At least 500 clowns from all over Mexico and several other countries in Latin America gathered in Mexico City for the 17th International Clown Convention, a four-day gathering designed to help professionalize those involved in the clown arts in Latin America and highlight the need for a School of Clown Arts in Mexico.

During the four-day event, the clowns competed in best makeup, improvisation, best group show, juggling and best balloon shaping. They exchanged experiences and took workshops in order to polish their clown techniques and learn new tricks.

Despite their elaborate face paint, weird wigs and rubber noses of different sizes, the clowns reveal a slice of the humanity they seek to entertain — happy and sad, pensive and exuberant, playful and macabre.