“Candy”, by Pablo Molina, and “Sklenka Melta”, by Vivian Friedrich: the projects that have passed through La Central del Circ and that you’ll be able to see at the 2025 Grec Festival of Barcelona

This year, the Grec Festival of Barcelona will feature two productions that have passed through La Central del Circ: Candy, by Pablo Molina, and Sklenka Melta, by Vivian Friedrich.

Pablo Molina undertook a residency at La Central del Circ in 2024, during which he presented a preview of Candy as part of the EP showcase. Vivian Friedrich, on the other hand, led a Collective Experimentation Laboratory (LEC) in 2023, as part of the research process for her creation Sklenka Melta.

Candy, by Pablo Molina: July 25 and 26, at Mercat de les Flors (co-produced by the Grec Festival)

The protagonist of this multidisciplinary work faces surreal situations where everyday objects and personal memories come to life, trapping him in a world of chaos and confusion. The physical structure of the house mirrors the character’s psychological state and illustrates how interior spaces can represent the complexity of his thoughts. This comparison highlights the individual’s internal struggle and his quest for understanding in a chaotic world. The house is used as a metaphor for the mind, with each room symbolizing different aspects of the psyche. The human mind is portrayed as a confusing and unexplored place, full of dark corners that can be threatening. Feelings of alienation and the inability to escape one’s own mental limitations are central themes. The artist explores the relationship between physical space and mental state, suggesting that to understand one, we must explore the other.

Candy is a creation by Pablo Molina, a specialist in hand-balancing, contortion, dance, and theatre. His creative work merges these disciplines to craft a unique language. Born in Reus, he trained at the professional circus school Le Lido in Toulouse. He is co-creator of Random, the first Catalan circus company to receive an award from the international platform Circus Next in 2019.

Sklenka Melta, by Vivian Friedrich: July 3 and 4, at SAT! – Sant Andreu Teatre (co-produced by Mercat de les Flors)

The dialogue between material and the human body is the central inspiration for this performance, in which circus creator, researcher, and performance artist Vivian Friedrich presents a movement-based show featuring four circus performers and a fifth element: a material as fragile and beautiful as blown glass. Drawing from her family’s glassmaking tradition, Friedrich seeks a balance between the old and the new, between fragility and strength. Sklenka means “glass” and melta means “to melt.” She previously explored similar concepts in her project Kristall Bohème, and now continues to experiment with balance and contrasts that do not oppose, but rather complement each other. As in the human body, the work includes hard and flexible, solid and liquid parts—a reflection of the diversity of humanity and its collective nature.

The piece is signed by a circus artist trained in Hamburg and Barcelona, as well as in the Netherlands and France. She specializes in the U-Rope, a technique in which she has developed her own vocabulary, combining slack rope, aerial rope, and trapeze. She is the creator of I Love My Car, and served as dramaturge and artistic facilitator for Breach, a production by the company Som Noise selected for the circusnext+ program. In 2022, she premiered Kristall Bohème [Excavation of a Memory] at Mercat de les Flors.

DiffractionArt was founded in 2025 as a collaborative group centered around Friedrich’s creative vision. It aims to promote circus as a language of movement, explore new dramaturgies, and connect visual arts with craft. Its current members include experimental juggler Agustí Margarit, circus performer Clara Cortés, acrobat and juggler Jorge Castro, circus performer Amaya Goñi, designer Fredye Díaz, singer Maider Lasa Santamaría, and producer Mara Maso.

Other circus shows at the Grec

In addition to the above, this year the Grec Festival will also feature three more circus productions:

• Le Petit Cirque, with Pomme, Marie Bourgeois, and Yoann Bourgeois (Teatre Grec, June 26–28)

• Tenet, by Eunoia Kolektiva (July 11 and 12 at Mercat de les Flors)

• People Watching, by Play Dead (July 28 and 29 at Mercat de les Flors)