Statues that fill the city with lights

The girl looks at him curiously. For a long time he places his incredulous eyes on the man with the metallic body, who remains motionless amid the busy pace of the people. Some passersby stop to watch. They try to decipher who is behind the makeup with shades between ocher, gold, silver and green.

Any character can come to life, this century or another, and cross the streets with slow, calm movements, almost imperceptible at times. He stops, looks at a point, and looks as if he does not even breathe, his heartbeat resonates with the sounds of the environment.

The little girl has followed in her footsteps. She looks at him intensely trying to decipher why this man is different from the rest. He repeats his soft movements with his own body without knowing that not long ago the living statues were true statues, which with a few currencies made a bow or salute as a thank you.

From an enigmatic stillness they learned to move with their gaze lost in the distance. These artists from the street make us participate in beautiful shows.

They are real creators who spend hours improvising a credible stage and creating the necessary makeup to present the concepts they want to convey, in an urban representation where they remain immobile for long periods of time, giving all their passion to exhibit their work.

In the busiest streets of the world’s major cities, many artists use their bodies as a medium of artistic expression. This immobility is broken during certain moments in which they interact with the public making new poses that complement the representation that they interpret in the public highway.

To develop this art is necessary to perform a previous hard work that is achieved with much practice and great doses of patience and physical balance.

Human statues have their origin in street theater and throughout history there are many manifestations of this artistic expression. One thinks that it can go back to a practice of the old Greece in which special envoys disguised themselves of statues to spy to the enemy, without being detected.

The city of Matanzas has been characterized by picturesque characters, full of grace. Their faces can not be identified with the naked eye, they are seen through the central street of the Middle or the Park of Freedom and its presence itself motivates an impressive crowd of people; to enjoy this unique modality of the performing arts. They give life to the indispensable figures of Cuban and international culture: Charles Chaplin, Cirilo Villaverde, Miguelito Cuní, Polo Montañés, José Jacinto Milanés; They are also inspired by mythological characters or common people.

When you stop to observe those who exercise that function you realize your training, both physical and psychological, worth admiring. These artists of the staticity do not make any gesture that delates, unless they revere or greet with delicate movements to the expectant observers.

As if the clay came to life, it seems that the materials to forge sculptures can become bones, muscles and hearts. But, in fact, the operation is in reverse.

With a scenographic design composed, among other details, by the street atmosphere and the sunlight, the living statues give away their art and catch the passersby, who stop to capture through their cameras or cell phones the artistic moment, without warning that Thus they become protagonists of the show.

In these artists merge the organicity and acting skills with a specialized and own design. Every Day of Street Theater in Matanzas is filled with the lights of these immobile beings who breathe. The city takes on life thanks to the living statues.

Original text Jessica Mesa Duarte on April 21st, 2017

Gloria Machado León

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