The World Body Painting Festival - my entry to the "Austrian Art and Culture CHALLENGE"

The lovely @martinamartini tagged me to join her challenge / contest Austrian Art and Culture and tell you about an artistic or cultural aspect that I love here in Austria.

Well, there are a lot of wonderful things happening in this country in the art scene, but I would like to tell you about what brought me to this country for the first time: The World Bodypainting Festival.

Not many know this fact, but Austria is like the Mecca of bodypainting. Every summer, the biggest event in the field is happening in Carinthia, a beautiful, fairytale-like region in the south of Austria, full of lakes and green nature.
For 1 week a year, the town chosen becomes a crazy art village, filled with painters, models & photographers from all over the world, usually walking around covered in paint & glitters :D

Above photos, from the official World Bodypainting Festival Facebook page

The festival, which celebrated it's 20th anniversary last year, includes workshops in all related fields (bodypainting, special effects make up, creative makeup, headpieces & props, photography, modeling etc.), side events like the zombie walk, the Body Circus (which is the craziest party you'll ever be in), exhibitions, 3 days of the world awards competitions & shows and the traditional closing paint party. It's basically a massive, non-stop, colourful party for 7 days :D

My first time there was in 2006 and I've been going there almost every year since. In 2009, when I decided to leave Israel and try my luck abroad, I simply took the train to Vienna straight from the festival and then decided to stay here ^_^

I have experienced so much in this festival and grew so much as an artist thanks to it.
I began as a student there, taking workshops with the best international artists in the field of bodypainting (including @bella-volen-art , who I first knew as my teacher, then turned to be my good friend for life :) ), then I started competing and later on as I grew there, I was already teaching myself.
One of my personal highlights at the festival, was when I got to perform there with my performance group "The Alternative Paint Cabaret", back in 2011, as a part of the Body Art Fashion show.

I brought a whole crew there- musicians, singers, my flying ballerinas (and me, doing what I do best, which is getting dirty :P ).
As usual in our shows, I built the whole concept, made all of the costumes, created the choreography and together with my good friend Lital Naveh Greizas, painted everyone on that day.

But I guess I'll tell you more about TAPC another time, back to talking about the festival-

It is the most incredible place for an artist to learn and grow, but more than anything- the bodypainting festival is a home, the people there are a family. I have experienced so much through the years with these wonderful artists I got to know there! And this is our chance to see each other again, at least that one time a year.

The upcoming festival of 2018 will be a huge highlight for me, as I will have the official launch of my book "DreamLand" there, together with my solo exhibition. And I am so freaking excited!!!

From the official WBF program

So mark down on your schedules, 9th of July, 19:30! :D

If you've never got to experience the madness of that event before, I highly recommend making the trip to Austria for it, it will be an art experience you will never forget :)


I tag my bodypainter partner in crime @bella-volen-art to join the challenge if she wishes.

And together with me, @martinamartini tagged also @jnmarteau and I'm looking forward to read his post! I still didn't get to know him well, as usually on our #steemit-austria meetups he is mainly behind the camera, capturing all of us :D But I hope next time we will get a chance to talk, as I'm looking forward to hearing about his @globalschool project!

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