The charivari project mixes the visual arts with acrobatics to create a modern „art“ carnival.
It is an interdisciplinary creation, in which artists from different backgrounds come together to perform a version of an early 20th century freak show. A constant work in progress and a mutating piece, Charivari places the importance on the creative process rather than on a final result.
It is a day to day experience, exists in the moment, and can change shape and direction depending on its surroundings. With its blend of open studio installations and zoo-like aesthetics, it invites the spectators to daily visit and witness the evolution of the Freaks.
The performance area looks like a carnival, inviting the public to enter a private space, where the family lives and works. The public is invited to be part of the family life for the time they are staying on the site.
The spectators can enter every caravan, to watch the curiosity cabinet, to try some artistic tricks, to experiment with silk screen print, or to play some strange games with the freaks. Every artist has his/her own playground: in his caravan, booth or wagon – or in front of it, on the trapeze or on a small stage or self built installation.
All day long, the artists remain there, working and presenting their work to the public. The painter makes portraits in the Fotofreak automat, the trapeze artist takes meals on her trapeze, the hunger artist is hungering, the photographer stages a new photo, the illusionist practices, etc. giving the audience every possibility to interact with them (come on a trapeze for a cup of tea, babble around a meal, be staged on a photo, learn some tricks, etc.)
At regular hours, like the feeding of predators in zoos, special events will occur, some scheduled, others ahead of schedule. One possibility is one or several performers doing a show – with beginning and end – where the public goes from one stage to another: the alchemist will show his chemicals‘ magics, the clown will play music, the fakir will show a trick, the trapeze artist will wake up!, etc.
In a more spontaneous way, there will be some actions, performances or games where all performers will act as a group, sometimes inviting the public to join in ( “shoot the freaks” action, silkprint workshop, giant domino party, etc.)
The public is invited to stay as long as they want. There is no border between the show and the private lives of the artists. And it’s not because there is no show that you should be bored… behind the scenes can be so exciting!
We don‘t make a show, we ARE the show!
Welcome to Charivaris freak’s!
Best regards,
The Management
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Charivari Freaks is a collective of international freelance artists, who consider themselves performers of their daily lives as well as within their artistic skills. Our work is interdisciplinary and our artistic branches are: fine arts (screen printing, painting, drawing), sculpture, costume design, stage and light design, music, photography, circus arts, theater.
We mainly focus on individuality and originality of each member of the collective: because of our authenticity we are able to touch the audience of all age groups in their innermost human existence.
Our collective consent is to expose the society we live in as artists – where everything is focused on profit. However we do not point with a morally correct finger, but find ways to play with reality. For example, we give as much space to our creative process as to our artistic product. In the same way we will not separate our everyday live from art.