Criteria & Selection

All professional living statues need to be selected by the organization before they can take part in the World Championship. Besides that, there are a few rules before entering the competition. International artists need to be of at least 17 years old, have to be working as a living statue for their profession, present an act they have not yet presented in a World Statues championship before, perform at least 4 times 30 minutes during the championship and return a filled out and signed registration form to the organization together with visual material of the act before September 2, 2011.

During the selection process the organization will emphasize on the following 4 criteria (which are also criteria for the jury during the world championship):

Content
What is it that the artist wants to convey? What is the message or story? Or the effect he likes to produce? It might concern historical themes or of current interest. Phantasm, daydreams, nightmares, humor. Radical self expression, or universal aesthetics. Anything goes (except for advertising, and political or religious statements). Did the artist give the topic a surprising turn, or did he explore a profound level of meaning? Or did he mean to confirm all we always found beautiful and exciting, yet in an even more beautiful and exiting way than all his predecessors? Originality is one thing. The direct relation between the initial concept and the eventual impact another. Did the artist realize his intentions?

Craftsmanship
Does the living statue look like a real sculpture and is this consistently carried through? You will be judged on use of color and material, texture, shapes, make up and the imitation of the material. It is not important to look like an existing sculpture, but how you have imitated the material of a sculpture. (For example; does ‘marble’ really look like marble? However, sculpture still evolves. New techniques and materials are being applied, adapted, combined or dissected. In principle, the possibilities for living statues as unlimited as well. When an innovative artist purposefully turns away from traditional materials and practices, the jury will focus on the intended surplus artistic value.

Aesthetical sensation
There is no disputing about tastes? May be not. But aesthetical judgment can very well to be substantiated. Sheer beauty is only one of the criteria. Overwhelming impression could be another. Or minimal intervention, maximal impact. Aesthetic emotion may be evoked by radiant materials, by a sublime gesture, or a moving theme. Sometimes a statue represents literary nothing but pure form.  Even then, the artist should be the essential core of the work.

Entertainment
Does the living statue entertain the audience? The judges will assess if the living statue is able to capture the interest of the audience. Is the performance exciting to look at? During stills you will be judged on the fixation of your eyes and mime. Movements should be part of your performance and chosen carefully. The story that is being told must be clear to the audience, especially after intended bewilderment. The audience must know what is expected of them.