10 Questions for ... Christoph Borer
The questions?
1. when and why did you become a magician?
Infected by a magic box at the age of 7 and it has never left me, As early as fifth grade I said in a survey that I wanted to be an “illusionist” as a profession. Magic has constantly accompanied me and after a discontinued study it became a profession. I don’t know why exactly. The freedom, the creativity, the travel, the contact with people, the mystery, all this has certainly contributed.
2. how would you characterise yourself in a few words?
An optimistic, travel-loving, open, passionate, book-devouring, pleasure-loving, sometimes stubborn person.
3. how would you describe your style?
The audience are my partners and I show them a world of entertainment and wonder. I radiate joy, self-confidence and something magical.
4. who and what inspires you for your art and who are your most important role models?
All of life inspires me. It can be a moment, a sentence, an image, anything. Most important in the magic were Carlhorst Meier and Juan Tamariz. But I learned and continue to learn from many, many magic friends.
5. what do you want to trigger in the audience with your art?
A blissful feeling of beautiful wonder.
6. what is the perfect time and place for the viewer to enjoy your art?
Either a form of theatre where people come especially and give the magician time so that he can unfold his art in the best lighting and perfect circumstances. Or quite spontaneously in a pub for two or three audience members.
7. how important is it for you to leave your comfort zone in art?
Very, very important. I have been doing theatre training regularly for many years. In every theatre play you leave your personal comfort zone. This can also happen in a larp, which I play regularly. So it’s easy for me to do that on stage. It has to fit the stage character and the concept, of course, but then go as far as possible.
8. what role does social media play for you?
They have little meaning for me. I am very old-fashioned. I grew up analogue and love the “real thing” much more than social media. If I were at the beginning of my career today, I would of course take care of it, because it is today’s form of advertising and communication. But luckily I’m well enough entrenched in the magic business that I can stay very much out of it.
9. what are your short and long term goals or aspirations for your career as a magician?
I have achieved more in terms of performances than I would ever have dared to dream: Over 6000 performances in over 40 countries, solo and in various formations, many TV shows, shows in front of up to 8000 spectators, cultural award received, and so on. I’m getting fed up… I’ve been re-locating my profession for ten years and would like to give up performing altogether in favour of directing (for magicians, cabaret, but also “normal” theatre groups) by five years.
10. what advice would you give to young magicians?
*This interview was conducted in German.
Portrait
Christoph Borer was born and raised in Biel, Switzerland. After dropping out of mathematics studies, he followed his passion and became a professional magician. With a lot of imagination, the well-known magician always creates new forms of presentation in the art of magic. Because he combined magic with dance, juggling and theatre, he was awarded the Culture Prize of the City of Biel in 1998.
After Borer was engaged as the first Western European magician in Moscow for a month in 1989, he celebrated sensational successes with the “Living Art” variety show in theatres and festivals throughout Europe from 1990 to 1996. His solo programme “Zauberwahn” followed, as well as the opening of the magic theatre “Arcanum” in 1999. At the beginning of 2002, Christoph Borer founded the group “Magic Brass”, which combines magic and music in a unique show.
Today, on the one hand, he performs with Lou as “Die Wundertäter” on four continents, on the other hand, he is happy to discover the theatrical sides of magic with “Zauberpack” and conquers stages worldwide with the show group “IMPACT”, which combines music, tap dance and magic.
As a soloist, Christoph Borer shows his self-invented magic tricks and always combines them with theatre stories and Variété elements.
Christoph Borer has performed at theatre festivals worldwide, in medium-sized and large theatres and has appeared in over 350 television programmes. He ran his own magic theatre in Biel for seven years.
Website: http://www.christophborer.ch
