Free Day in Reyjkavik!

#6 In regards to cultural factors, talk about one and what you learned while we were in the country that helped you understand that factor in more depth.

Iceland has several interesting factors that contribute to its extraordinarily rich culture, but I think one of the most important is their ability to expand on what art is and what it can mean. Iceland taught me that almost anything can be thought of as art as long as some creative thinking is involved, whether it's a man singing on the street, a pig in a sequinned leotard wearing a hat, or the step-by step instructions for how to wear a tie painted onto the side of a wall. Art is extremely important for a culture to express itself and Iceland is no exception. I saw how art is woven into every aspect of Icelandic culture very clearly during the free day in Reykjavik. When looking at their art from the outside, it seems very strange. Take their music industry, for example, especially famous singer and songwriter Bjork. It focuses more on sounds than on words, and Bjork uses her music to illustrate nature, very different from the U.S. were the songs that sell are the ones that have a catchy beat and be remembered easily. Icelandic art is constantly pushing boundaries and the traditional sense of what art actually is. A lot of the art that I saw included pieces that I think I could have done, but I didn’t. Someone looked at this pig and thought, “What if it had sequins? And would it look better if it were wearing a straw hat?” The creativity Icelanders have is unparalleled and leaves the rest of the world in awe.Read more