Roman Škadra
He/him
Circus artist
Country: Slovakia – Germany
Discipline: Performance – Circus – Participatory art
Type of public space: Rural – Nature – Urban
PLATFORM 2025 - 2028 Open call #1
Biography
Roman Škadra (1985) is a juggler and circus maker from Slovakia. He holds a Master’s degree in geography from the Comenius University in Bratislava. In 2012 he moved to Berlin and completed training in contemporary circus at Die Etage - Schule für darstellende und bildende Kunst in Berlin. In recent years, his practice has shifted away from juggling towards manipulating heavy objects. Roman is part of a movement of artists who question the conventional perception of circus, creating works that stand at the intersection of different art forms and are intended to be presented in diverse contexts. The central theme of his pieces is the absurd and his performances are characterised by intense physical involvement.
In 2021, Roman premiered Absurd Hero, his first full-length stage work. In 2024, Roman premiered Girevik. In addition to his own projects, Roman has been part of Squarehead Productions’ For As Long As We’re Here.
Artistic project
IM BAU is a blend of installation, performance and participatory action, designed for public spaces. In the spirit of a construction site, the project functions as a process-oriented exhibition of the (re)assembly of a sculpture made of wooden beams and iron kettlebells.
The work only exists thanks to the active involvement of the public, as the aim is to share the experience of moving the sculpture from one location to another, rather than only observing the artist at work. The boundary between audience and artist will blur, as everyone present becomes part of the creation.
The project emphasises the pragmatic function of carrying and the meditative nature of monotonous physical labor, while fostering themes of togetherness and cooperation.
Format: performance installation, expedition, happening
Size of audience: variable (depending on context and scale)
Specific location: a combination of different locations, for example a town square and a field in a rural area
Timing / duration: variable, ranging from a few hours to several days (depending on context and scale)
