Blog



Jan. 21/2025

°Intimate Puppet moments^^

My FIRsT PuPPEt MOmEntS

I was 21 when I first discovered the art of puppetry—not the simple puppet shows I watched as a child, but a profound craft that breathes life into the inanimate. I never could have imagined the beauty of this world—so rich in symbolism and magic. Driven by curiosity, I immersed myself in it right away, reaching out to every puppet theater in Vienna and diving headfirst into the craft. Without formal training in puppetry, my approach is uniquely my own—a blend of exploration and experimentation. Rather than seeing myself strictly as a puppeteer, I embrace the identity of a puppet artist, mixing and blending various media to create something truly my own.

Puppets as Mirrors: What They Reveal About Us

Puppets are more than just objects of entertainment. They occupy a unique space in the world, somewhere between the tangible and the imagined, the animate and the inanimate. For centuries, puppets have captivated audiences by telling stories, sparking laughter, and evoking wonder. But beyond the surface, they are mirrors that reflect aspects of ourselves and the world around us.

Puppets as Storytellers

At their core, puppets are storytellers. They have the ability to transcend language and cultural barriers, using movement, expression, and interaction to communicate universal themes. Through a puppet, a story comes to life in a way that feels immediate and intimate.

What makes puppets so effective as storytellers is their duality. They are both an object and a character, alive yet clearly controlled. This tension invites the audience to suspend disbelief and become co-creators of the story. We know the puppet isn’t alive, but we see it move, emote, and respond, and we believe in its life. In this way, puppets don’t just tell stories—they invite us into them.

In my own work, I’ve seen how puppets can take on lives of their own. When I bring a puppet to life, it’s no longer just a crafted figure; it becomes a vessel for emotion, curiosity, and connection. The stories they tell aren’t just about their fictional lives—they’re about us, the people watching, and the world we share.

Puppets in Contemporary Life

While puppets may seem like relics of a bygone era, they are thriving in today’s world. In a digital age dominated by screens and virtual realities, there is something profoundly grounding about the tactile and handmade nature of puppets. They remind us of the value of physical artistry and the magic of simplicity.

In my creative practice, I’m constantly exploring how puppets can speak to contemporary themes. They allow us to examine identity, confront fears, and imagine new possibilities in a way that feels safe yet transformative. Through their stories, puppets connect us to the past while helping us navigate the complexities of the present.

Puppets as Reflections of Ourselves

Perhaps what’s most profound about puppets is their ability to reflect us back to ourselves. They strip away the noise of the modern world and bring us face-to-face with raw emotion, imagination, and truth. In their movements, we see our own struggles and triumphs. In their stories, we find echoes of our lives.

Puppets remind us that storytelling is a fundamental part of being human. They teach us to play, imagine, and connect. And in a world that often feels overwhelming, they offer a space to pause, reflect, and wonder.