Acrobatic circus brings Dali's life to stage
A scene from Compagnia Finzi Pasca's "La Verita" / Courtesy of LG Arts Center
Daniel Finzi Pasca
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Daniel Finzi Pasca, founder of the Compagnia Finzi Pasca, introduces himself as a director, author, choreographer and clown. The Swiss artist, who has worked with top circus troupes Cirque du Soleil and Cirque Eloize, is presenting his latest show “La Verita” in Korea. The show revolves around the mysterious life of surrealist artist Salvador Dali (1904-1989).
"This show reflects Dali's life in a surrealistic way through acrobatics," Finzi Pasca said at a press conference, Tuesday. This is Finzi Pasca's third visit to Korea, and first in six years since staging "Rain" in 2011.
The major object in the neo-circus show is a stage curtain bearing "Mad Tristan," a Dali painting originally created for Leonide Massine's 1944 ballet performed at the Metropolitan Opera. The grotesque painting was long lost until discovered in the theater's prop storage unit in 2009 and an anonymous collector who purchased the piece requested Finzi Pasca to use the painting for its original purpose ― a theatrical backdrop.
"We talked with the collector to create an illusion like surrealist works portray human feelings such as love and fear in an illusionary way," the director said. However, Finzi Pasca declined to give further information about the collector and instead suggested imagining the secrets behind the painting.
"We visited where Dali lived and researched his life ― which books he read and what influenced the artist. We made a mosaic of pieces we learned about Dali to create La Verita, which means truth,” he said. "Being real accompanies being strange and we tried to reenact the nightmares in Dali paintings, but in a more fantastic way."
Life of clown
For Finzi Pasca, a circus is something delicate and subtle. "Acrobatic art in circuses is not simple. It initiates from our life and we capture the twinkling moments of life through acrobatics," he said.
Finzi Pasca introduced his troupe as a group of people from 18 different countries combining stage directing, circus arts and the art of clowning.
“We pursue a nomadic life. We travel a lot, gain experience from trips and the experience influences our work. "We have people from various countries in the team and travel around the world. We've been to Korea three times and it could have affected our shows," he said.
He is also known for directing the opening and closing ceremonies for the Torino Winter Games in 2006 and Sochi Winter Games in 2014.
"Directing the closing ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games was a mysterious experience. I am Swiss and the Russians might have sought a perspective from outside to direct the ceremony, who can discover forgotten things from inside," Finzi Pasca said. "I think the spirit of the Olympic Games, originated from Athens, is a sense of solidarity and joy. I tried to capture the glittering joy among the athletes in the ceremony."
“La Verita” runs from Thursday to Sunday at the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul. The show will travel to Daejeon Arts Center on May 5 and 6 and Suseong Artpia in Daegu on May 10 and 11. For more information, visit
or call 02-2005-0114.