A professor once said, “If anyone asks you what human ecology is, tell them that you will give them an answer once they can give you a satisfying definition of art.” I still do not have a sufficient description of either, but Iceland is full of both art and human ecology. I have found many examples of how they interact throughout my time here. Many Icelanders are writers, partially due to the cultural significance of the sagas. Walking around Reykjavik, I saw so much street art and colorful buildings. In Solheimar, there are workshops where the home people can express themselves creatively and we get to join them once a week. Tectonic plates and glaciers create art in the landscape over time. Icelanders used to live in turf houses, because they used the resources that were available to them. Each one was different, even houses on the same farms differed because they were all shaped by their surroundings and the needs of the people who lived there. Last night, we had the pleasure of listening to the rain and wind beating against our walls, in addition to feeling the power of the storm when we went outside.
Iceland itself is a work of art and human ecology.
Julz Chesshir