2015 THE CIRCUS OF LIFE

set design for THE CIRCUS OF LIFE,
a 13 hour performance at the Tanzquartier Wien (Vienna/A), presented by the amazing TOXIC DREAMS and their cast of sad clowns

photos: toxic dreams, eSeL.at, TimTom



(from the programme booklet:)

Abstract:
The „CIRCUS OF LIFE – A to Z“ takes its point of departure from the basic idea of The World Fair (The Weltausstellung as it was called in Vienna in 1873.)

Known also as Expo (short for world exposition or universal exposition) the fair is a large public exhibition that is held in varying parts of the world (…)

The show:
The „CIRCUS OF LIFE – A to Z“ is a small scale World Fair performance. A 13 hours live encyclopaedia that presents “people and their world” today. The world of tomorrow is here already, we are living the dream. Everyday is a Walt Disney ride and our life is a carousel of progress operating at breakneck pace.
What are the ingredients of this ride? What constitutes our world today?

The show follows in an alphabetical order, encyclopaedia-like, the various elements that put together create a “profile” of modern life.

The different life-entry “scenes” are presented on tiny “stages” (“pavilions”) that are spread all over the performing area. The public travels from one stage to another as if wandering around the Expo Village. The life-entry “scenes” are shown in succession, as in a boxing match, each round announced with the presenting cards of a new letter of the alphabet. (…)

The move from A to Z takes 13 hours, with each entry taking, approximately, the same amount of time (25–27 minutes per letter.) The presenters, performers, singers, actors, vary from scene to scene. The costumes, sets, small stages are built in the cheap-theatre tradition (cardboards, plastic, ready made carnival costumes.) The main aim is to create a Fair atmosphere within the performing area. Audience can come and go, move between the “stages”, engage in the action taking place, eat, drink, and exchange.

First evening:
A Abramovic The feature artists pavilion.
B Beatles The popular music pavilion.
C Cake The Capital pavilion.
D Death The life afterlife pavilion.
E Eureka The science pavilion.
F Feldman The serious music pavilion.
G Gehry The architecture pavilion.
H Hollywood The motion picture pavilion.
I Ikea The home improvement pavilion.
J Jokes The humour pavilion.
K Keynes The economy pavilion.
L Love The emotional pavilion.
M Macintosh The digital life pavilion.

Second evening:
N Nature The wilderness pavilion.
O OMG The God pavilion.
P Porn The sexual pavilion.
Q Quiz The choice pavilion.
R Radio The old technology pavilion.
S Sport The chess pavilion.
T Tarantino The feature director pavilion.
U Undercooked The food pavilion.
V Vienna The feature city pavilion.
W Witness The war pavilion.
X Xenophobia The human spices pavilion.
Y YouTube The people’s art pavilion.
Z Zizek The philosophy pavilion.