DE / CZ

Girevik

creation 2024

Girevik is a showcase of a glam-styled dressed man and 350kg of kettlebells.
On the scene, defined by a workshop table and a wooden floor, the artist enters into a physical dialogue with the cold, dark and heavy iron balls with handles. By using all his
joints, he gets the best out of the objects' proposals. Each action results in dynamic in the course of which the artist's limits are tested. Given the heaviness he decided to deal with, the artist undertakes physical and emotional journeys, constantly at risk reaching a dead end. It is obstacles that define his kind of territory. The kettlebell adds weight to his look as the body is reshaped with each new challenge.
Confronted with his vulnerability, he labours to keep the cast-iron bodies moving. Precisely, gently, sincerely, he rearranges heavy piles again and again. His fragile play
leads to momentary aesthetics that interlace stillness with collapse and order with chaos. The bodily state resulting from great physical effort becomes the vehicle for the
artist's portrayal of himself. The work strives to strip down the historically gained tough and masculine aura around the kettlebell through slowly unfolding visual composition that reflects the artist's reality and his search for beauty.

With Girevik, Roman is presenting his second stage play after Absurd Hero (2021).

Juggler and circus artist Roman Škadra was born in Slovakia in 1985. After completing a Master's degree in Geography at Comenius University in Bratislava in 2010, he moved to Berlin in 2012 and successfully completed training in contemporary circus at Die Etage - Schule für darstellende und bildende Kunst in Berlin. Roman Škadra is one of the artists in Berlin who have been relentlessly shaping and developing the art form of contemporary circus in a vibrant community.

The central theme of his interdisciplinary artistic practice is the relationship between his body and an object. Roman sees himself as part of a movement of artists who question the conventional perception of circus and create works that stand at the intersection of different art forms and are presented in diverse contexts. His research is inspired by visual art, sport, philosophy and human labour. In addition to his own work, Roman is a member of Squarehead Productions' For As Long As We're Here.