Acrobatic Anter
The Full Story
The Acrobatic Antler exists at the crossroads of sculpture, performance, and territory.
This project was born from a desire to create an object that could carry meaning as much as movement. Not only something to be used, but something to be inhabited. Something that speaks through the body while remaining deeply rooted in cultural significance.
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In many Indigenous communities, the antler is far more than a natural form. It is a symbol of territory, regeneration, sensitivity, and relationship to the land. Antlers grow, fall, and return, marking cycles of time and presence. They map movement across landscapes. They listen. They remember. For me, the antler became a powerful metaphor for reconnection, to land, to lineage, and to embodied knowledge.
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My relationship with the antler began in a very simple and intimate way. During a Kahnawake Pow Wow, I met an artisan and purchased a small antler. I felt an immediate and profound connection to it. Since then, that antler has remained close to me, becoming a constant source of inspiration throughout my research and development projects. As I continued reconnecting with my Indigenous roots, community, and territory, the antler naturally emerged as a guiding form. This is how the idea of the Acrobatic Antler was born.
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Artistically, the project is also rooted in circus innovation. My inspiration comes in part from Fenja Barteldres, whose work deeply influenced my thinking around apparatus design. Fenja was the first artist to develop a striking act using a half Cyr wheel, radically transforming the relationship between the body and the object. Her approach opened new performative possibilities by deconstructing the wheel into fragments rather than treating it as a fixed, closed form.
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The Cyr wheel itself was created in 1994 by Daniel Cyr, revolutionizing the German Wheel and marking a turning point in contemporary circus. Its simplicity, power, and accessibility sparked a global movement, inspiring artists around the world to explore a new acrobatic language. Fenja’s work took that legacy one step further, showing that innovation can also come from breaking forms apart rather than adding complexity.
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You can discover Fenja’s work here: Fenja’s work
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The Acrobatic Antler continues this lineage of innovation while grounding it in Indigenous symbolism and sculptural intention. It is designed as a performative object that does not dominate the performer, but invites dialogue. The body does not conquer the apparatus. It negotiates with it. Balance, listening, and subtle shifts replace force and control, creating a movement language that feels organic, animal, and deeply connected to the land.
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From a technical perspective, the project is currently in an active development phase. The technical drawings and structural research are being developed by Jean Charboneau, while fabrication and testing are led by Jean-François Faber, Wendat artist and long-time circus performer. Each phase prioritizes safety, precision, and respect for the performer’s body, while preserving the sculptural integrity and symbolic essence of the antler.
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The Acrobatic Antler is conceived as both an apparatus and a sculptural presence. It can exist as a standalone performative work or be integrated into larger creations where movement, scenography, and technology intersect. It is a living structure, shaped by collaboration, territory, and time.
This project is still unfolding. More phases, discoveries, and artistic possibilities are yet to come. I am deeply excited to continue exploring the vast acrobatic and poetic potential of this sculptural, performative form, one that is firmly rooted in my culture while reaching toward new contemporary expressions.