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Flatus lifir

Coordinates: 64°12′25″N 21°44′15″W / 64.20694°N 21.73750°W / 64.20694; -21.73750
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Flatus lifir
The grafiti in 2018
Artist
  • Original artist unknown
  • 2010-2017 Unknown
  • 2017-2021 Elsa Jónsdóttir and Björn Loki Björnsson
  • 2021-current Edda Karólína Ævarsdóttir
Year1980s
MediumPaint on concrete
MovementGraffiti
Coordinates64°12′25″N 21°44′15″W / 64.20694°N 21.73750°W / 64.20694; -21.73750
The wall in 2016

Flatus lifir, later repainted as flatus lifir enn, is a series of wall art on a concrete wall located at the base of Esja besides the Reykjavík-Borgarnes portion of Route 1.[1]

Artist

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The original graffiti is believed to have been created in the 1980s but its creator is unknown.[2][3] In 2017 Guðmundur Oddur Magnússon claimed that the original graffiti was created by the artist Róska in the 1970s.[4]

Interpretation

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The meaning of the artwork is also unknown as the original graffiti, flatus lifir, does not have a meaning in Icelandic, although the later addition of the suffix enn changed the meaning of the graffiti to 'flatus still lives'. It has been suggested that flatus is in fact the latin for fart, or that it is a corruption of the Icelandic term for Pthirus pubis.[4]

Repainting

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In the 90's and early 2000's the wall was often painted white but the inscription was always painted on it again, with small veriations like Flatus lifir enn! or Flatlús lifir.[5] In 2010 the wall was professionally repainted with characters from Lucky Luke with the inscription Flatus lifir.[6] In 2017 Elsa Jónsdóttir and Björn Loki Björnsson repainted the wall with a new theme inspired by the latin meaning of the word flatus.[2] In October 2021, a new version of the wall art was created by Edda Karólína Ævarsdóttir.[7][8]

References

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  1. ^ Tómas Ævar Ólafsson (25 January 2020). "Hvar og hvernig lifir Flatus?". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b Bjarni Pétur Jónsson; Ásrún Brynja Ingvarsdóttir (14 May 2017). "Flatus lifir enn". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  3. ^ Ingvar Örn Ingvarsson (16 August 2009). "Flatus lifir". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 52. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b Gaitens, Josie (2 December 2022). "Probably The World's Longest Running Fart Joke". grapevine.is.
  5. ^ Ingvar Örn Ingvarsson (2009). "Lífseigur og dularfullur Flatus". timarit.is (in Icelandic).
  6. ^ Önundur (2010). "Dauðinn lýtur í lægra haldi fyrir Flatusi".
  7. ^ Snorri Másson (26 October 2021). "Glænýr og allt öðruvísi Flatus lifir". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  8. ^ Ólöf Rún Erlendsdóttir (3 September 2021). "Blæs nýju lífi í Flatus". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 October 2021.