Walter Rolfo’s first experience with FISM should have mortified him. The young Italian magician had developed a unique act, producing flights of butterflies from silk scarves instead of doves. In 2003, he went to Den Haag as a contestant. His knowledge of magic worked perfectly. His knowledge of entomology didn’t. “Because of the schedule of the convention, I had to get a slightly different caterpillar; but the time for the change… you know…” He pauses, looking for the right English word. “Do you say, metamorphosis?” he asks. “Yes, a different time for the metamorphosis. They appeared, but they wouldn’t fly.” Rolfo exhales, recalling his moment in the spotlight when he realized his co-stars weren’t ready.

But a strange thing happened in Den Haag. Instead of being frustrated by the experience, Rolfo felt emboldened. Instead of feeling like a failure, he’d found support in kindred spirits, dozens of magicians who were “trying to create something new, something that hadn’t been done before.” He realized that this was his vision of magic, and “this should be part of my life.”