Living Statue - History

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.