Via 3 beamers, life-size illustrations of past circus pieces are projected in a staggered rhythm onto 3 different walls. This work explores the question of the connection between circus and drawing.
In circus, I am fascinated by the body that changes when it enters into a relationship with an object or another body. This relationship leads to the body taking unconventional, bizarre, dangerous and vulnerable positions. It is as if the body reacts to what happens to it, finds solutions, compromises and discovers hidden forces and tendencies. I find it beautiful to capture these intimate moments and really look at the extraordinary body that deviates from the norm. With my drawings I try to capture these very ephemeral moments - on stage things sometimes happen quickly, just like in real life. The drawing itself remains as an imprint of this experienced moment. I like to think of my strokes as folds - as if the stroke is forced to fold in a certain direction by the movement of the person. Everything is already there - I don't invent anything!
_
Charlie Wanda, also known as Charlotte Wanda Kachelmann, is an illustrator and art mediator from Berlin who combines her two passions - circus and drawing - in her work. She illustrates for circus companies and magazines such as Tadaa magazine for contemporary circus. As the daughter of two artists, drawing together during her childhood is a way to spend intimate moments with her father and allows her to understand his way of perceiving the world and people a little better. It was during her studies in art history and fine arts in Rennes that she first came into contact with the circusworld. As part of her Masters in Toulouse, she wrote her thesis on inclusive circus, which involves artists with disabilities. Since then, she has organised and directed participatory art projects with people with disabilities. Her activities move between art mediation, circus and drawing.