Iria Arenas
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About





Finland-based freelance artist working across dance, performance, lighting design, organising, and curation. In 2024, they founded the initiative A4CT (Artivism for Critical Thinking) at the intersection of art, activism, and cultural commentary. For the past year, they worked as Events and Communication Assistant for the Department of Art and Media at Aalto University where they are currently deepening their curatorial practice in the ViCCA Master’s programme.

Education






MA Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art. Aalto University, Espoo, Finland (2024-ongoing)

Postgraduate in Performance Research Studies. SOZO vim, Kassel, Germany (2017-18)

MA Theatre and Performing Arts. Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain (2016-17)

BA in Visual Arts and Contemporary Dance. Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain (2010-14)

Work ExperienceEvents and Communication Assistant. Dept. Art and Media (DAM), Aalto University, Espoo, Finland (2025-ongoing)

Lighting Technician Assistant. Zodiak Centre of New dance, Helsinki, Finland (2023-ongoing)

Hip Hop and House Dance Teacher. Saiffa - Flow Mo Dance School. Helsinki, Finland (2023-25)

Website Designer and Social Media Coordinator. Tanzwerk Kassel e.V., Kassel, Germany (2020-23)

Stage Lighting & Web Development Teacher. SOZO vim Dance School, Kassel, Germany (2020-23)

Office Assistant/Coordinator. Tanzwerk Kassel e.V., Kassel, Germany (2020-21)

Administrative & Technical Assistant. SOZO vim Dance School, Kassel, Germany (2020-2022)

Grants2024. City of Espoo Culture Committee. 
2024. Goethe Institut. Culture Moves Europe. Individual Mobility Grant.
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).

Residencies2026. Redukt_Studio. Helsinki (FI).
2024. Sonnenstein Loft. Linz (AT).
2022. ON DISPLAY. Lake Studios Berlin (DE).
2021. Studio Practice and Artistic Process. Stockholm University of the Arts (SE).
2018. Atelier Real (REAT). Lisbon (PT).
2017. Oulu Dance Hack. Oulu (FI).
2016. DOCH Summer Residency. Stockholm (SE).

Curation2026. Thinking for/about/with Environment. Biennale satellite event. Villa Eläintarha, Helsinki (FI)
2026. On the Urgency to reIMAGINE, reCLAIM, and reSTRUCTURE. 3-week programme. Redukt Studio, Helsinki (FI)
2025. A4CT Zine #2 Launch. Publication. Dodo ry, Helsinki (FI)
2025. Super Supper, Public Programme. Museum of Impossible Forms, Helsinki (FI)

Dance / Performance



2024. Tanssivirtaa Tampereella. check your body at the door. Hällä-näyttämö. Tampere (FI).
2023. Kulturhaus Dock4. check your body at the door. Kassel (DE).
2021. Stockholm Fringe Festival. anverso. Stockholm (SE).
2021. Gothenburg Fringe Festival. anverso. Gothenburg (SE).
2021. Galeria Kollektiva. late for laundry, again. Kassel, (DE).
2019. Oops Festival. anverso. Brighton (UK).
2018. RandFilm Festival. anverso. Kassel (DE).
2017. Stockholm Fringe Festival. Wortenlust. Stockholm (SE).
2017. OT301 Highs and Lows #22. Wortenlust. Amsterdam (NT).

Guest Dancer / Performer2024. Red Bull Dance Your Style, Helsinki (FI).
2023. Fresko, Malla. Music video. Tallin (EE).
2019. Theater Spektakel. Terrain. Boris Charmatz. Zurich (CH).
2019. Staatstheater Kassel. Ares (statisten). Johannes Wieland. Kassel (DE).
2016-17. Reflections: Triple Bill. Body Politic Dance Company. Oxford (UK).

Lighting Design2026. Do You Like Bananas, Comrades?. KokoTeatteri, Helsinki.
2024. NEFES & Global Music Master’s Transcultural Ensemble. Vapaan Taiteen Tila. Helsinki (FI).
2023. Zipora and Friends. Sibelius Academy. Kalliosali. Helsinki (FI).
2023. STREAMS #4. Aura Antikainen & Niv Melamed. Halle 2. Kassel (DE).
2023. Sie starb und sie lebte. Rosalie Kubny. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel (DE).
2022. DIE FLACHE ERDE. Lauren Rae Mace. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel (DE).
2022. Silken Veil. C/O Mareike Steffens. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel (DE).
2021. Visitors. arenas&antikainen. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel, Germany (DE).
2021. EPILOGUE. Deborah Smith-Wicke. Halle 2. Kassel (DE).
2021. Could you stay for tea?. Aura Antikainen. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel (DE).
2021. Body of land. TANZWERKE '21. Aura Antikainen. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel (DE).
2021. Protrahere. Deborah Smith-Wicke. Halle 2. Kassel (DE).
2020. Rock, water, spell. C/O Mareike Steffens. Kulturhaus Dock 4. Kassel (DE).
2019. Choreografische Werkstatt, Staatstheater. Kassel (DE).

