Austria’s World Body Painting Festival
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For the past 15 years, artists have descended on the Austrian peninsula of Pörtschach at Lake Wortheresee to celebrate body art in a major way.
This year, more than 200 participants from 40 countries represented the World Body Painting Festival presented by Kryolan and did it justice.
Each year the festival keeps getting better and better, and the designs are getting so innovative that it’s hard to believe that its so temporary. The three-day event began in an attempt to promote Pörtschach and increase tourism to the small town that just so happens to be called ‘Body Paint City” and is surrounded by amazing turquoise water and lush tropical landscaping.
I’m not sure if World Body Painting Association founder Alex Barendregt, who is also the creator of the “European and then the World Body Painting Festival®” could have ever imagined the small festival would grow into the worldwide sensation that it has. It is, in fact, the largest body painting event in the world!
According to the World Body Painting Association website, The World Body Painting Association is dedicated “to promoting the art of body painting, to supporting artists around the world, as well as encouraging fair trade between artists and companies.”
Expanding into more artistic arenas, more than 30,000 guests in attendance this year were treated to live DJs, dance performances, various workshops, fashion shows, and even a few activities for the kids, while not forgetting the main purpose of the festival – body painting.
Not only are the masses coming out out to enjoy great art, the hundreds of participants are upping their game in the areas of brush and sponge work, airbrushing techniques, special effects, UV effects, and the all time favorite–face painting– in an attempt to be named world champion.
Obviously keeping an eye on the prize, the reigning champion of 2012 is Kristina Elizarova with her creative UV effect, and by looking at all of the work this year’s artists graced us with, they’re all winners in my book.
