BARBARA KOWA
The international artist was born into the world of fine art as the daughter of the curator and art historian Wieland Schmied. Seeking distance and identity, she initially focused primarily on theater acting, and found the freedom of fine art in a performance that is surely influenced by fine arts and the theater as well. Kowa discovers the essentials through the process of live-art with is embodiment in space and time, and likes to work in cycles that offer her a continuity of inner debate, within artistic freedom.
Studies
1993-97 ERNST BUSCH academie for performing arts and theater
Berlin (Diploma)
1994 studies with Nan Hoover, video and performance
Summeracademy Salzburg
2007 Producers seminar at the bavarian academy for Film BAF Munich
Assistence
1998 artistic assistant at the Woostergroup
Performing Garage New York
Training
IFS Cologne-masterclasses-Mike Figgis and Tom diChillio
summeracademy Salzburg masterclasses
with Vallie Export, Ellen Cantor NanHoover
Maisner Technique at actors space Berlin
Scolarships
2009 the studio Hollywood/LA
Awards
2010 best feature film for DREAMING MALI at the TBFF Dallas,USA
2011 best feature nominations at the ÉCU fest Paris and New Jersay filmfest
Worshops
she gave workshops in diffrent places and festivals in Latvia, Austria, NewZealand, Indonesia and in Germany amongst others at the Ernst Busch Akademie für Schauspielkunst Berlin
List Of Works
Performance/ Video works/ Festivals
1994-videonstallation THE REALITY OF A DREAM Saline Hallein
TIME SIGN 5 hour-landart performance in Salzburg Austria
1995 EPITAPH Requiem for Voices H. Becker, R. Steckel /Hebbel Theater Berlin
1995 MIND AND MATTER performance at the gallery Utaku in Bern
1996 AMOR EST UN ZIETKE at the performance festival „working for the mental internet“ Bern
1996-99 actress at the Renaissance Theater Berlin
1999 Maria in "the proof of the soul" by Rudolf Steiner,during Documenta X
2000 Video-works with Ellen Cantor in Salzburg Austria
2001-2 Monolog "Molloy" von Beckett for the Academy of arts Munich
2002 Videoinstallation SEVEN STEPS AND BEYOND Kunstraum Berlin
2002 Sufi-dance performances in Amsterdam Netherlands
2004 Ifs:experimental film realtime project with Mike Figgis
2005-6 dancer for "Takemitsu–my way of life"States-Opera-Berlin
touring Paris (Theatre du Châtelét) and Tokio (Bunka Kai Kahn)
2005 video-interlay performance at the Transitstation Berlin
2005 choreography and performance,"open air Art Museum" Pédvale, Latvia
2006 EMPIRE OF PEACE (video 30 min) for Kunsthaus Wien Austria
2007 MIND AND MATTER 2 with Markus Schaller,Tansitstation Edinburg
2006-9 TREETALKS videoperformance (UNTIL DEATH DO US PART)
2008 ONEAN(D)OTHER live-art in Mali, with Markus Schaller
Video installation BASICKNOWLEDGE Bologna, Giardino del Guasto
2008-interactive Video-performance in the Watercastel in Bad Rappenau
2009 performance of TREETALKS in Berlin Theater chappel
2010 HEART VENTRICLE Royal Danish academy of arts/Transitstation
2011 Live-art-project WATER WISDOM China/Shanghai/ Beijing
2012 E.V.E. festival female performers from New York and Berlin
SEEDS AND EGGS Cell63 Luisa Catucci Gallery
2013 SEVEN SEALS (art.endart and Uferhallen Berlin)
2014 MAO+TAO Feature Film on "water wisdom" shown at art.endart Berlin
BLOOD AND BREATH at Cell 63 Berlin
HEART OF UNITY in Israel during the operation `protective edge´
(TelAviv, Haifa, Acco)
2014+2015 SEVEN SEALS at NEW HEALING festival Germany
2015 SEVEN SEALS in New Zealand (Prana festival)
+Lithuania (Yaga Gathering)
SKIN at Cell 63 Berlin weekend of performance art
SEEDS AND EGGS at open-air-arts museum pédvale, Latvia
2016 SEVEN SEALS in Gili Air,Indonesia
2017 SEVEN SEALS in Nazaré, Portugal
PERIPHERIE WITHOUT CENTER at gr_und Berlin, curated by L.Hungh
BREATH IN BLOOD with Collin Edina Leach at weekend of performance art,
curated by Dagmar Glausitzer-Smith
2018 THE CALCULATING MIND CAN NOT BE TRUSTED 42days non-stop-gallery durational, Luisa Cattucci Gallery Berlin
SKIN,HEART,BRAIN at ANGST festival Paris curated by Francesca Sand and Action Hybrid in collaboration with Ely Daou
I COUNT ON YOU at Startepla Performancefestival Riga with Ely Daou
Videoinstallations:
Kunstraum Berlin
Mainblau Berlin
Freiraum°Berlin
art.endart Berlin
Alkatraz Salzburg
Alte Saline Hallein
Gardinio de las Bellas Artes Bologna
Clipsfest New York
OpenAirArtMuseum Pédvàle Lettland
Further information about her work can be found at www.barbarakowa.de