Our 2nd video message from Iceland for friends and supporters of Global Raft is ready! English subtitles are available.

Today we enjoyed a little bit of civilization back in Höfn for a midissage with the major of the region, friends and other art enthusiasts. We also had to urgently refill our food stock and in this village, 80km from the glacier in Fjallsalon, is the nearest supermarket around!

Everything is at its designated place – the lagoon studio ist ready for work! We were also able to make some shoots of the Rappaports sculptures installed in the landscape of the lagoon. And the first video message for the supporters and friends of Global Raft is ready too: www.youtube.com (english subtitles are available!)

Today came the neighboring farmer and helped us carry the Global Raft into the lagoon with his tractor. Unfortunately, there are a lot of icebergs washed up in the bay wherefore the Zodiacs (small, robust motorboats) could not find a way through. Thus, we will have to wait and hope that the wind turns a little over night so that there a free passage for the boats to pull the raft and the Kärcher to the right side of the lagoon.

At the laguna there is being built a Welcome Center by the „Glacier Boat Trip“ company owner Steinthor. We are welcome to facilities of the contractor. It is quite comfortable and they even have a new laundry machine. Our basic needs are taken care of.

Now there are the questions concerning the project: Where at the beach is a good place to set up the atelier? There is a rocky road leading up to the laguna, however not close enough to the atelier and most of the tools and wood sculptures are too heavy to carry. To get the Global Raft into the water, we have to wait for the help of a nearby farmer till the next day. And in order to pull the materials further across the water to the ateliers beach, we will have to talk to Steinthor, the Boat owner.

We are lucky in terms of the weather, the arctic summer still greets us with sun, no rain and only little wind. The conditions are perfect for the drone, we make our first flight over the glacier and the lagoon, our home for the next 10 days.

On the 600 km long drive there is much to see: the vast, treeless landscape and a lot of waterfalls. We stop for a couple of times to take some fotos and filme. Our time schedule has become out of hand as we arrive in Vik, the town is the half point of our trip, after 6 hours. There, we only make a quick stop for the scenery of the black sand beach. It is already about 0 o´clock when arrive at the glacier. The first night will be a provisional bivouac.

The whole team has now made it to Reykjavik safe and sound. After the first breakfast together, we have to get started on packing the bus thought-through and accurately. Because now, there are not only all the tools but 3 people plus luggage and a drone box on top. Moreover, we will have to to pick up a Kärcher that was flown in from Germany for Rappaport as well. We hope that we will still all fit into the car!

At the Icelandic Kärcher contractor, the machine is much bigger than expected. After a pre-check, it is time to try and fit it into the bus. We were able to make some space and thought the fourth seat became a little crushed we luckily still found space for us four.

Half of the team had already arrived early in the morning. And while we had to wait for the other half, we went on a short trip to a hot smoke spring nearby. For the middle-european eye the landscape looks industrial. Here, however, it is a natural ground sight.

Soon tourists can watch each other searching for solitude.
A snapshot from Höfn, Hornafjördur vor dem Vinbudin: Rentalcars in front of a liquor store.
Philipp from Bremen, a great ferry aquaintance, wants to canoe around Iceland. One of his sponsors provided him with an inflatable tent of the newest generation.

Nature is the greatest artist!
Rappaport does not want to change nature with is art but to change its perception, making it more visible.
Photos: Stoneformations in the south near Vik and white sand beaches on the remote Westfjords.

Oddur, an Icelandic fisherman and Rappaports friend, stood by again and helped when most needed!
The first time with an antique handsaw, the second time with his quad bike. This time his uncle had to be summoned to support us with his tractor and trailer.
The treasures arrived safe and sound at the Icelandic Forest Service and will soon be used for the Global Raft restauration.

To find washed up trunks between stranded shipswrecks and other flotsam is one thing, Icelandic weather with horizontal rain and attacking birds are the other accompanying  challenges.

