Song for gadjo
Audio installation, Slottsparken (The Royal Garden), Oslo. 20. October – 24. November 2001
Commissioned by The State 114. Annual Autumn Exhibition (Høstutstillingen).
Song for gadjo consists of an exclusively recorded song by Rene Karoli. A loudspeaker was mounted in a tree in the park, by a path that runs between the Royal Castle and the exhibition space, Kunstnernes Hus. The song lasted one and a half-minute and was repeated with intervals of two minutes.
The late Polykarp Karoli (2001) was according to the Norwegian Roma-community, considered to be king of all gypsies. His son, Rene Karoli, was aspiring as the father’s inheritor of the throne.
HM King Harald V of Norway attended the official opening of the Norwegian State Annual Autumn Exhibition in 2001. Rene Karoli was present at the arrangement, he arrived at the exhibition space in a rented limousine, and was the first of the two kings to walk the read carpet in front of the media.
An inquiry about Rene Karoli and HM King Harald to be introduced to one another at the inauguration was officially made to The Royal Castle, but was refused.
gadjo: non gypsie (in Romanes)
The Royal Garden, Oslo. A man listening to the sound installation
Rene Karoli arriving at the inauguration at Kunstnernes Hus, Oct 20, 2001
Rene Karoli (left) with HM King Harald and his security guards at Kunstnernes Hus
Rene Karoli and his protege with Andrea Lange at the inauguration ceremony
Andrea Lange with HM King Harald at Kunstneres Hus
Inquiry to the Royal Castle (in Norwegian). Click to enlarge
VG, 21. Oct 2001 (news heading). Click to enlarge