Artwork for Karriere Bar

Kady Juice – Gingembre par Kady
Touareg Tea Performance by Alhassane Amoussale
Heroin tap (with FOS)
Price policy

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Karriere is a café/restaurant/bar started by artist Jeppe Hein and his sister Lærke Hein. Situated in Flæsketorvet in Copenhagen, Karriere combines art and social life. According to their website, it is “a venue with huge ambitions – and the credentials to go with them: world class artists across a range of artistic disciplines have defined the functions and design of the place, thereby making art part of a social space shared by a broad audience. At Karriere art is a natural part of meeting, eating, drinking, relaxing and having fun, spurring communication, reflection and play. Giving art an immedeate relevance and meaning in a exclusive yet informal environment.”

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“For Karriere, Balfelt has submitted all of four projects. Some of them refer to other works, some are created specifically for Karriere. The heroin tab at the bar is a reference to the Men’s Home, where the water tab also features. Balfelt seeks to draw strands of that narrative into Karriere, thereby linking two sites, each of which reflects elements of the story of Vesterbro today. Balfelt’s interests also include the market and liberal capitalism – a focus reflected in the presentation of Karriere’s price policy, which is ingeniously depicted in the wallpaper as a mind map of the process. On the one hand, Karriere needs to be a venue attractive to all (from the ‘shirt-and-tie boys’ to students), but at another level the intention is to trigger debate. Why is the concept of integration so important to society? Why does it matter so much that people with apparently nothing in common be brought together? The latter question is taken up in a contribution from Balfelt which is a straight-up cultural exchange. Balfelt has been involved in efforts to create vocational training opportunities for the prison population of Agadez in Niger. While in situ, he met Elhassane Amoussale, a waiter from the nomadic tribe Touareg. The Touareg are known for their capacity for survival in the Sahara and for their unique tea culture. In a three month period in the winter/spring of 2008, Alhassane will be part of the everyday life at Karriere and make performances presenting the unique tea ceremony of the nomad tribe, for the guests.”Kady Juice – Gingembre par Kady

 

“A further contribution is also from Africa, where Balfelt met Kady, who plied him with a wonderful ginger beverage in her little restaurant, Chez Kady. The drink, considered a natural aphrodisiac, cost the equivalent of DKK 1.70. Balfelt procured the closely guarded recipe for Karriere’s chefs, who will be making KadyJuice – Gigembre par Kady for Karriere’s customers. For every drink purchased, DKK 1.70 goes to Kady. (MKT)”Touareg Tea Performance

 

I invited the Touareg Alhassane Amoussale to Karriere. Alhassane is Touareg, a nomadic people descended from the Berbers of North Africa. For hundreds of years, they have operated caravans across the Sahara desert, trading in dates, perfume, spices and slaves.

An important part of the Touareg social life is tea drinking. The preparation and drinking of tea is a social ritual related to conversation and relexation. It is considered rude not to offer tea to a stranger and the Touareg therefore never travels without tea, sugar and glasses. Enjoy a conversation with Alhassane over a glass of tea. The tea is free.

At Karriere Alhassane wore his traditional indigo gown and turban and served tea for the guests every Tuesday and Thursday from 2 – 4 pm and weekends from 10am – 4pm.