by the Indie/Celtic band Thin Jim & the Castaways, http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=56548992. Life doesn’t pass one by if one is ardent enough to communicate one’s truths they seemed to tell us in their down-tempo, soulful ballads that were as much a lamentation of past hurts as songs of redemption.
At the University of Akureyri, Roni Horn’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roni_Horn large series of photographs “Some Thames,” (2000), on the subject of water, are spread throughout the corridors and offices as an inspiring reminder of the country’s eternal, nourishing element, asking us to keep seeing what is possible in the ocean’s sustaining grace and power. The series aptly reinforces the feeling that this country and city uses water both as a practical element as well as a metaphorical symbol of wealth and nourishment. The university has strongly endorsed this theme by focusing its attention and offering higher degrees in sustainable growth and has subsequently created a program in law and social sciences that offers degrees in Polar Law. The RES-School of Renewable Energy Science, is a recognized leader in its field and though an independent institute, is associated with the university, offering advanced degrees taught entirely in English.
Akureyri’s ‘sensibility’ therefore is a fusion of educated pursuits and cultured habits that have a stronger focus than the more laissez-faire attitude found in Reykjavjk. The city’s geographical location with an ice-free harbour on the inlet of a fjord surrounded by high mountains gives it a relatively warm climate that has proven a boon to its culture and economy, and it left me a little distressed that I didn’t spend more time here or wasn’t able to visit the world’s northernmost botanical gardens. I promised myself to return!
University of Akureyri
Roni Horn's "Some Thames"
"Some Thames"
Thin Jim & The Castaways
Akureyri harbour
Tags: Roni Horn, Thin Jim & the Castaways, University of Akureyri
