Bodypainting Festival Brings Art to Life: Photos
Artists from 47 countries attend the bodypainting culture's biggest annual gathering.
The 17th annual World Bodypainting Festival recently concluded in Pörtschach, Austria. Following are some of the works from the spirited festival.
The work of bodypainting artists from 47 countries was on view, under the theme of Pop Art.
The festival was first held in 1998, to little fanfare.
Today it's the Super Bowl for people in the bodypainting world
The week-long festival includes time for "WB Academy" workshops run by festival organizers.
Within the first five days of the event some 50 different workshops take place, taught by the world's best instructors in the areas of bodypainting, airbrushing, special effects, creative lessons, and beauty make-up.
The indoor and outdoor festival took place across three stages and 150 tents.
This year the festival debuted the Global Bodypainting Conference, which gave a platform to bodypainters from different disciplines to share stories, concepts and skills through speakers, discussions and Q&As sessions.
The festival hands out awards in categories such as brush/sponge, airbrush, special-effects bodypainting, and facepainting.
During the last three days of the festival, "Bodypaint City" becomes a large open-air park, where visitors can watch the artists work and check out the music and show happenings.