Egilsstaðir is a small town in the Eastern part of Iceland. A very young town, I remember when I came there first in the 60’s it was very mellow commercial and school location central in the country being a link to all the fjords with very active fisheries. The main school was located close and the town holds still the main airport for the eastern part of Iceland. Even providing the occasional flight to Europe. The main and nowadays only sea-passenger transport from Europe comes into Seyðisfjörður with Smyril Line, only 45 km away. This town holds the Blue Factory where we run our summer school in an old herring factory that is off limits in the winter time because of snow avalance danger.

For the last years Egilsstaðir has been the hub for the developing of the sad Aluminium Factory in the East of Iceland that has damaged badly the highland environment with arrogant electric power stations etc. See here. But enough of that. Egilsstaðir has also many small activities driven by the locals producing small industry, bio food, crafts etc. Now after the gold-rush of the aluminium factory building the locals are opening up small activities again and I have been so lucky to visit some of them last week.

There is a small workshop being run there and included in that is a small project funded by the EU that goes by the name CC.  Þorpið (see post here) and various other funds supporting new iniciatives for crafts and arts driven industries. This is very much in line with the activities in close areas like Seyðisfjörður where the LUNGA arts festival is housed and I have blogged before. I must admit that after the sad industrial building activities period for the aluminium factory and the electric power station it will be possible to go back to small initiatives, creativity and personal design and services. It is the only way to run a society and create culture. Here are a few images from my visits in various posts. Great work in the workshop in Egilsstaðir where we met Signý Ormarsdóttir and Lára Vilbergsdóttir. Also the various things made by Anna Gunnlaugsdóttir and her husband out of reindeer bones and feet.

Reindeer materials 

My dear old friend the Scout Car 

Þorpið, a workshop in Egilsstaðir   (Blog here)

Eco Farm Vallanes (Blog here)

We had one more project in ISArC in Mozambique in the end of the year. The first week of summer holiday was damaged by our short term workshop in computer graphic design and in clothing tayloring. Håvard Steensen, a graphic designer from our school in Oslo and Dagfinn Skoglund a fashion design teacher in the same school came to run the fast workshop, testing materials and potentials. Here are a few images of the results, both from the studio and some are project results. And here are images from the workshop activity.

A photo of the window of the workshop in evening with lots of snow outside. We are all there chatting, Lára, Signý and Sóley with me facing the window with the camera.

Yesterday we were invited to meet Lára Vilbergsdóttir and Signý Ormarsdóttir in the workshop Þorpið. The Icelandic word Þorpið is a common name meaning ‘village’ or small town holding two specific letters that are only Icelandic. The workshop is approximately two years old and has been for experimenting in making things out of local materials and know-how. It felt like a very classic workshop with very good facilities for many different things, from ceramics to soft textiles. The photos tell more than words. Lára and Signý explained the structure of the workshop, the largest project is Euro funded but they are open for more activities with outside workers/artists/crafts people. In my opinion this is an excellent opportunity for the exploration of new methods in dealing with local materials or/and re-awakening older methods into the present day culture of fast bought things from global supermarkets that bring over rubbish from Asia. I have belief in such efforts wherever globally, small action and small communities rather than the global terrorizing companies. And the spirit is the same in Iceland or Mozambique. We are all very similar while also enjoying our specialities. Here are a few images from our visit.

The beautiful landscape mid winter with the green houses waiting for the spring planting.

The only eco-farm in the East of Iceland is named Vallanes. It has been in operation since early 70’s and has acquired a strong reputation in the whole country. Friends in Reykjavik buy the products, in many different forms, greens, beans, jams etc. etc.

Móðir Jörð is a trade mark for production in Vallanes and specializes in growing organic barley. Barley has played a part in Icelandic culinary history ever since Iceland’s settlement in the 9th Century.  For a few centuries it was forgotten in Iceland, but it has recently started to make its way into Icelandic contemporary cuisine.  Móðir Jörð – Vallanes  is known for its pioneering role in Iceland in re-introducing barley for human consumption. The owner of Vallanes Mr. Eymundur Magnússon started organic farming with barley in 1985.  The farm focuses on developing the farming of grains and vegetables in Iceland, and on producing products made from local, Icelandic ingredients, most of which are produced sustainably on the farm.

Vallanes is located in East Iceland, near a glacial lake, midway between Egilsstaðir and Hallormsstaður. Vallanes is the only bio farm in the region, but one hopes that more will start soon. All eco production in Iceland sells today and there is strong demand for more. The location area is known for its forests and relatively mild climate. The fields around Vallanes have been shaped with the planting of over 1,000,000 trees, some of which make shelterbelts that protect the growing crops. You can see more about the farm here.

Some of the products from the farm, available in shops in Iceland and in Reykjavik.

We have so far had a fantastic final day in our project. Lots of experimental work has been done and will be posted during the coming days. Ten groups of students are presenting their ideas, results of conversations and experiments. Here is a simple photo album that will be extended as material arrives.

The project has been run for one week now and people are coming together with dialogue, finding common ways and what is worth talking about and approaching. The groups have moved around town, visited various activities locations, visited arts and design shows and basically come together. The second week is the one for more action ending with a dialogue presentation when we come to the close of this week. All looking very much forward to the conclusions that are going to be the beginnings of new things, ideas and methods.

Here are images from the last day this week.

And here is the project website.

One of the groups is experimenting with dialogue and demonstrations and finding out how to present and live things. Here is a photo session from the event.

Kristín Gunnarsdóttir, fashion designer and worker in the Iceland Design Centre giving her inspirational talk about creativity and being simple in the search.

Hanna Styrmisdóttir giving the first tutor talk in the lecture series.

One of the groups doing exercise

Photo Gallery from Day One click here!

Today we started our dialogue about design and art in current conditions. A completely interdisciplinary work and also arrived visiting students from foreign school. I have 120 students in the course and 10 great mentors doing the dialogue. We had at least great fun last year in this course opening up questions and wonders about the future. I hope for the greatest again with the super gang of tutors and students. Here are a few images from the first day but I will post lots more and we also have an active site specifically made for the course. Here it is.

One of the groups conversing about what to do and finding common grounds