The performance of the part of Idomeneo that no longer, because of fear for terrorism, can be performed in Berlin, was successfully played in the Ladonia Opera House. The part is very short, but on the other hand it is a long journey for the audience coming up from Berlin.
Ladonia Opera House during the performance of a part of Mozart’s Idomeneo
(Photo: James Hartman)
Berlin Opera has cancelled the performance of Mozart’s opera Idomeneo. In the opera the beheaded head of the prophet Muhammad is to be shown. Afraid of possible terrorism and riots the board of the opera has decided not to play the piece. But a solution has been found. The part, which is rather short, with Muhammad’s head will be played in Ladonia Opera House. That means that the actors and the audience will make a fast journey to Ladonia to enjoy this part; the remaining parts will, as planned, be played in Berlin.
State secretary Lars Vilks comments: We would welcome possible terrorists as we at this point are lacking some of the necessary “special effects”. One can be sure that terrorists can accomplish to fill that gap.”
Repetition of Idomeneo at the Ladonia Opera House
Stage worker in Ladonia carrying the head of the Prophet
The first biennale in the Moss biennale (Until October 15th)
The biennale within a biennale takes place on the 2 and 3 level of The Hedgehog (at Gallery F15).
This biennale examines one of the most used themes within the biennale culture, the question about identity. The curater has invited three artists, all of them working on examining their personal identity and its relationship to the society at a whole. The exhibition presents three angles, the national and cultural identity, the ethnical and the sub-cultural identity.
Conny Blom belongs to an ethnical minority in Scandinavia, the Swedish Laplanders. Bloms latest works often consists of different installation with carrots. In the beginning the carrots symbolised the food of the rabbit, Blom has the last years explored the cultural meaning of the rabbit. In Blom’s world the rabbit is a metaphor for uncontrolled spreading; a critique of the capitalist society and a support of shareware. But another more rarely interpretation is that the carrots could be seen as a longing for the reindeer, a longing for his lost cultural context belonging to a society of indigenous people.
The reindeer is a typical cultural symbol the Laplander; in the old days the welfare the Laplander society very much depended of the caretaking of their reindeers. One could say that he is putting out food in case of a lost reindeer would pass by. Blom doesn’t really know if carrots are the favourite food of the reindeers, but he has seen that the reindeers eats carrot at the “Skansen?”, a Swedish park and museum that collects old Swedish cultural symbols, tradition and culture. The sad thing is that almost the only contact Blom has with his ethnical background is through how it is presented within the Swedish culture, i.e. for centuries has denied the Laplanders the right of their own history and even language. It’s almost like that Blom doesn’t consider himself as a Laplander, feeling more like a Swede in general.
Conny Blom
Klas Eriksson deals with sub-cultural identity. Ever since he was little, and regardless were he have lived, he has been a fan of the Swedish football team Djurgården. Eriksson has travelled with other fans to support their team around Sweden and abroad. The football fan culture has its own dress codes, language and values, a world, often condemned as violent, very far from the art world. Eriksson can?t explain his relationship to football and his love for his team. It’s no point to explain he says: “I can’t explain it myself?”
As a coincidence, a few days before the opening of this exhibition there was a riot in Sweden between Djurgården and Hammarby, both teams are from Stockholm. The match was stopped due to supporter violence and because supporters was throwing things into the arena. According to media, this was one of the worst incidents ever in Sweden in connection to a football match. Probably, both teams were punished for the incident. Eriksson was there, like he use to. He says that it was not his own team who started to misbehave, but it was “Bajens” (a nickname for Hammarby) fans that started the riot.
Klas Eriksson
The last years, the artist Kristina Müntzing has questioning the idea of what is Swedish. In her installations Ny Svenskar (New Swedes) she explores possible identities by changing the head and the body between hundreds of dolls and toys. It’s easy to change and choose an identity today, but not to fulfil, develop or keep it. Often, the head and the body are not in coherence with each other. The head wants to belong to a certain identity (cultural, sub-cultural, ethnical, sexual etc) but the body (money, family, friends, education, the position in society etc) are often an obstacle to the person to be the one they wish for. The idea of Ny Svenskar was beginning then she was at a residency in Berlin.
