Mentis Cura – a leading edge Icelandic company

We paid a visit to Mentis Cura, a leading edge Icelandic company that has developed early diagnostics for several forms of dementia.  Its proprietary technology uses data produced by simple electroencephalograms to detect the potential for cognitive impairment and dementia and for detecting cholinergic activity.  In layman’s terms, it helps health care providers detect early stages of dementia and the likely responsiveness to its treatment.   Mentis Cura has established relationships with some of the world’s leading research institutions, and we will be pleased to assist in expanding those relationships to the United States.

Teledyne Gavia – a high tech American company with a heavy Icelandic twist

We were delighted to visit Teledyne Gavia’s facilities in Kópavogur.  They build Underwater Autonomous Vehicles (UAVs) used for mapping, exploring, and other specialized underwater work. The story behind Teledyne Gavia epitomizes the potential of American/Icelandic partnerships.  It began when a small Icelandic company, Hafmynd, started to design, build, and sell UAVs in the international market.  The high quality of its products caught the attention of Teledyne, a major high tech American company, and talks began.  Teledyne acquired Hafmynd and the combination of Icelandic and American technology in this field produced highly competitive products that are generating new jobs in Iceland and the UnitedStates as well as exports from both countries.

Jack Quartet – a unique sensory experience

The Reykjavík Arts Festival featured a performance in complete darkness by the Jack Quartet – an amazing group of young American musicians.  The audience sat in complete darkness for over one hour and listened to String Quartet No. 3 “In iij. Noct.” by Haas.  While somewhat uncomfortable during the initial minutes of pitch darkness, the senses quickly lost track of time and the sounds seemed much sharper and more intense in the absence of visual cues.  At the end of the performance the audience was clearly unsettled by the unique experience and eager to share their thoughts with one another. This was art.

AMIS celebrates its first year with impressive accomplishments

We were invited to participate in the celebration of the first year of the re-established American Icelandic Chamber of Commerce (AMIS).  The Chamber has amassed an impressive list of accomplishments in its quest to strengthen business relations between the United States and Iceland. In only one year, it has organized discussions and events on trade policy, the Arctic, business opportunities with Alaska, U.S.-Icelandic cooperation on geothermal energy and U.S.-Icelandic scientific cooperation.  It has also supported educational exchanges and sponsored the America Days promotion of Iceland’s unique ties to the United States.  On the fun side, AMIS was a major sponsor of the Embassy’s party on the night of the U.S. presidential election.  AMIS also began building links with other U.S. business chambers in the Nordic region, which promises to create even more opportunities for U.S. firms in Iceland and Icelandic firms doing business with the United States.   The United States is privileged to have AMIS as a partner in Iceland.

Fulbright Exchanges establish lifelong connections between Iceland and the U.S.

The U.S.-Iceland Fulbright Commission hosted its twice-a-year seminar where U.S. Fulbright scholars and students brief the public about their research activities and their experiences in Iceland.  We were treated to a series of brief presentations on the study of modern Icelandic for literary translation, marine and coastal resource management, poetry, psychology, geological rifts, and Obsidian-Perlite specimens in Iceland.

The presentations were a reminder of how important Fulbright is to the friendship between Iceland and the Unites States.  The experiences of these young artists and scientists in Iceland have left a deep imprint in their lives and the lives of the Icelanders they met during their stay.  They not only advanced science and the arts but they established lifelong friendships that will keep our two countries close.

“Discover Reykjavik” builds bridges with Iceland

Our Embassy is privileged to host “Discover Reykjavik”- an informal organization that introduces its members (Embassy family members, and Icelandic and expatriate friends) to Icelandic society writ large. Members attend lectures about uniquely Icelandic topics, visit factories and stores, and participate in city festivals and events to learn more about the city and country in which they live. This week, I had the pleasure of introducing Abbi Bjorgvinsson who gave a talk about Icelandic whales and the rapidly-growing whale watching industry. In effect, Discover Reykjavik members have an opportunity to peak behind the scenes of what makes Reykjavik a great city and Icelanders a noble people.

Reykjavik Arts Festival Opens

May 17 marked the “unofficial” beginning of the summer festivals in Reykjavik when the Reykjavik Arts Festival got off to a great start with a very creative open air performance by the Vessel Orchestra  directed by Lilja Birgisdóttir who also composed the piece commissioned for the event.  Thousands of  spectators stood mesmerized by the harbor on a beautiful summer day as Birgisdóttir directed the horns of four large ships.


“Bang on a Can All Stars” formally opened the concert series

The same evening we were treated to what the New York Times called “A fiercely aggressive group, combining the power and punch of a rock band with the precision and clarity of a chamber ensemble.” The group selected pieces from their “Field Recordings” which blended different styles of music with video and spoken recordings and singing.  It was one of the most amazing evenings of music we have experienced in Iceland and we were delighted to support the participation of this New York-based group.  The audience was thrilled by the experience.


Art = Text = Art -- an American Tour de Force at Hafnarborg

The Festival took us the next day to Hafnarfjördur where we were honored to participate in the opening  of a fabulous collection of more than eighty artworks from nearly fifty artists (mostly American) at Hafnarborg Center.  The works on paper include pieces by iconic American artists such as Jasper Johns, Sol LeWitt, Ed Ruscha, Cy Twombly, Sol LeWitt and choreographer Trisha Brown.  The exhibit is the culmination of efforts by Hafnarborg’s Director, Ólöf Sigurdardottir, and the generosity of Sally and Wynn Kramarsky (two great New York patrons of the arts) who lent their collection for this exhibit.  I guarantee that anyone visiting the exhibit will reflect long and hard about the meaning of text in these amazing artworks.