Mismo Nismo [eng. WeAre WeAren’t) is a new alt-art circus collective based in Slovenia. We are pessimists who want to embrace the uncertainty of the future through experiences of the present. Our aesthetic is raw, experimental and full of flaws. To us Form is an experiment and the Idea is everything.
Even before we met circus to us meant a form of rebellion. We didn’t like how the society was run, we despised the mainstream pop culture of our peers, we thought we knew better and we wanted to express that. It was about doing something different, outside of what was expected of us. And it was fun.
The circus scene that we got to know was very interwoven with the Slovenian alternative art scene, questioning always the »normal« and »abnormal« of society, of art, circus, … It was not done for money and no amount of money could ever recreate the magic of the shows that were done there, even though, honestly, the production level of the shows was not very high.
Because of that, to us circus is and always will be a form of self expression and a social-critique. It was those early years that helped us start shaping our personal styles as well as our outlook on the world. It helped us to seek our dreams and then it became our dream and at the end it became or is becoming our way of life. It is a part of our friendship and our shared memories.
Another big aspect of circus for us is its ambiguous and inclusive nature. To us circus is in one way an art form that involves many many different disciplines, with many different and unique people from all around the world. And it is about mastery and unbelievable feats on the edges of human capacity. But on the other hand it is much more subtle than that, like a common language or just a separate emotion, a way of thinking.
We never stopped to ask ourselves what circus is and what does it represent to us or when does circus stop being circus? At the same time we were all also big fans of Noise music, which asked the same/similar questions about music. So influenced by Noise we started experimenting with improvisation, non-stage presence, working with objects we have never worked with before the show, … It was about trying to do a circus show without any actual circus knowledge or at least with on the spot ideas that came from the specific objects. We believed that because of our extensive experience with circus and its’ practices, we could create a show, without any circus skills or disciplines and it could still be called a circus show. After all it is context of the work, that defines contemporary art as such and not the actual content that is inside.
The aforementioned work led us to start using discarded objects, which led us to further examination and analysis of societal understanding of possession, things, consumer goods, trash,… As well as the heavy and dangerous influence our consumerist mindset has on environment. In a way it was the dissection of circus and it practices that led us to find and explore deep rooted habits and beliefs of our society.
And that in it’s self is a perfect analogy of what circus and art in general really is. A unique path, a tool that opens up new other paths that might be always there, but nobody cares to look. And we as a group will continue doing just that, while having fun. If somebody will follow, it’s up to them.
The Mismo Nismo association was officially founded in 2018, but as an informal group or The Mismo Nismo collective has existed since 2014. The aim of the association is to develop and expand and educate in the field of modern and more experimental forms of circus. The association is also well connected with various organizations with similar visions and goals throughout Europe. The Mismo Nismo association cooperated with the following organizations: Bufeto Institute, Ana Monroe Theater, Radio Študent, Bunker Institute, Emanat Institute, Celje House of Culture, Red dawns festival,KUD Moment, Trainstation Kranj, Fourklor, Cirkorama Association, Cirkusfera organization, Cirkobalkana Festival, Skala Association, Fondazione Cirko Vertigo, Jeunes Talents Cirque Europe (Circus Next), Théâtre de la Cité internationale, l'Espace Périphérique, Latitude 50 - Pôle des arts du cirque et de la rue, Theater op de Markt, Hala 100, Kam Hram, Galerija Miroslava Kraljevića, Festival Reciklart, Avtonomna tovarna Rog, AKC Metelkova, Ex -theater, International Anarchist Federation We attach links to our most important responses and articles: November 2021: performans "Treshold" by Danijela Zajc. News coverage: https://www.rtvslo.si/4d/arhiv/174825037?s=tv September 2021: "Tribute to Rog" Review of the "etude for prepared piano" by Danijela Zajc, written by Samo Oleami: https://www.neodvisni.art/refleksija/2021/09/spomenik-rogu/ September 2021: "Master and/is machine" review of "noister: Wave³" by Tjaž Juvan, written by Urška Preis: https://www.neodvisni.art/refleksija/2021/09/mojster-in-je-stroj/ October 2020: Selection and placement of the play Juggling Concert on the online platform Zlata paličica Žonglerski koncert August 28, 2020: "The New Circus of the New Reality" Review of the Nike Arhar Clownbuff Festival and a reflection on the play Juggling Concert on the Neodvisni portal. https://www.neodvisni.art/refleksija/2020/08/novi-cirkus-nove-realnosti/ July 21, 2020: "Come and see them Zoki": Review of Solitude Oleami by the Ana Desetnica festival and the performance Juggling Concert in the section Theater in the Ether of Radio Študent. https://radiostudent.si/kultura/teater-v-eter/prid-jih-pogledat-zoki August 9, 2020: Contribution to POP TV, Clownbuff Festival and appearance in characters from the show Juggling Concert. https://www.24ur.com/popin/domaca-scena/magicnost-cirkusa-na-mednarodnem-festivalu-sodobne-klovnade-in-novega-cirkusa.html December 31, 2019: “Between improvisation and perfectionism”: Ranking of the NOise Cirkus project among the stage Top 2019 according