Blog by Alex Barendregt: "So, there it is - A Rose for Venice, captured by national media in Italy, and as I was on site, captured also from my side. But let me tell you first. So we have been celebrating bodypainting and installation artist Elena and Mattia's wedding the day before and the weather forecast didn't look good, in fact, on the day of this amazing art project the weather was shit as hell. I didn't expect that this can even happen. Packed with our gear, soaked wet from head to toe, Anna and I got finally to the square San Marco.
Rain was pouring, hundreds of volunteers waiting under the arches but still very optimistic that Elena can pull it off.
Check it out, turn up the volume to get the mood.
+++ Official press release +++ Artist Elena Tagliapietra reimagines “The Feast of the ROSE” in one of the worlds most famous landmarks, the “Piazza San Marco”, on the 25th of April, with a massive art performance creating an iconic image. The writer Alberto Toso Fei tells the ultra millennial story behind this tradition.
Venice, a city famous for its secrets, has a tradition older than Valentine’s Day, and older and more tragic than the story of Romeo and Juliet.
The festival marks the anniversary of the tragic story of young love gone wrong, from when the daughter of a nobleman fell in love with a soldier of poor fortune. The romance ended in the death of both youths, the last gesture of the young man having been offering her a rose.
Every April 25th for nearly 1200 years, the men of Venice have honoured the women in their lives by giving them a rose. The Festa del Bocolo, the Festival of the Rose, is one of the oldest and best kept secrets of the romantic city of Venice.
This year, the artist Elena Tagliapietra brought hundreds of local Venetians and a few handpicked international romantic travellers, to battle against the weather to create a massive rose from living people in the centre of the Piazza san Marco. This giant rose which she has called “A Rose for Venice” was a live performance for the people of Venice, accompanied by a spoken word poem by the writer Alberto Toso Fei. Official event of the Municipality of Venice, with the production of the Centro Teatro Attivo Srt, these artists will create an unforgettable experience that will live on in photos and in the memories of Venices citizens as a reawakening of their ancient passions.
The installation was a performance of modern art taking its roots in the love of this magical city. And just as love can conquer all obstacles, art can be created in all weather. +++ Video & Edit by Alex Barendregt WB Production / Purple Shift Studio
From 6 - 12 August, a unique journey into the essence and secrets of the Lofoten Islands, through colorful experiences, movement, hula-hoop, body and soul expression in wild nature will be organized by Vilija Vitkute, World Bodypainting Champion - Special Effects, 2019.
The Arctic Bodypainting Retreat happens once a year in Lofoten, Norway. It is for everyone - locals and international participants, men and women. Experienced and non experienced in bodypainting, hula-hooping or hiking - we are here to guide you, for you to learn something new.
Bodypainting
One of the oldest art forms in the world. You will learn the basics of body-art , experience it in different techniques of camouflage, abstract, UV, special effects and face-painting.
Hula Hoop
- or hoop dance is a playful way of learning your body of new movements. In a class you will get an intro to hoop dance, learn new tricks and put them together as a sequence. A playful way of challenging your body and brain.
A weeklong arctic adventure filled with:
- Learning new bodypainting techniques
- Playful hula hooping
- Movement meditations in nature
- New international friendships
- Arctic swimming
- Healthy meals
The Korean Make-up Artist Association, KMAA is presenting a beauty exhibition in the prestigious Seoul City Hall in South Korea. The exhibition shows works from the beauty and bodypainting Industry with some Korean artists and many images from the past World Bodypainting Festival. Chairman of the WBA and Director of the World Bodypainting Festival Alex Barendregt has opend the exhibition last weekend, February 12th, 2023 with the KMAA President Yuri Kim as well as co-orgainzer Park Jung Min.
The exhibition is open until February 21st, 2023 and can be visited during the daytime from 9.00 am - 5.00 pm. Many memebers of the KMAA group are visiting and most of the big names in Korea are there. The images provided from the World Bodypainting Festival in Austria show a wide range of the best images taken.
Furthermore the purpose of the visit of Alex Barendregt is to co-create new programs in Korea with the community of the World Bodypainting Association. The KMAA is a prestigious organization that cooperates with Korean schools, where thousands of students learn about the beauty industry. They decide to develop the art of bodypanitng in Korea and expand the skills of the students in that field. The WBA together with Kim Yuri the president of the KMAA are going to introduce many programs and events over this year. Korean institutions has been for almost 15 years in partnership with activities around the World Bodypainting Festival and the WBA.
South Korea is a very special place to be, to enjoy the food, cosmetics, culture, architecture, art and much more. Many of us know that and have already gotten very excited about the upcoming happenings.
We are going to publish the first information very soon, stay tuned!