From Recht to Harpa –

Bo Madestrand's report from DesignMarch in Reykjavik.

A few years back, I saw the Japanese horror film ”The Ring” at a movie theater in Paris. I was one of the few people who didn’t walk out in disgust, but I did close my eyes a few times. Almost equally scary is designer Sruli Recht’s latest project, a finger ring with a carefully carved-out piece of his own, hairy stomach glued to it.

The ring was on display at Recht’s own boutique in Reykjavik last week, during the DesignMarch event, and was also met with equal parts disgust and fascination. Recht didn’t allow visitors to take photographs of the hairy piece of jewellry, but it can be seen at the official DesignMarch site.

This was my first visit to DesignMarch, or HönnunarMars as its known in the language of the original Vikings. It was an action-packed event, spanning from seminars to exhibitions and informal meetings. It was great to meet designers I had previously only heard of for the first time, as well as others who I had never heard of and some old aquaintances. We will surely feature some of them in upcoming issues of Form.

If seeing Sruli Recht’s tiny piece of flesh was one of the most weirdly intriguing experiences during DesignMarch, I was equally impressed by the sheer spectacularness of Harpa, Reykjavik’s spectacular, new concert hall, finished in the midst of the financial crisis and designed by artist Olafur Eliasson along with architects Henning Larsen and Batteríið. Here, I was lucky enough to see musician John Grant kick off his new tour in support of the album ”Pale Green Ghosts”. Grant, who’s been based in Reykjavik for the last year, recorded his album with local musicians, some of them joining him on the tour.

It was a great show, and well worth missing President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson’s closing party for (sorry, Mr President!). Maybe next year!