Don’t let the ties to Iceland confuse you. The history of Manitoba’s Icelandic community is a story to be told with fun and games at Islendingadagurinn but at núna (now) it’s all about connecting art into the present moment.

The festival brings rare opportunities to see artists like Iceland’s Reykjavíkurdætur (The Daughters of Reykjavík). Five members from the all-female group of emcees will play a show at the Sherbrook Inn on June 2. 

“Our festival was specifically designed as a launch from (Islendingadagurinn) to really celebrate the contemporary connections between people in Canada and people in Iceland,” curatorial committee member Erika MacPherson says. 

The goal of núna (now) is “to find new ways to create this interest in keeping these bonds alive through the arts” - from music, to visual arts, to film and video and even performance.

The connections between artists are sparked by the six-person curatorial committee, made up of artists across disciplines and formed by the Icelandic Consul for the first núna (now). 

On June 3, 2boys.tv from Montreal – who were also here for the first núna (now) – will collaborate with 10,000 Horses’ Alexis O’Hara for a performance titled “Tesseract”, which MacPherson says is not to be missed. 

Most of the events for the festival take place in early June, but an exhibition titled SINCE THEN, curated by Kegan McFadden, will be open at multiple galleries through July 23.

“We don’t actually call it a festival, we call it a convergence - but it’s basically a festival.” MacPherson says.

Published in Volume 70, Number 27 of The Uniter (June 2, 2016)