Gaby Merz Wins a Silver Award for Circus Photo
CircusTalk would like to offer congratulations to Gaby Merz, accomplished visual artist who found a passion for circus photography. We first met Gaby at FIRCO in Madrid in 2019 where he took many amazing photos, particularly this award-winning one. Gaby Merz was recognized by WPE Awards, an international photography contest, for this photo featuring Diego Salles on the aerial silks. This award highlights the beauty and importance of circus arts during a time when the future of our industry is uncertain. With no Performing Arts category available, Merz submitted his photo under Sports.
Merz received second place and a silver badge in the Sports category. The photo in question, pictured below, is from FIRCO 19.
When asked about the significance of the award, Merz replied:
“The importance of this award lies in the fact that there is no performing arts category in photographic competitions. For this reason I was forced to participate in the category of ‘sports’ and hope that the judges understood the physical effort and athletic ability of circus performers, even if the artistic aspect is eliminated. An example of the difficulty of winning the second prize in this category is the fact that the third prize is a photograph of Rafa Nadal and the first prize is an image of Serena Williams at the Australia Open. I think it is one more step when it comes to giving visibility to the circus, and the performing arts in general, in fields where it is not given enough importance to have a specific category.”
CircusTalk is excited about the increasing exposure of the circus world and the recognition it is receiving, particularly for its artistic expression and athleticism.
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