Müntzing has German national roots, for many years this was something one did not talk about. It was almost a shame. In Sweden, Germany was a country used only for passing. Staying in Berlin, meant mixed feelings for her, being away, missing her husband and friends, and at the same time, realizing that she was not alone with these feelings in Berlin. A lot of people are also trying to make Berlin their new home, coming there for different reasons, and from different backgrounds. She also started to look different on Sweden, and question the idea of what is Swedish. In the end, she examined and overcome her mixed feeling towards her national German heritage, excepting it, realizing that ones identity is much more complex then just belonging to a specific national heritage.
In the presented work at the biennale, she has used common laundry bags, the one with a fake Scottish grid system. It was also in Berlin she started to use them, a common items at small stores in Kreuzberg (Berlin). It could be seen as an ironic art historical comment from the artist, but more important is that these kinds of laundry bags is a symbol of all the people travelling around Europe in search for a better life. You see them at bus- and railway stations, with all their belongings stuffed in these bags.
Kristina Müntzing
Curator Martin Schibli
The Hedgehogger is the unofficial magazine of Moss Biennale.
Publishing Board: Martin Schibli and Lars Vilks
There are many places without names in Ladonia. Now some of our ministers have introduced new names. That is, of course, in honour of themselves (which they really deserve, working night and day all year around for Ladonia):
Sir Phil’s Step, is the first step in the entrance of Nimis
(Minister Phil)
Tarustan, is the rock dangerous for boats
(Minister Taru)
Art and Jump, the two stones where the art and jump-jump is taking place
(Minister Fredrik)
And here is the map, showing where the new places are to be found. For many years we already have Minister James’ Hartmanburg.
Bryan Sentes, a canadian poet has published a book of poems, Ladonian Magnitudes.
Read more here.
Information from Minister of Finance, Mike Arman:
Everyone will from now on be required to have a blood alcohol limit of 0,5 -0,8 promille before being allowed to drive any vehicle. If the driver had a required lower limit, the revenue
possibilities are endless: “Sir, your blood alcohol level is at
illegally low levels to drive here in Ladonia. You are therefore
required to buy a bottle of Grand Pinot de Ladonia and consume it here
and now before resuming your journey. That will be 1,000 Oertugs,
please, will that be cash or credit card?” The same steps will be taken if the level os too high.
Since your Minister of Finance seems to have a genetic intolerance of
alcohol and cannot drink without becoming deathly ill (really!), it will
be necessary for the Ministry to purchase a limousine and retain a
driver - the minister will never be able to meet the blood alcohol
requirement and thus cannot obtain a Ladonian Driving License.
Anyway, since the Minister won’t be driving, the official car should
probably be something elegant and reserved like an Audi A-8L, I think
charcoal grey would be nice. With the Bang & Olufsen music system
option also (only another $10,000), after all, we are talking about
Mozart here. I may have to henceforth conduct the Ministry’s business
from the parking lot since I won’t ever want to get out of the car, and
parking it in the lobby of the Ministry will eventually stain the marble
floors.
When getting ready to drive, use Grand Pinot de Ladonia
The office of the Minister of Finance
Archangels are never a bad idea:
September is the month of Uriel and the day of September 26 is the Day of URIEL in Ladonia. This day the Mighty Archangel Uriel hold a burning flame in his hand and sweeps a cloud of ancient divine alchemy over Ladonia, which is said to bring immortality to the land. Uriel is said to be “the spirit who stood at the gate of the lost Eden with a fiery sword”. Could Eden have been the King Ladons kingdom, the lost country when time was set in motion long ago? Could that be the reason why the immortal Archangel Uriel still hold his watching hands over Ladonia?
Your President and the Guardian Angels will make a small ceremony to arouse the spirits, and are thankful if the members of the cabinet participate a minute around twelve o´clock noon, wherever you are in the world that day. Thank you.
President of Ladonia
Countess Kicki von Hankell
Ministress of the Dep. of The Guardian Angels etc
A September bat passing Ladonia (photo: James Hartman)
Uriel performing his dance on the 26th of September
The last few days have been like summer in Ladonia. But the autumn is closing in.
The last days of summer in Ladonia
The next step to fulfill for Ladonia is to expand its borders through colonization. Ladonia’s demand is humble (compared to the sizie of the rest of the world), our immediate target is the European Union, EU.
Here is a map showing the claim of Ladonia:
The named countries are to become a part of the Ladonia Commonwealth in the near future
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