Defying Gravity

Fire trucks rushed to one of the Egyptian capital's main squares on Thursday, Nov. 13, only to find a crowd of curiosity seekers gawking at a man hanging from a wall by one bare hand.

This wasn't an attempt to imitate Spiderman or even a desperate plea for help. German street performer Johan Lorbeer was putting on an off-the-wall display at the entrance of the Goethe Institute in central Cairo as part of an event organized by the German cultural center.

The arrival of the fire trucks sent a ripple of fright through the crowd. It was later discovered that a neighborhood resident made the emergency call thinking the crowd was due to a fire nearby.

Though he was hanging not far from the ground, Lorbeer's installation caused amazement, but how did he pull it off? Turns out the hand touching the wall wasn't made of flesh and bone, but paint and metal and was attached to an intricate support system keeping Lorbeer suspended.

Lorbeer is known for his tricks, which feature him in impossible positions, such as this one, entitled Tarzan.