Shana Nys Dambrot The subject at hand is timeless, but there is a persistent surrealism above the strange marvels of Carnivale, a theatricality and self-possession that is operatic and unsettling. It's difficult to capture something so often photographed in a new, exciting way like this.
This photograph is part of the Commedia dell’Arte series. The Venice Carnival attracts a very distinctive group of participants: the costumers. They come mainly from France, but some of them travel from elsewhere, including Belgium, Germany and Austria. The costumers follow their passion; it takes them between 6 to 12 months in general to make their very richly elaborate costumes, and most of them have been coming to this annual event for many years. They form a community.