Ceramic Circus at TOLLHAUS: Julian Vogel brings risk to the stage
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When ceramics dance and chaos becomes art
A ball revolves, plates swing on fishing rods, a bicycle defies all logic: With Ceramic Circus, Julian Vogel transforms the cultural center TOLLHAUS in Karlsruhe into a poetic experimental setup between contemporary circus, performance, and visual art. On September 24, 2026, the audience will experience an extraordinary stage experience in which each movement announces the next catastrophe.
Fragility as a dramatic engine
At the center of the staging is ceramics - resistant and fragile at the same time. Julian Vogel turns breaking into an artistic principle rather than an accident. A swirling ceramic ball draws its circles through the space, while plates balance on narrow rods and crash to the ground at the crucial moment. From the apparent misfortune emerges a precisely composed dramaturgy of risk.
The direction by Roman Müller and Julian Vogel leads the audience deep into an interplay of tension, repetition, and surprise. Contemporary circus meets visual installation, acting art stands alongside juggling, object manipulation, and musical live structures. Every gesture has weight, every sound alters the atmosphere.
Between drumrolls and silent concentration
The acoustics become the heartbeat of the evening. Drumrolls, rhythmic sounds, and the bright clinking of breaking plates condense into an idiosyncratic score. Julian Vogel takes on not only the role of the performer but also shapes sound design and musical composition. The result resembles a concert of movement, material, and danger.
Especially in the silent moments, the staging unfolds its strongest effect. When the ceramic ball glides almost silently past Vogel's body, the stage transforms into a taut night scene. Light design and shadows make the space a second player. Calm and intensity lie just a breath apart.
A uniquely different circus
Julian Vogel, a Swiss artist living in Basel, combines circus, performance, and visual art in his work. After studying psychology and art history at the University of Bern, he graduated from the Academy for Circus and Performance Art in Tilburg. As a prizewinner of circusnext 2020/21, he is one of the prominent voices in contemporary circus.
The production connects to classical circus images while simultaneously shifting them into the present. Spinning plates, bicycles, rolls, and drum rhythms appear familiar, yet the materials and the radical consequence of the staging create a contemporary study on control, failure, and human vulnerability. Critics describe Ceramic Circus as a fascinating duel between artist and ceramic ball, as a technically precise and simultaneously hypnotic performance.
Who is the performance suitable for?
With a duration of about 60 minutes and a recommended age from 7 years, the stage experience is aimed at families, circus lovers, and everyone wanting to discover theater beyond classical categories. The performance speaks without many words, but with strong images, immediately palpable tension, and a clear visual language.
Conclusion: An evening on the edge of catastrophe
Ceramic Circus invites you to let go of expectations and engage with the fragile logic of the moment. A poetic spectacle unfolds in the cultural center TOLLHAUS, connecting laughter, wonder, and taut silence. Those who want to experience contemporary circus as intelligent stage art will find here an extraordinary performance full of rhythm, risk, and beauty.
Official channels of Julian Vogel and Cie. Unlisted:
- Instagram: no official profile found
- Facebook: no official profile found
- YouTube: no official profile found
- Website: https://www.tollhaus.de/