to critics in the newspaper Dnevnik. https://www.dnevnik.si/1042918333/kultura/splosno/pregled-leta-med-improvizacijo-in-perfekcionizmom?fbclid=IwAR1QLAmgtOrwdvILm1Em-CX11fMdHby70wfz6vJukwx39vCT July 1, 2019: “Circus Choreographies of Bodies and Objects”: Review of the Nike Arhar Clownbuf Festival and our NOise Circus production on the Independent portal. https://www.neodvisni.art/refleksija/2019/07/cirkuske-koreografije-teles-in-predmetov/ 16. May 2018: Reflection on the connection between people and things, Plesna scena.hr; contribution by Marina Barun: https://www.plesnascena.hr/index.php?p=article&id=2197 December 20, 2018: Mismo Nismo and Ex-theater; contribution by Miha Turk on Radio Student: https://radiostudent.si/Kultura/Teater-v-eter/Mismo-Nismo-in-Ex-teater June 2018: Performance NOise Circus of the collective Mismo Nismo selected among the laureates of the CircusNext program (European platform of modern circus) https://www.rtvslo.si/4d/arhiv/174825037?s=tv 2021 - production of "Etude for prepared piano" by Danijela Zajc - co-production of performance "Treshold" by Danijela Zajc - post production of show "Juggling concert" - post production of show "Noise Cirkus" - post production of show "threads" - Co-production of streaming events "cirkus klub Mezzoforte" - Intesive weekend "Na Glavo v nebo, Circus in mountains". Circus and theater workshops - workshops of handstands, full year - workshops of Aerial dance and acrobatics, full year - workshops of juggling, full year 2020 - Movement and sound workshops on the Jam Marmalade project - Co-production; Circus club Mezzoforte: Miniature of Šuštarc. 1 repetition - Co-production of the project Oscillation and Termination, production by the Matafir Society, short film - Co-production of the project ephemeral sculpture by Tjaž Juvan and Staš Vrenko, short film - Production of the play Juggling Concert, 8 performances, financed by the City of Ljubljana and the Ministry of Culture - 5-day intensive course in modern juggling and building manipulation, Belgrade (Cirkusfera) - Regular Acro-Dance Course in the NaokROG Circus, once a week - Regular Courses Standing on hands in Circusnara NaokROG, 1x per week - Regular aerial acrobatics courses in Cirkusarna NaokROG, 2x per week - participation in the Brocante 2020 Festival in the “site-specific” performance VORBEWUSSTE - Hai mai immaginato di esplorare ... 2019 - Production of the play NOise Cirkus, 10 performances of work in progress; 4 residences - Pre-production of the play Juggling Concert, 5 performances of work in progress - Co-production of the author's play by Danijela Zajec - Niti - Co-production of the play Rutina, 1 performance - Participation in the preparation of the Radio show Morning Fall on Radio Student, - 7 shows - Preparation of the 2-day festival First Class Fall of Diversity in Circusarna NaokROG - Regular Acro-Dance Course in the NaokROG Circus, once a week - Regular Courses Standing on hands in Circusnara NaokROG, 1x per week - Regular aerial acrobatics courses in Cirkusarna NaokROG, 2x per week - 2-month course Movement: Unlisted in Circusarna NaokROG, 8 workshops - Organization and implementation of the DIY cabaret cycle: Feminism is not a joke !, 6 performances - post-production of the author's performative performance by Eva Boka Ziblje, 5 performances 2018 - Production of the play NOise Cirkus - 7 performances in progress; 7 residences - Co-production of the play Rutina - 3 performances - Participation in the preparation of the Radio show Morning Fall on Radio Student, - 6 shows - Organization and implementation of the DIY cabaret cycle: Feminism is not a joke !, 5 performances - Regular aerial acrobatics courses in Cirkusarna NaokROG, 2x per week - post-production of the author's performative performance by Eva Boke Ziblje, 1 performance 2017 - Co-production of the play Okenska akrobatijada: Journey to Shangri-la, 1 performance - Organization and implementation of the DIY cabaret cycle: Feminism is not a joke !, 2 performances - 3-day partner juggling workshop in the NaokROG Circus - 3-day workshop Between movement and throw: exploring the movement of bodies and objects 2016 - Organization and implementation of the festival of experimental circus "Fall" in Tovarna Rog; 12 performances, 5 circus workshops - improvisation by NOise Circus with Misma Nismo at the Padec festival in Tovarna Rog - improvisation by NOise Circus with Misma Nismo at the Reciklart festival in AKC Metelkova Mesto 2015 - Co-production of the author's performative performance by Eva Boka Ziblje, 1 performance 2014 - Co-production of the author's performative performance by Eva Boka Ziblje, 1 performance - Production of the play Post-apocalyptic cabaret - Mismo Nismo, 3 performances
Žonglerski koncert
Mismo Nismo: Žonglerski koncertFigura: spomenik fleksarci, Trbovlju, Zagorju in Hrastniku
Sindikat odklonskih entitet 2019: Mismo Nismo: NOise cirkus (Ustvarjalci in izvajalci: Mismo Nismo – Oton Korošec, Eva Zibler, Tjaž Juvan in Panda) Stara elektrarna, 13. 4.2019
Danijela Zajc: Etida za prepariran klavir in vrv
Antižongliranje
solata iz rdečega zelja in korenčka, šargarepe in mrkve
Foto: Jure Stušek Photography
Vodni top. Mismo Nismo: Žonglerski koncert https://sindikat.emanat.si/project/zonglerski-koncert/
Festival Človek na Loncu v organizaciji društva Cirkokrog
Intenzivni tabor Z glavo v nebo. Organizacija Mismo Nismo
Predstava Človek na Loncu; skupnost v času individualizma. Društvo Cirkokrog
To figuro smo dolgo vadile. Njen tempo je pravi sladkorček
Zaključna slika ognjene predstave za konec dvodnevnega festivala Človek na loncu ob praznovanju 16.ga rojstnega društva Cirkorkog
Predstava na mednarodni mladinski izmenjavi na Mačjem hribu. Organizacija: Slovensko združenje za cirkuško pedagogiko Cirkokrog (2021)
Predstava na mednarodni mladinski izmenjavi na Mačjem hribu. Organizacija: Slovensko združenje za cirkuško pedagogiko Cirkokrog