CARDOSO FLEA CIRCUS AT THE SAN FRANCISCO EXPLORATORIUM

In collaboration with Ross Rudesch Harley.

" Trained as a sculptor with a Masters degree from Yale University, it took everyone by surprise when I created a real live flea circus out from scratch. The Cardoso Flea Circus took two years of research and 6 years of development. It is an early example of an art and science research project and of a real live performance, as I became a real flea trainer and my life too became part of the artwork . Professor Cardoso and The Queen of the Fleas were my stage names for the Cardoso Flea Circus with real live performing fleas. And to continue being a sculptor, I made all the miniature props and arenas for the fleas.

When the project premiered at the San Francisco Exploratorium, it instantly became a media phenomenon and I got inundated by interviews from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Geo Magazine, Utne Reader, Japanese TV Crews, and I even got on interview from South Africa, as the Associated Press (AP) have run the story world wide. I received fan mail. This is in 1995-1996, before the internet we know.

And yes, there were real fleas, cat fleas, about 2mm big and they ate blood. I only worked with females as they are a bit bigger than the males which are about 1.5mm. I became a self taught flea trainer after not finding anyone who could train me. The tradition of Flea Training was a lost art. I had to learn the art of flea training thru research and experimentation. I modelled myself after Flea Impresario Signor Bertolotto, who performed in the courts of Europe around 1830’s.

On the first season at the Exploratorium, I had a few acts: Flea jugglers, Brutus the Strongest Flea on Earth, Tightrope Artists, The Flea Canon Balls, Alfredo the High Dive Artist, Trapeze Artists Sarindar and Dimitri, as well as the Flea Ballerinas dancing on a musical box.

The hardest thing to do was not to train the fleas, but to mrained as a sculptor with a Masters degree from Yale University, it took everyone by surprise when I created a real live flea circus out from scratch. The Cardoso Flea Circus took two years of research and 6 years of development. It is an early example of an art and science research project and of a real live performance, as I became a real flea trainer and my life too became part of the artwork . Professor Cardoso and The Queen of the Fleas were my stage names for the Cardoso Flea Circus with real live performing fleas. And to continue being a sculptor, I made all the miniature props and arenas for the fleas.

When the project premiered at the San Francisco Exploratorium, it instantly became a media phenomenon and I got inundated by interviews from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Geo Magazine, Utne Reader, Japanese TV Crews, and I even got on interview from South Africa, as the Associated Press (AP) have run the story world wide. I received fan mail. This is in 1995-1996, before the internet we know.

And yes, there were real fleas, cat fleas, about 2mm big and they ate blood. I only worked with females as they are a bit bigger than the males which are about 1.5mm. I became a self taught flea trainer after not finding anyone who could train me. The tradition of Flea Training was a lost art. I had to learn the art of flea training thru research and experimentation. I modelled myself after Flea Impresario Signor Bertolotto, who performed in the courts of Europe around 1830’s.

On the first season at the Exploratorium, I had a few acts: Flea jugglers, Brutus the Strongest Flea on Earth, Tightrope Artists, The Flea Canon Balls, Alfredo the High Dive Artist, Trapeze Artists Sarindar and Dimitri, as well as the Flea Ballerinas dancing on a musical box.

The hardest thing to do was not to train the fleas, but to make them perform ‘on command’ in front of an audience. When the fleas failed to perform, I had to crack a joke. I didn’t mind as it make the circus real, and helped me develop a tongue and cheek humour I didn’t know I had in me ".