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The term living statue refers to a street artist who poses like a statue or mannequin, usually with realistic statue-like makeup, sometimes for hours at a time.

Living statue performers can fool passersby and a number of hidden camera shows on television have used living statues to startle people. As with all performing arts, living statue performers may perform as buskers.

History

The tableau vivant, or group of living statues, was a regular feature of medieval and Renaissance festivities and pageantry, such as royal entries by rulers into cities. Typically a group enacting a scene would be mounted on an elaborate stand decorated to look like a monument, placed on the route of the procession. A living statue appeared in a scene of the 1945 French masterpiece film Les enfants du paradis (Children of Paradise), and early living statue pioneers include the London-based artists Gilbert and George in the 60's. In the early years of the 20th century, the German dancer Olga Desmond put on “Evenings of Beauty” (Schönheitsabende) in which she posed nude in imitation of classical works of art ('living pictures'). António Santos, aka staticman, plays living statues continuously since 1987 and was in guinness book of records between 1988 and 1997 with the time of 15 hours, 5 minutes and 55 seconds standing still. After that, staticman made more 4 world records but not under guinness supervision for economic reasons. In the present time Staticman plays with living statues in levitation, organizes living statues festivals and teaches master classes of living statues.

Living statue events

The World Championship of Living Statues is held annually at Arnhem in the Netherlands. In 2011, the festival ran from 28 to 29 August with around 300 000 visitors and 300 living statues (including amateurs and children).

The University of Business and Social Sciences in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina has hosted a National Contest of Living Statues since the year 2000.

Busking

Performing as a living statue is a prevalent form of busking, especially in places with a high level of tourism. A living statue performer will strategically choose a spot, preferably one with a high level of foot traffic, and out of the way. Then the performer creates the illusion of complete stillness. Sometimes passerby's do not realize the performer is a real person. A little wink or a nod can rope them in and make them wonder, did that statue just move? A buskers objective is to create moments of interaction that result in a tip. The amount of money a performer makes day to day depends on his or her ability to effectively interact with the crowd.

Other uses

In science fiction and fantasy the term often has the opposite meaning: humans (or other humanoid creatures such as elves) who are immobilized by technology or magic and sometimes disguised as real statues, often remaining conscious in the process.

• In Michael Moorcock's fantasy novel The Queen of the Swords, the heroes encounter the Frozen Army that once set out to fight an evil goddess but were turned into living statues instead.
• In the Anne Rice novel The Queen of the Damned, vampire queen Akasha and her husband Enkil turn into statues after remaining motionless for centuries.
• The Pantomimer of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series poses as a living statue when not being utilized by his master, Marik. In reality, his mind was possessed by Marik through the Millennium Rod and he is incapable of independent thought.
• The 2005 movie House of Wax, which depicts a town full of ultra-realistic wax statues who are, in fact, real living people encased in wax.
• In the British TV Show Doctor Who, there is a race of aliens called "Weeping Angels" who are quite literally "living statues."

Gallery

• A Living Statue "Stillman Theater" draws a fascinated crowd
• "Sophie Malraye, Statue Vivante", World Champion 2006 in Arnhem. Paris, France
• "The Copper Cowboy" in Chicago "The Copper Cowboy" in Chicago
• Barcelona Barcelona
• Alcalá de Henares
• Jubilee Gardens, London
• "Silver man" at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
• Street performer spray painted silver in Edinburgh.
• Vienna
• Lisbon
• Rome, Italy (imitation of bronze?)
• The Venetian Macao, Macau
• Pariser Platz, Berlin
• Gloucester, England
• Fairy, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa
• A Living Statue seen in the Downtown of Leon, Mexico.
• London, United Kingdom

See also

• Tableau Vivant

References

1. Björn Lindahl (2010-03-02). "Job description: do as little as possible — Nordic Labour Journal". Nordic Labour Journal. Work Research Institute, Oslo, commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers. They suddenly appeared in all European capitals and tourist cities: the living statues. Where did they come from? What are they thinking while they stand there, lifeless? What do they do in winter? We came with many questions and quite a few prejudices when we approached one of the most peculiar occupations there is. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
2. Contest of Living Statues

External links

• How to Be a Living Statue
• Living Statue 101 Or How To Stand Still and Move People by Amanda Palmer
• Busker Alley living statues videos.

• Performing arts
• Busking