Stage Technician


 2026. Side Step Festival. Zodiak Center of New Dance. Helsinki, (FI)
2025. SILENCE – A Multilingual Performance. Post Theater Collective Studio. Helsinki, (FI)
2025. Amalgam Melee. Marika Peura. Zodiak Center of New Dance. Helsinki, (FI)
2025. Side Step Festival. Zodiak Center of New Dance. Helsinki, (FI)

Installation2022. Violett Kunstgalerie. anverso. Body Tales. Kassel (DE).
2022. tonwerkstatt kassel. anverso. Kassel (DE).
2022. Pilotenkueche. anverso. Moving surreal curiosity. Leipzig (DE).
2022. 4bid Gallery. anverso. Amsterdam (NL).
2022. CreativQuartier Fürst Leopold. anverso. Dorsten (DE).

Film / 
Video Art











2023. Festival Antigone. Centre Culturel d'Uccle . Brussels (BE).
2022. Tanzhaus Temporär Nº1. Bergpark. Kassel (DE).
2022. LAKE Studios Berlin. ON DISPLAY Screening. Berlin (DE).
2022. Staatstheater Kassel. Queeres Kurzfilmkino im TiF. Kassel (DE).

2020. United Cowboys. Seasoning Summer. Eindhoven (NT).
2019. NB Film Festival. Puebla, Mexico and Texas (US). 
2019. VideoSkin Festival. Ontario (CA).
2019. SzoloDuo Festival. Ork_Kota_Platform. Budapest (HU).
©Iria Arenas 2024
Selected Works
Curation
Lighting Design
Video Archive
Curation

Thinking for/about/with Environment


A satellite event of the Nauru National Pavilion for this year’s Venice Biennale, in collaboration with A4CT, Villa Eläintarha, and sponsored by Myymälä2 cooperative

An evening that threads art, activism, and practice into urgent conversations about climate collapse, post-coloniality, and the futures we can still make through dialogue and hands-on making.


April 23, 2026. 17:00–20:00
Villa Eläintarha, Eläintarhantie 14, Helsinki



https://www.nauru-biennalevenezia.com/events/thinking-for-about-with-environment/


On the Urgency to reIMAGINE, reCLAIM, and reSTRUCTURE


For three weeks, Redukt_Studio in Kallio functioned as a small-scale hub for collective exchange, activation, and practices of commoning. Artists, collectives, cultural workers, and activists are invited to come together to exchange on the conditions of artistic labor in 2026 Finland and other relevant topics amid funding cuts, the rise of right-wing policies, institutional repression, restrictive immigration laws, growing unemployment, ongoing genocides, and systemic colonial violence. The space was used as a forum for critical discussion and as a platform for performances and community-led activities.



January 5-11, 2026
Redukt_Studio, Kallio. Kaarlenkatu 12, Helsinki



https://artivism4ct.cargo.site/redukt_studio_programme




A4CT - ZINE #2 - PUBLICATION

Contributors: Barsha Bhandari (Nepal); Hussain Al-Jerjawi (Palestine); Satu Söderholm (Finland); Tove Salmgren (Sweden); Mia Wennerstrand (Finland); Blu (Nepal); Alexia Coville (Germany/France); Labani Jangi (India); Prints Para sa Bayan (Philippines); Zaida Ruby (US/Mexico); Kiila ry (Finland); Mreethmandir (Bangladesh/Finland); @katekuler (Russia/Finland); JINNZINE (India); rajatonvimma (Finland); Rand Hamdallah (Palestine); @wearywitness (India/Finland); H-P Lehkonen (Finland); Cristina Donati Meyer (Italy); Mana Tashakorinia (Iran/Finland); Rosa Borrás (Mexico)

Launch event: December 18, 2025
Dodo ry, Helsinki



https://www.calameo.com/read/0081203581f676e6f23e0



Super Supper - Public Programme


Super Supper explores how a prolonged family dinner can form an artificial framework for a public programme. An admixture of dramaturgically annexed elements, such as talks, screenings and various disruptions interrupt the pseudo-coherence of an extended family; unity needs an intermission as its counterpart, TV gives you the needed break. Humans form a dysfunctional family, which might not build on a mutual agreement but still holds a latent caring for each other. The lack of energy to meet is often replaced by a maximalized moment where everything and everyone are brought and forced into a shared table.


With contributions by Harold Hejazi, Kemê, Jani Anders Purhonen, Niklas Toivakainen, Yuko Takeda and Timo Teern.



May 9, 2025
Museum of Impossible Forms, Helsinki, FI