THE CARUSO KRONENBODEN COLLECTION


This is an ongoing artistic research project by Karen Stuke on Enrico Caruso’s life and the history of his time until contemporary.

It’s not a question of whether he was the best tenor of all time. Firstly, we can’t prove it. And even if we could? What would we gain from it?
It is about why he is still proverbial today.
Why is there a stamp from Niger from 1998 where he never sang? And why 1998? There was no anniversary or milestone birthday in that year. The same question can be asked about many other examples.
I was curious to see what would happen in 2021 and 2023. The year of the 100th anniversary of his death and the year of his 150th birthday. And lo and behold: a lot has happened!


the festival 2018 ›››


the centenary 2021 exhibition and birthday party at kronenboden Berlin.


the performances ›››


See the Caruso kronenboden collection grow!!
so far the Caruso kronenboden collection is consisting of following items:


vintage photographs ›››

photographs from various photographers like Aimé Dupon and Herman Mishkin




postal stamps ›››

stamps from Italy, Monaco, Niger, Bulgaria, Nicaragua, Germany…
from 1970 till 2022



other collectible items ›››

Now we know how he smelled 😉


adverts ›››

the festival at kronenboden Berlin was named after this advertisement for RCA Victor Bi-Acoustic Tone in 1932


78rpm records ›››

135 shellac records
from 1902 till 1920


books ›››

in Arabic, English, Estonian, French, German, Italian, Russian, …



films ›››

films about Enrico Caruso,
films in which he’s playing a role,
films where he’s mentioned
from 1918 till 2014


the other Carusos ›››

several other singers were and are literally named after Enrico Caruso either to honor him or for their own marketing purposes






quotes and recipes ›››

various recipes named after Enrico Caruso, recipes he might have invented and a recipe why he will come back to Napoli –
in German, English and Italian








Karen Stuke with Federico Caruso and Enrico Caruso Jr.IV
Ristorante Museo Caruso
Sorrento, 2019



This collection was made possible by the award for artistic project spaces and initiatives, which the project space „Kronenboden“, run by Karen Stuke, received from the Berlin Senate for Culture and Europe in 2017.