Plum Circus

A circus and artistes of the sort one knows only from dreams: peculiar, eccentric, mysterious, but also brutal, bloody, and horny; that´s how the performances in Plum Circus by Katrina Daschner can be described. Visible is a diva in a pink dildo costume followed by two tightrope walkers who lift weights, balancing with feather boas.
A drumbeat, change of scene to a performance by wild cats. They appear in a pack, whereby one of the willful, furry creatures denies the offspring her breast.
In Lynch-like nightmare style, between these seemingly surreal scenes a spotlight pans repeatedly over the empty spectator seats. It shows the crimson plastic chairs shining in the light, focuses on the psychedelic disc for knife throwing or brushes over the velvet curtains decorated with golden brocade bands.

Similar to the actors, the material "touched" by the camera—including licorice and colorful bonbons—triggers various cravings and desires. In other scenes, knives and (bodily) fluids bring into play a splatter movie aesthetic.
In Plum Circus, Katrina Daschner stages a seductive round dance that exploits all visual stimulants: Whether the fantastical costumes, shining materials, magical sounds, or erotic bodies that turn the viewers´ heads.
Starting point in a series of her films are diverse motifs from the Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler: in the case of Plum Circus, it is the "mad circus of relations" of the couple, whereby in her burlesque, queer version, the artist fortunately places more emphasis on the circus than the relationship. (Christa Benzer)

Translation: Lisa Rosenblatt