Dialogue between matter and the human body is the main inspiration behind this piece of performance art, in which Vivian Friedrich, a creator, researcher and performative circus artist, presents a movement-based show featuring four circus artists and a fifth element, a delicate and beautiful material: blown glass. Drawing from a family tradition of glassmaking, Friedrich seeks a balance between the old and the new, between fragility and strength. “Sklenka” means “glass”, and “melta” means “to melt”. She had already explored similar concepts in a previous project, Kristall Bohème, and now continues to work with balance, exploring contrasts that do not clash, but rather complement each other. As with the human body, you will find both hard and flexible parts, solid and liquid elements, a reflection of the diversity of humanity and its collective nature.

This work is presented by a circus artist who has trained in Hamburg and Barcelona, as well as in the Netherlands and France. She specialises in the U-Rope technique, developing a distinctive artistic language that blends elements of tightrope, aerial rope and trapeze. She is the creator of the project I Love My Car, and has also worked as a dramatist and artistic facilitator for Breach, a production by the company Som Noise, which was selected for the circusnext+ programme. In 2022, she premiered Kristall Bohème [Excavació d’Una Memòria] [Excavation of a Memory] at Mercat de les Flors. 

DiffractionArt was founded in 2025 as a collaborative collective led by Friedrich, with the vision of promoting circus as a language of movement, exploring new dramaturgies, and bridging visual arts with craftsmanship.  The current members include experimental juggler Agustí Margarit, circus performer Clara Cortés, acrobat and juggler Jorge Castro, circus performer Amaya Goñi, designer Fredye Díaz, singer Maider Lasa Santamaría, and producer Mara Maso.

A co-production of the Mercat de les Flors.

With the support of: Government of Catalonia, Wroclawski Instytut Kultury – Mobility Fund, BCN Crea grants, OSIC Research Grants, La Central del Circ, Cirqueon, Convent de les Arts, Roca Umbert Fàbrica de les Arts, and ACAV – Catalan Association of Glass Arts