Rappaport meets the German Artist Gerhard König who founded  an association for saving Icelandic art 15 years ago. Among the preserved works is Samuel Jonssons farm, were he created a unique and native art world.
From the Farm, that is located in one of Icelands farthest north-west corner, it is only about 300 kilometer to Greenland!

Rappaports journey leads him further, first a detour to the heart of the Westfjords and onward to the to the black lava beaches full of driftwood in the north-east of the island.
Prior to that did the handover of the Stihl motor saws and the security equipment happen at the greatest / single garden center Icelands. An essential support for the driftwood- and ice work that is coming ahead.
A small crowd formed at the handover as not many Icelanders habe seen such big motor saws. When some of them saw Rappaports artworks from Germany, they where speechless. Well, the Icelandic forest is still in its pre school phase.

It is accomplished! The exhibition at the Radisson Blu Sage Hotel Reykjavik is installed and from now on open to the public.
At both Global-Raft art exhibitions a festive „Midissage“ event is happening with the Global-Raft team and all art enthusiasts from near and far: At the Art Museum in Höfn/Hornafjordur on Saturday, the 6th of August at 5 pm and in Reykjavik on Sunday, the 21st of August at 3pm.
Both midissages are a great opportunity to transform the climate between people.

While Rappaport prepared the second exhibition here in Iceland, in Reykjavik, across the street, a lecture from Dr. Jane Goodall was announced. The 82 year old is highly respected for her pioneering research on apes. The famous ethologist and environmentalist gave a talk on the environmental movement: „Plant a tree on the Rocks“ –  A happening anyone can join.
Afterwards, during a genuine meeting of Goodall and Rapport, they talked about the topic both activists campaign for: The climate on earth and between humans. And Goodall immediately understood the spirit of the Global-Raft project. Those encounters are a gift where hope can be drawn from.

It was one of the Icelandic miracles hat the installation of the exhibition finished on time. A hook in the selling, promised by mail, takes about 1,5 days. In order to install the outdoor sculptures, the neighboring Nettomanager had to become active. What one can learn from Icelanders is that that one can master the chaos despite of the initial uncertainty. They are, as a seafarer nation, existentially dependent on the mercy of wind and weather. And it is a state of art to be in peace with  this acquiescence to nature. Rappaports art surrenders to the weather and the climate between humans, thus built an interconnection.
The amazement of the visitors, that came to the Hornafjördur Art Museum to see the unusual wooden art objects, was perceptible. The mayor of Horndafjordur came personally and thanked Rapport for giving an insight into a an alien and at the same time acquaint wood culture.

Best weather, blue sky and a gentle breeze in Höfn. It is „Seaman’s Day“ – a nationwide celebration of the seaman  traditions in Iceland.
Rappaport was invited to a shipping expedition to the great glaciers. This was one of the typical kind of Icelandic experiences one cannot plan, nor book, nor buy.

Hornafjördur Art Museum (Höfen): The exhibitions concept seems to have born fruit, the ensemble succeeded.
In the middle of the more glacier dominant scenery of south-east Iceland an exhibition with with wood sculptures. Particularly the recognizable driftwood from the north of the island were a surprise to the visitors. The front looks like the „normal“ driftwood from the endless lava beaches and when you look further, an unreckoned  „check“ insight.

The journey startet with the full loaded van. After a long drive to the north, car, raft and artist finally reached the Danish harbor. It took 3 more nights until the arrival to sunny, summerly Iceland. Here, well-known faces like head forester Thruster and the greatest organic farmer on the Island and his wife, Eymandur and Eyglo, welcomed Rappaport with tea and breakfast.
The next months will be a journey rich of encounters, inspirations and creation. The first exhibition will be on Sunday, the 7th of June in the Hornafjördur Art Museum (Höfn).

”Landscape is medium and location of my Art. Wood and Water my material. Water knows no borders, no boundaries, a moving, ever changing Art-fabric. The climate is a global cycle, in its own a worldwide Art project. All things are connected. This is what I want to make visible: Land-Art becomes Earth-Art.“

Rappaport gives you an overview of his projekt Global Raft.
(Download 1,3 MB)