Festival Fantastika

I have been dealing with various forms of artistic expression since my childhood. For years I have done performances with fire and light. I work and practice to create the perfect moment. To make an audience happy, to amaze them, is not only my job as a performer, but also something beautiful. I wanted to create a space for artists and spectators, a place for encounters and inspiration. I am happy to have found this open-mindedness and opportunity in Freistadt. I have lived in Freistadt for a long time and I really appreciate this city. From 2002 to 2004 I was co-organizer of the Offenhausner Feuercamps and in 2005 the big event “Firedance” in the Granit Arena St.Martin. Since 2000, I have been doing fire-performances and organizing performances – from solo shows up to shows with 20 artists.

Since 2001 freelance artist / cartoonist and event artist. During “vacation” in Greece over a few years, I found my way to portrait sketching on the streets of Naxos, Athens, Paros, Ios. I continued learning at the Kunsthochschule in Dresden. For nine years now I have lived exclusively from my art as a caricaturist and fast-drafter in Kefermarkt. Street art in all its forms, the variety of improvisation and living in the moment are for me basic values of life. Connecting these values with local businesses led me to the idea of Festival Fantastika. There’s so much about Freistadt, that I love, that the choice for this location was an easy one. The positive response on the part of the city, as well as the city market and the local business people showed me that Freistadt is “ripe” for a street arts festival. My wish: Dear Lord, let the sun shine, and let it rain hat-money!

It has already been more than 20 years since – as a young special pedagogue – I became acquainted with the 1st Linz Circus for All, better known as “Circus SOBiNi”, and started to work as a trainer and artist. I was fascinated at the time by the numerous possibilities of self- and group-experience as well as the touching art that this colorful and diverse world of Circus and Varieté offered.

My own artistic work developed in the direction of dance and fire performance. During the next 15 years, I performed with my own artist group “Feuercircus” in Austria and abroad. Together with Bianca Mayer I organized festivals, performances and workshops, and always liked to visit street art festivals in Europe as an artist and spectator. The fascination for this magical world never let go of me. In recent years, I have grown into the co-organization of the Fantastika Festival and have been actively involved in the club since last year. This task fills me with joy and pride. It is nice to help to bring a little wonder and laughter into the old streets of my favorite city Freistadt (in which I myself used to live a few years).

This quotation from Henry Miller also applies to the street art:
The Circus opens a tiny gap in the arena of oblivion.
For a tiny span we can lose ourselves,
Dissolve us in miracles and bliss,
Of the mystery.

The Festival Fantastika put me under its spell in 2014. Street art that deeply touches you and at the same time takes your breath away in front of the mediaeval backdrop of Freistadts oldtown, this fascination has grabbed me and never let me go.

I am delighted to be a part of this team and contribute to making children’s eyes sparkle, adults laugh and to make the hat-money pile in the hats and suitcases of the artists like magic.