Living statue

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A living statue at EPCOT.

The term living statue is often used to refer to a type of mime artist who poses like a statue or mannequin, usually with realistic statue-like makeup, sometimes for hours at a time. This is an art that requires a great deal of patience and physical stamina.

Living statue performers have been known to pose as shop window mannequins in order to fool passers by, and a number of hidden camera shows on television have had living statues suddenly spring to life to startle people. As with all performing arts, living statue performers may perform as buskers or in commissioned shows.

[edit] Examples

There is an annual competition for such performers at Arnhem in the Netherlands. Also, the U.S. city of Laguna Beach, California, is home to the annual Pageant of the Masters show which is created by local amateur volunteers as part of the city's Festival of the Arts. The show presents living statue recreations of several dozen famous artworks in one evening. The show is set to classical music and about two minutes are allocated per artwork.

Amanda Palmer of the band The Dresden Dolls performs as a living statue. As a result, fans at the band's concerts often perform as living statues before the show begins.

Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida has hosted interactive examples of living statues from Unity Productions since April 1995.

[edit] Other uses

In science fiction and fantasy the term often has the opposite meaning: humans (or other humanoid creatures such as elves) who are immobilized by technology or magic and sometimes disguised as real statues, often remaining conscious in the process. For example, in Michael Moorcock's fantasy novel The Queen of the Swords, the heroes encounter the Frozen Army that once set out to fight an evil goddess but were turned into living statues instead. Another example is the 2005 movie "House of Wax", depicting a town full of ultra-realistic wax statues who turn out in fact to be real people encased in wax.

[edit] Image gallery

A living statue in Barcelona	A living statue in Alcalá de Henares	Living statues in Jubilee Gardens, London.	A "silver man" at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco.
A street performer spray painted silver.	A living statue in Vienna	Roman Senator in Augusta Raurica - Switzerland	Roman Senator in Augusta Raurica - Switzerland