were in communities in which art
is revered.
“The Icelandic people think
about creation in terms of music
or art in way that is a contrast to
the framework I grew up with,”
said Runciman. “You don’t do
an artistic practice or musical
practice in the sense that you
don’t need to do it to be the best
in the world; you’re not always
society. “They live in such an
extreme environment where
you have the midnight sun in
the summer and two and a half
hours of residual light in the
winter, along with the wind and
natural elements. Art becomes this
beautiful thing that is necessary.
After talking to some of the
people there and other artists,
they reiterated the fact that
When you are in the dark, depression and sadness can
be a real thing and art has a powerful healing effect.
practicing to be great, you do it
because it’s good for you and
good for the soul. I think that will
be the most memorable thing for
me. No matter what happened,
everyone seemed to appreciate
what was going on because it was
an authentic self expression. It felt
good to have that acceptance and
understanding.”
Galietti left thinking about the
importance of art in the Icelandic
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 59
just making art and expressing
yourself is important. When you
are in the dark, depression and
sadness can be a real thing and
art has a powerful healing effect. I
read a quote once that said, ‘And
on the 7th day, God forgot about
Iceland’ which is funny because in
a way it is raw, wild, and untamed.
It’s kind of left to its own devices.
Something about that resonates
with my heart and my soul. It’s like
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