Like a Bird

Circus culture in Islamic countries / 2014-2019

Iran, Afghanistan, Palestine, Dagestan - these troubled regions are known for their difficult situations and the lack of political freedom their citizens live with. Yet the people there have developed a circus culture of their own that gives them a sense of freedom. 

Johanna-Maria Fritz has documented circus life in various places. She tells the story of the artists in Gaza, who live under the rule of the radical Islamic organisation Hamas and attacks by the Israeli army. The photojournalist portrays circus schools in Afghanistan, which gave many children access to education and creativity before the Taliban seized power in August 2021. Fritz's photographs are dedicated to the tradition of tightrope walking in the North Caucasus and to a circus in Iran that offers its visitors a sense of lightness in the face of the Islamist dictatorship. 

Fritz has placed circus life at the centre of this work to show that it is possible to spread joy even during difficult living conditions. The project has been published as a book by L'Artiere Edizioni in 2021.