All exhibitions
Dream Weavers - Costumes by Cirque du Soleil®
March 23 - May 22, 2011
Cirque du Soleil® and the Ekaterina Cultural Foundation present a one-of-the-kind art project – costume exhibition "Dream Weavers".
Anybody who has even once seen the legendary Cirque du Soleil® shows has obviously noticed the costumes – their beauty, perfection and great care make them a real piece of art, matching the haute couture pieces. At the same time, they have to meet strict technical requirements. The artists' acrobatic numbers, stunning Cirque du Soleil® viewers all over the world, are extremely demanding. It is this desire to merge two seemingly opposite challenges – beauty and ergonomics – makes the artisans constantly push the boundaries and continue innovating and exploring new artistic and technical horizons.
The exhibition tells not only the story of inspiration or technical secrets of the talented craftsmen – it also lifts the veil over the magical process of creating the Show. The designer, the artisan and the artist share a common dream. As they work together, pooling their talents and expertise, the costume takes shape and the character emerges. Three key elements central to this process - passion, complicity and excellence - combine to make magic.
Photography and video testimonials of the artisans tell personal stories and experiences of working on this or that show, setting up an outstanding intimate ambient, full of reminiscence.
"Dream Weavers" tells the history of Cirque du Soleil® amidst the larger international performing arts history, showcased in the exhibition by brief dialogues with historical objects from the collection of French historians Pascal Jacob and Christian William. The exhibition features a costume of Gilles Ste-Croix, one of the company's founders, worn during his walk on stilts from Baie Saint-Paul all the way to Quebec City as a publicity stunt. It presents a costume designed by Thierry Mugler for a resident show Zumanity™. And obviously, "Dream Weavers" contains the costumes from two shows, which have already visited Russia - Varekai™ and Corteo™ – as well as the Baron costume from Saltimbanco™, the show, scheduled to tour Russia this fall.
