In her talk, Martyna discusses the importance of art, not only for the individuals who make and appreciate it, but also for our communities and our world. Why do we have such a hard time paying our artists? She challenges the audience to think about how and why we underestimate art as a profession, what are the underlying assumptions behind it, and why we should change the way we think about it. Martyna Daniel is an artist and cinematographer who started shooting short films at the age of 14. She soon gained viewers in Poland after winning both an audience and jury award in Radkòw in 2005 for her film “A Dream”. Mentored by the Polish director Marek Drazewski, she went on to do other projects in Poland and Switzerland, winning awards at festivals both for her camera and directing skills. After graduating from Prague Film School specializing in cinematography, she moved to Reykjavík where she currently lives. Martyna co-founded an artist-run space in Reykjavík called Listastofan, which offers a wide range of events including life drawing sessions, creative reading nights, exhibitions and workshops and aim to become a valued and diverse cultural heart of Reykjavik.