In balance - Acrobats, Jugglers, Mountebanks between Circus and Variety in Europe 1930 -1960

Curated by Matteo Giacomelli.  The exhibition In balance- Acrobats, Jugglers, Mountebanks between Circus and Variety in Europe 1930 -1960 has been conceived from a selection of photographs, taken from a larger collection of original vintage photographs preserved in the archive – of Spazio e Immagini studio gallery in Bologna, of circus performances and Theaters-Varieté ranging from the 1930s to the 1960s of the 20th century in Europe.

In balance are the acrobats, dancers, jugglers or magicians performing, jumping, throwing skittles, rings and playing cards into the air and more. The photograph fixes the moment of grace, the one in which the action happens. It is an extraordinary visual heritage dedicated to the ephemeral art of circus performances, played between popular art /folk art and performative action and captured through photography.

Today, thanks to a cross-discipline approach made of Photography, Art History, Performing Arts of Theater and Entertainment, original vintage photographs not only take on the role of documentation but also that of an autonomous work of art. The photographic prints on display at Spazio e Immagini are presented in three ways: large framed photographs of circus performances , unframed photo postcards sent by the artists to the theaters with the proposed shows, photo postcards hung from the ceiling to indicate the suspended and ephemeral nature of the artistic performances.