Austria’s body painting festival to attract tourist this summer

Austria this summer like every summer is full of activities. The body painting festival which has caught the fancy of artists from 45 countries, who compete against each other to make the skin a canvas and transform human bodies into vibrant colourful pieces of art in Pörtschach.

The festival to be held from 29 June to 6 July, will celebrate the art of body painting where models will be transformed from head-to-toe to alien-like appendages having fruit-like faces.

The competition takes place across multiple categories, including sponge paint, airbrushing and face painting, all featuring different techniques and materials to achieve the transformations. In many cases, the models are fully nude, with every inch of their bodies covered in paint (think: a full-body tattoo). Other models wear over-the-top props such as outrageous headgear or wing-like attachments.

Amatures will get work shop classes where basic body painting will be taught starting from “Airbrush for Beginners” and “Zombie Skin”.

A major highlight of the festival is the “Body Circus”, a giant party held on 2 July in the massive halls of Schloss Moosburg, a Gothic-style castle built in 1541. Visitors are encouraged to wear their best fantasy costumes, accented with extreme makeup and, of course, body paint.

People in elaborate, stylish and dramatic costumes attend the party spread across three floors and DJ’s in stunning and crazy costumes spin songs at each other.

The ceremony ends with a ‘Colour Splash’, where paint is spilled all over the place, a messy affair which greatly contrasts with the perfectly manicured mood that prevails in the earlier week. But the event ends with a bang and each member enjoys the fun filled colourful party.