Welcome to the official opening, with campfire coffee and something sweet, in Perspektivet Folkeparken at 2:00 p.m. Slam poetry by Ingvild Austgulen.
June 22nd 2025 14.00
Kvaløyvegen 38
Feel free to bring your own coffee cup and possibly a seat pad! Through the project Norwegian Travellers, photojournalist Ingun Alette Mæhlum has met dozens of Norwegian Travellers/Romani/Taters from different parts of the country. The exhibition, in the area that was previously a campsite, tells stories about who the travellers are in Norway in 2025.
– I am very, very proud that I am from the travelling people, says Sara Wilhelmsen. – There are a lot of strong emotions, there is a lot of life and there is a lot of fire. We are a living people who were on a journey. People who felt a lot and who went through a lot of shit, but who are here today.
Travelers is the Romani people/Taters’ name for themselves, and Sara is one of many people photojournalist Ingun Alette Mæhlum has met while working on this exhibition.
For six years, Mæhlum has met travellers from all over Norway and heard personal stories about identity and culture. The people have been through a strong assimilation process and no longer travel all year round. Much culture has survived, such as crafts, strong family ties, trade and the urge to travel.
Everyone has their own view of what it means to be of the people, and no one can represent an entire people. Through dozens of meetings with people, the photographer has tried to convey stories about who traveling people are in Norway in 2025.
The Romani people/Taters are one of five national minorities, in addition to Roma, Kvens/Norwegian Finns, Norwegian Jews and Forest Finns.
About the photographer
Ingun Alette Mæhlum has a degree in Photojournalism from Oslo Met. She was born in Hamar, but has lived in Tromsø since 1998. She has published a number of books with documentary photographs from Northern Norway, including the book Tussøy (Kehrer Verlag, 2017). Works from the book have been exhibited at the Autumn Exhibition in Oslo and Nordnorsken, and Mæhlum has had several solo exhibitions at home and abroad.
The exhibition is supported
Fritt Ord, Kulturrådet, Statens kunstnerstipend, Norske fagfotografers fond, Tromsø kommune