Milan Sládek
Anyone, who saw one of the world´s famous mime Milan Sládek perform, is unlikely ever to forget his impressive live act. Standing ovations accompanied Milan Sládek from the stage by most of his performances. Even though, he is one of Slovakia´s foremost artists and one of the world´s greatest mimes, he had to leave his homeland twice.
After his first emigration from Czechoslovakia in 1970 following the Soviet occupation, Sládek was forbidden to return. In 1970 he traveled via Bulgaria and Sweden to Cologne, where his theatre „Kefka“ became a magnet for mime artists from around the world. Milan Sládek thereby made Cologne a Mecca for this form of art.
But the arrival of democracy in 1989 was enough to lure Sládek back to his homeland. The reason was not only to show that he cares for the country he comes from, but also he hoped that he could continue doing the art at home that he had developed abroad. After seeing that he wouldn´t get adequate (state financial) support there, he decided in 2002 to leave former Czechoslovakia again.
I had the possibility to accompany this artist for couple of times during his performances and behind the scenes in Köln (Germany) and in Bratislava (Slovakia).