The Stopp – Let’s Protect the Park project, organized by director Darren Aronofsky, Björk, Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) and Landvernd, the Icelandic Environment Association, has raised ISK 35 million (USD 310,000, EUR 225,650), including ISK 24 million donated by the Pálmi Jónsson Nature Protection Fund, for Icelandic nature conservation, as announced at a press conference in Harpa concert hall a short time ago.
Patti Smith, one of the performers at tonight’s concert. Photo: Páll Stefánsson.
The group is calling for the highlands to be made into one national park and demand that the river Þjórsárver and its waterfalls are protected. They also protest plans to change the boundaries of the Þjórsárver protected area so that Norðlingaölduveita or other reservoirs can be utilized.
“The task ahead is to try and ensure that the highlands will be left intact,” director of Landvernd Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson said at the conference. Grímur Atlason, manager of Iceland Airwaves music festival and one of the organizers, said the project only came about earlier this year. “Everything came into place in January. It’s magic really … I’ve worked with Björk before and we had been talking about doing something again,” he told Iceland Review. Musician Patti Smith said that Iceland held a special place in her heart, having visited the country many times since the late 60s.
Björk, Patti Smith, Highlands, Of Monsters and Men, Samaris, Retro Stefson, Mammút and Lykke Li will perform at a sold-out concert in Harpa tonight.
The concert coincides with the premiere of Aronofsky’s film Noah at Egilsbíó cinema.
Noah was filmed in Iceland during the summer of 2012. The producers emphasize that they took great care not to cause any damage to the areas in which they filmed.
The artists have donated their time and the net income will go to INCA and Landvernd.
