Counterpublic, a St. Louis-based triennial exhibition reimagining the possibilities of art in public life, will present its inaugural convening, Circus of Life, from October 24 to 26 at The Big Top circus grounds in St. Louis’ Grand Center Arts District. Free and open to the public, the festival will bring artists, performers, poets, curators, organizers, activists and educators together for an epic celebration.

Over three days, Circus of Life will offer alternate ways of gathering via shared experience, reflecting a desire to reconnect art and life. Inspired by the history of the circus – which, in addition to comprising a diverse array of entertainment, serves as a space for creative expression where all are welcome – Circus of Life will present work by individuals and collectives that are committed to challenging the most ingrained of our assumptions, asking us to expand our imaginations to envision living otherwise. Under a big top tent and on its surrounding grounds, artists of all stripes will perform and host booths of fun, reflection and exchange that have been created specifically with the current socio-political moment in mind, offering challenges and questions for the public to consider. The circus will be a space to make meaning together.

“With its histories of spectacle and welcoming those on the margins of mainstream society, the circus is a form of radical and popular assembly,” curator Laura Raicovich explains. “As we have envisioned it for St. Louis, Circus of Life offers an antidote for the alienation of our times as well as a way to reimagine current realities. Art has always provided ways to kindle the imagination, and the Circus is coming to connect us with one another while taking in the inspiration and practical know-how that will be in full evidence at The Big Top.”

“In keeping with Counterpublic’s mission to reimagine the possibilities of art in our lives, the inaugural convening will act as an opportunity for coalition building at a moment of overlapping societal crises,” Counterpublic deputy director Kristin Fleischmann Brewer adds. “By playing with the format of the symposium, exchanging a lecture-style series of presentations for a mix of experimental performances, dynamic discussions and engaging workshops, we hope that people will leave energized and ready to recommit themselves to one another.”

Enlivening the inherent relationship between art and daily life, Circus of Life will serve as a site where pleasure meets rowdiness, joy meets skepticism, indulgence meets experimentation. See you there!