Kati Masami Menze is a freelance artist working in the field of performing arts, also as a performer and producer. She sees all three rolls as an equal part of her practice, which itself is rooted in dance.
In her work, she creates spaces in which she questions existing social and political structures and opens them up for collective action and healing. Her artistic vocabulary is orientated in bodypractices, often used in combination with other resources placed between performing arts and fine arts.
Through an observational stance, the recurring role as intermediary communicator and the focus on details, she opens interstitial spaces. To these, she invites the audience to linger together and gather collective experiences. She draws strength from collective work and attaches great importance to fair and qualitative cooperations.
She is committed to the local free dance scene in Essen and is a member of IGTanz Essen. Since 2020, as part of the space | lab (Polymer DMT) team, she has been developing formats in the creative quarter Essen City Nord, which strengthen the freescene as well as connecting the neighborhood and addressing local audiences.
Since 2020, she has also been working as a certified GYROKINESIS method trainer, including at FREIRAUM in Düsseldorf. In 2021 she completed her BA Dance at the Folkwang University of the Arts and since 2023 she is part of the M.A. program “Scenic Research” at the Ruhr University Bochum.
She lived in Tokyo from the age of eight to eighteen and growing up in Japan had a profound impact on her. Her family lives split between Germany and Japan and she has been based in Essen/NRW since 2016.
Education
since 2023 |
MA scenic research, Ruhr University Bochum, DE |
2022 |
certified GYROKINESIS trainer |
2021 |
BA Dance, Folkwang University of Arts, DE |
2016 |
Tokyo Metropolitan Senior High School, JP |
Awards/Grants
2021 |
DIS-TANZ-SOLO - Stellvertreter:innen |
2019 |
scholarship Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes |
2019 |
Third Price for the Solo Late Summer @All Japan Dance Competition |
Residencies
2022 |
TakeHeart - TrackMap (AT) with Toni Brell and Daria Nazarenko |
2022 |
TakeHeart - what do we belong to? (AT) |
2022 |
space | lab Residency - what do I belong to? |
2021 |
BORDELAND Residencies @Schloss Ringenberg |
as an Artist
2024 |
Bedarfsgemeinschaft: a participatory neighborhood exploration with Dženny Samardžić |
2023 |
Exercises for Ungrounding: workshop withToni Brell and Daria Nazarenko @Maschinen Haus Essen |
2022 |
TakeHeart - TrackMap (AT) with Toni Brell and Daria Nazarenko: research |
2022 |
TakeHeart - what do we belong to? (AT): research |
2022 |
space | lab Residency - what do I belong to?: research |
2021 |
BORDELAND Residencies: research |
2021 |
DIS-TANZ-SOLO - Stellvertreter:innen: research |
2021 |
park stage: performance for installation by Mischa Kuball @Museum Morsbroich |
2012 |
to start,: performance |
2021 |
Quarantine: short documentation |
2021 |
take away: installation with Daria Nazrenko @NAILS Projectroom Düsseldorf |
2020 |
Sunlit Portion of Domestication#2: film with Daria Nazarenko @Pact Zollverein Atelier No.64 |
2019 |
LIMINALITIES: performance @Theater Vacant Tokyo |
as a Performer
2023 |
NAH: piece by Marie-Lena Kaiser premiere @tanzhaus NRW |
2023 |
KIM:piece concept & development: Polymer DMT Fang Yun Lo, premiere @HELLERAU |
2023 |
do white ex: scenic reading by miu, @Heine Haus Literaturhaus Düsseldorf |
2023 |
Vor dem Vorhang ist hinter dem Vorhang: a showing by Marie-Lena Kaiser part of „Ein Festival zum Frühling!“ @PACT Zollverein |
2023 |
Unsolved: piece concept & development: Polymer DMT Fang Yun Lo, resumption as part of Tanz Mainz Festival 2023 |
2022 |
BuschLab 8: research with Marlin de Haan @ProjektRaumKunst Busch 8 |
2022 |
In between us: research with Josephine Kalies |
2021 |
Bibliopark Ex: installation/performance concept: miu |
2020 |
five twenty: film @Stadtbesetzung in NRW Gühtersloh |
2020 |
Analog vs. Digital: research with Marie-Lena Kaiser @Maschinenhaus Essen |
2020 |
Zehn nach Zehn: performance concept: Marie-Lena Kaiser part of 10 Jahre Kulturhauptstadt und Ruhr Museum/Essen ZollvereinGo for Good ll |
2019 |
FIRST THE BODY: performance Marie-Lena Kaiser, part of Impuls Bauhaus Festival – TRY AGAIN, FAIL BETTER @Ruhr Museum and Kokerei Zollverein |
as a Producer
2024 |
space | lab connects: performance, installations shown at local non artictic places |
2024 |
somebody@maschienhaus: performance/research/workshop by IGTanzEssen @Maschinenhaus Essen |
2023 |
somebody @ maschinenhaus: dance&performance plattform for and from the free scene Essen @Maschinenhaus Essen |
2022 |
K.I.T.C.H.E.N. : installation/perfromance by Marlin de Haan @Kunst Museum Bochum |
2022 |
space | lab is running: festival - for and by the freelance scene in Essen |
since 2020 |
coordination, communication format development for space | lab Polymer DMT Fang Yun Lo and IG Tanz Essen |
Kati Masami Menze
hi@katimasamimenze.de
The content of this website, including text, images, audio, and video, is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used in any way without the express permission of the copyright holder..
Website design and code: Toni Brell