World Art Circus Festival

Argolla 5th Element is a mystical journey. Kapillo, the main protagonist, sets out to search for an unknown fifth element that interconnects everything and helps him realise who he really is. In late 2011, a Slovakia-based dance & acrobatics production team Argolla was tasked with creating an hour-and-a-half show that they would perform at the 2012 World Art Circus Festival in the South Korean city of Gwangyang. Argolla had previously never done a production of this scale, so what first started as a rather risky effort, eventually turned into a big success as more than 60,000 spectators saw the show over a period of three weeks, while receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews.

The international team of 17 people around the show that included acrobats, dancers, actors and off-stage staff spent more than a month in Gwangyang. Preparing and later actually performing the show. A 24/7 contact with a relatively small team was a new experience for everyone who took part. This picture series explores the backstage of this World Art Circus Festival production, as well as fragments of the 5th Element show.