Arenas is a multidisciplinary artist based in Helsinki working with movement, performance and visual arts. After graduating in Visual Arts and Contemporary Dance at the URJC (Madrid) in 2014, they moved to London and trained and worked as a dancer in Hip Hop Dance Theatre companies such as Alias LDN or Body Politic UK for three years. In 2017 Arenas obtained a MA in Theatre and Performing Arts at the UCM (Madrid) and received a grant from Acción Cultural Española (AC/CE) to do a one-year artistic residency in Kassel, Germany. anverso (2018) was the final work of Arenas' residency and, to date, this project has evolved from live performance to short film to art installation and has been shown in the UK, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Budapest, USA and Canada. From 2018 to 2023 Arenas lived in Germany and had the opportunity to perform for choreographers such as Johannes Wieland “Ares" and Boris Charmatz “Tanzgrund”, as well as to develop artistic productions in collaboration with Aura Antikainen such as check your body at the door (2023), Visitors (2021), Body of Land (2021) or How long do I have to wait? (2020) with the support of German public funding institutions.
In addition to their practice as a choreographer and performer, since 2019 Arenas has been working also as a lighting designer for other dance and performance makers helping them to visualize their artistic ideas on stage while supporting the aesthetics of their work. For more information and to view Arenas' lighting design portfolio, click here.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Our society is not structured to accommodate the needs of the multiplicity of subjectivities that inhabit it, and responds to these challenges by constructing outlets aimed at integrating these differences into a "narrative of sameness" based on traditional language and values about the body and mind that lead to confusion. The resulting discrimination and marginalisation of those who do not fit into these paradigms contribute to increased mental health problems and lack of self-acceptance not only among transgender and gender-diverse people, but also among those belonging to any other minority group. My artistic research questions the discourse of the body in Western societies by analyzing the history of nude art within the framework of Transgender Studies. In my practice I attempt to create space for the multiplicity of subjectivities outside the normative discourse raising awareness and contributing to a culture of non-discrimination and acceptance on trans and gender-diverse individuals. Nudity is an important element in my work and is used as an invitation for the audience to confront their humanity, the politics of the body and the vulnerability of the human form.
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EDUCATION
2016-17. Master in Theatre and Performing Arts. Madrid, Spain
2010-14. Bachelor (Hons) in Visual Arts and Contemporary Dance. Madrid, Spain
Other
2021-22. Developing an Artistic Research Project. Stockholm University of the Arts, Sweden
2017-18. Postgraduate Research Studies (PReS). Kassel, Germany
RESIDENCIES
2022. ON DISPLAY. Lake Studios Berlin, Germany.
2021. Studio Practice and Artistic Process. Stockholm University of the Arts, Sweden
2018. Atelier Real (REAT). Lisbon, Portugal
2017. Oulu Dance Hack. Oulu, Finland
2016. DOCH Summer Residency. Stockholm, Sweden
GRANTS
2023. Kulturförderung Kulturamt Kassel
2023. Fonds Darstellende Künste. NEUSTART KULTUR. #TakeHeart Rechercheförderung.
2022. NATIONALES PERFORMANCE NETZ - STEPPING OUT
2022. Kulturförderung Kulturamt Kassel
2021. Goethe Institut - Nachwuchsförderung
2021. Brückenstipendien - Hessische Kulturstiftung
2021. Kulturförderung Kulturamt Kassel
2021. Hessische Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst
2020. Kulturförderung Kulturamt Kassel
2018. AC/E Programme for the Internationalisation of Spanish Culture (PICE)
CHOREOGRAPHY
Installations
2022. Violett Kunstgalerie. Body Tales. Kassel, Germany
2022. tonwerkstatt kassel. Kassel, Germany
2022. Pilotenkueche. Moving surreal curiosity. Leipzig, Germany
2022. 4bid Gallery. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2022. CreativQuartier Fürst Leopold. Dorsten, Germany
Performance
2021. anverso. Stockholm Fringe Festival. Sweden
2021. anverso. Gothenburg Fringe Festival. Sweden
2019. anverso. Oops Festival. Brighton, UK
2018. anverso. RandFilm Festival. Kassel, Germany
2018. anverso. The Dancer-Citizen Live 2018: MOVING THE MAP. Hamburg, Germany
2017. Wortenlust. Stockholm Fringe Festival (STOFF). Sweden
2017. Wortenlust. OT301 Highs and Lows #22. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2016. Wortenlust. UngaTur Festival. Stockholm, Sweden
Film
2022. anverso. Queeres Kurzfilmkino im TiF. Staatstheater Kassel, Germany.
2020. anverso. United Cowboys. Seasoning Summer 2020. Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
2020. noninara. The Dancer-Citizen. Online Journal. Issue 11.
2019. anverso. NB Film Festival. Puebla, Mexico and Texas, USA
2019. anverso. VideoSkin Festival. Ontario, Canada
2019. anverso. SzoloDuo Festival - Ork_Kota_Platform 2019. Budapest, Hungary
DANCE / PERFORMANCE
2023. check your body at the door. arenas&antikainen. Kulturhaus Dock4. Kassel, Germany
2021. late for laundry, again. Iria Arenas. Galeria Kollektiva. Kassel, Germany
2020. How long do I have to wait. arenas&antikainen. Hugenottenhaus. Kassel, Germany
2020. MARTURANUM. Elio Gervasi. Workshop, research and performance. Barbarano Romano, Italy
2020. Quite Like You. Aura Antikainen. Choregrafisches Atelier. Halle 2, Kassel, Germany
2019. Terrain. Boris Charmatz: Un essai à ciel ouvert. Theater Spektakel. Zurich, Switzerland
2019. Ares. Statisten-Staatstheater Kassel. Johannes Wieland. Kassel, Germany
2017. Dancers. Coproducción Sonia Gómez + CORPO A TERRA. Ourense, Spain
2016-17. Reflections: Triple Bill. Body Politic Dance Company. Oxford, UK
LIGHTING DESIGN
2023. STREAMS #4. Aura Antikainen & Niv Melamed. Halle 2. Kassel, Germany
2023. Sie starb und sie lebte. Rosalie Kubny. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel, Germany
2022. DIE FLACHE ERDE. Lauren Rae Mace. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel, Germany
2022. Silken Veil. C/O Mareike Steffens. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel, Germany
2021. Visitors. arenas&antikainen. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel, Germany
2021. EPILOGUE. Deborah Smith-Wicke. Halle 2. Kassel, Germany
2021. Could you stay for tea?. Aura Antikainen. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel, Germany
2021. Body of land. TANZWERKE '21. Aura Antikainen. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel, Germany
2021. Protrahere. Deborah Smith-Wicke. Halle 2. Kassel, Germany
2020. Rock, water, spell. C/O Mareike Steffens. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel, Germany
2019. Choreografische Werkstatt, Staatstheater. Kassel, Germany
OTHER
2020-ongoing. Teacher. Introduction to Stage Lighting & Web Development. Kassel, Germany
2020-23. Website Designer & Social Media Coordinator of Tanzwerk Kassel e.V. Kassel, Germany
2020-21. Office Assistant/Coordinator of Tanzwerk Kassel e.V. Kassel, Germany