Fake-Football-Fanclub Outing #3: Photo Exhibit at the National Museum of Iceland and Cafe Haiti

I parked by the main building of the University of Iceland. The museum is on its right.

At the National Museum of Iceland, just in time for the opening.

There were quite a few people already gathered in the foyer, waiting for the formal opening.

I noticed that the exhibition was already open though, and the free alcohol was out (yes, and sprite and water) so I just went straight inside.

I’d never actually visited this exhibition hall before. So yay for being somewhere new!  (Pardon me while me and my camera have a discussion on how it should behave.)

A list of the artists, as well as the organizers. Our friend from CA, Charlotta Hauksdóttir, was among the artists!

About the exhibit. Basically it’s the culmination of two years of research done by Katrín Elvarsdóttir, also a photographer. On display here were mostly photos of people. The other half of the show was at another location, apparently showing mostly photos of the environment.

The ‘first’ wall of the exhibit had a selection of images, ranging from the 1950s, to modernity to olden times again.

I could get used to perusing museums with a wine glass in hand… It felt… civilized!

I loved these. They were just so life-ish! Ranging from the dude in the pink nightgown with the laptop in his lap to the grandma sitting under the photos of her family.

People milling about.

I wasn’t the only one with a camera.

Charlotta’s epic harmonica-book of photos out of her bedroom window during the year after the Icelandic banks collapsed.

This series could have been named ‘A punch in the gut’.

A selfie! This is no mean feat with a huge canon camera, I tell you!!

Photos from 1900-ish by Nicoline Weywadt (1848–1921). I failed to take a photo of the other works of this photographer, who was apparently the first female photographer in Iceland. She was also a pioneer in taking photos outside and not in a studio. Cool gal!

Quite unexpectedly, I bumped into Elsa! She was there with Þráinn, her hubby.

Apparently, a lot of people (Elsa and Þráinn included) had waited outside for the formal opening ceremony, and once it was over, the hall suddenly became CROWDED!

Feeling mildly claustrophobic, and not enjoying the sudden rise in temperature, we raced through the remainder of the show. This photo grabbed my eye mostly because of the lovely fashion from 1975.

Elsa and Þráinn in the National Museum gift shop, which has an impressive selection of interesting books.

Me, posing with a book in the gift shop.

Elsa spotted this cool card. The description on the back reads… (see below)

Yes, basically, this was a catchall photo for Iceland back in the day!

The cafe at the museum was understandably full, so we decided to go to Cafe Haiti, an establishment I’ve been meaning to check out. This is the view in the opposite direction from the top image of the main building of the University of Iceland. And yes, it was raining!

Cafe Haiti is by the harbor, a quick skip and a jump away from the University area in a car – as long as you don’t get greedy looking for parking spaces and somehow end up taking all the wrong turns for the next few minutes. Bottom line: Not my finest driving hour.

Ironically, the other half of the show was housed in this gray building, but we’d had enough of crowds, so we’ll have to check it out later.

Cafe Haiti is in that green house behind the gray one.

Finally there!

Elsa and Þráinn were already there, and had witnessed when a knob had fallen off the coffee machine, which then wouldn’t stop spewing steam. As a result, the harried staff only sort-of warmed my hot chocolate, and my pecan pie didn’t get any cream. Thankfully, a helpful patron managed to help the staff with the spewing problem.

We chatted for a short while before it was time to go.

A last shot of the harbor before heading home.