CARNIVAL - TURNING THE WORLD ON ITS HEAD
Carnival - one of the most fascinating celebration of mankind. Social norms and rules are on dispense; beggars can become kings, men behave like women, authorities loose their power; a victory of eros over thanatos. And then - as if nothing had happened - everything returns to normal on Ash-Wednesday.
Brazil - the land of carnival - is certainly the most unique expression of such an anarchist and paradoxical ritual. In Europe, Venice with its artistic masks has been on the forefront. However, carnevalistic traditions are alive and re-discovered around the world. It seems to nurture a human desire to free ourselves from the norms we have to live under and imagine - at least for a limited time - what the world could be like if these rules were not in place.
