IF CIRCUS “MELIC – WEAVING MEMORIES”
Spain / Netherlands
Artists Mar Olivé and Shalom Gramiccioli have been collaborating as If Circus since 2023. Their work is inspired by the ancient art of knitting and the act of reclaiming their ancestors’ knowledge. The show “Melic – Weaving Memories” is a poetic exploration where hand-knitted ropes take center stage – transforming, tightening and loosening, knitting and unknitting – symbolizing the threads that connect, support, and cradle us.
As part of the performance, If Circus offers the Knitting Memories workshop, held the day before the show. This intergenerational experience is designed for women aged 60 and above, inviting them to knit together the rope that will be used on stage. In addition, participants will share their stories through recorded interviews, which will later be played during the performance, intertwining their voices and memories into the fabric of the show.
Mar Olivé trained at the 9 Barris Youth Circus School before specializing in aerial rope at the Academy for Circus and Performance Arts (ACaPA) in Tilburg, Netherlands. She explores innovative aerial structures, weaving together ropes and textured papers, and integrates capillary suspension into her artistic practice.
Shalom Gramiccioli studied circus arts at ACaPA in the Netherlands. She has collaborated with Julian Vogel on “China Series #4” and co-created “13 Harbinger Road”, a production with Hendrik van Maele and Maria Madeira, currently touring in Belgium and Portugal. She is also a co-founder of Framing Effekt, a collective working on the “Systema” project, alongside Marius Caven, Julie Micheneau, and Lara Schoental
When:
Thursday, August 14 at 20:00
Friday, August 15 at 20:00
Where: Vērmanes Garden Park, Riga
Length: 45 min.
Age: 4+
The performance is accessible for:
– wheelchair users
– deaf audiences
– people with hearing impairments
FREE ADMISSION
By attending the event, you agree that for publicity purposes:
– you may be photographed or filmed;
– your image may be used in TV and online broadcasts, films, photographs, audiovisual recordings, and other media publications.
The performance at the RE RĪGA! festival is supported by:
Photo: Heroen Bollaert