YAMA KOWA
Studied theater acting at first, as working with her whole being: body, mind and soul was always the focus of her interest. Then she worked at theaters and movies under the name Barbara Kowa. At the same time, however, she began practicing free art performance at an early age when she met the American artist Nan Hoover, who became an important inspiration and mentor.
In 2013 she decided to only realize her own performative works, which led to ever more comprehensive processes in long-term performance cycles and durational live art, also to collaborative and participatory works and site-specifics.
After a 7 week performance in complete darkness in 2019, she took the name Yama when she was returning to the light,ritually baptized by the invited audience.
“For me, life is the most important work of art to be created.
ARTISTS ST ATEMENT
I am driven by the desire to go through life authentically and fully taking responsibility for all my actions. Therefore, the development of mindfulness is an essential factor in almost all of my works. Some almost have the character of or scientific experiments with myself as an always available research object. Since it often takes years to drill through a topic that interests me, working in cycles has emerged. A theme that has accompanied me since my first performance is the theme of time and timelessness. This is not really a cycle, but rather a constant companion in a life that I try to shape as a whole. The performances within the live art of my whole lifespan, so to speak, like breathing in and breathing out a visionary utopia of compassion and understanding.”
yama kowa
THE CYCLES ARE COLOR CODED AS BELOW
TIME AND TIMELESSNESS
UNTIL DEATH DO US PART
LETTING GO
SEVEN SEALS
STUDIES
1993-97 ERNST BUSCH academy for performing arts and theater Berlin (Diploma)
1994-98 studies with Nan Hoover, Vallie Export and Ellen Cantor video and performance summer academy Salzburg, Austria
2007 Producers seminar at the bavarian academy for Film BAF Munich (Diploma)
Assistance
1998 artistic assistant at the Wooster Group Performing Garage New York
Scholarship
2009 the studio Hollywood/LA film actors training
AWARDS
2010 best feature film for DREAMING MALI at the TBFF Dallas,USA
Presented in collaboration with the Dallas Museum of Art
2011 best feature nominations at the ÉCU fest Paris and New Jersey filmfest
2022 best short film/ experimental for FACELESS in Athens/ London/ Porto/ Andalusia
LIST OF WORKS selection
TIME SIGN 5 hour-landart performance in Salzburg Austria curated by Nan Hoover
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, Documenta X
2001-4 Monolog "Molloy" Beckett for the Academy of arts Munich and others
2005-6 performer/dancer in "Takemitsu–my way of life"States-Opera-Berlin touring Paris (Theatre du Châtelét) and Tokyo (Bunka Kai Kahn)
2005 video-interlay performance at the Transit Station Berlin
2005 choreography and performance"open air Art Museum" Pédvale, Latvia
2007 MIND AND MATTER 2 performance with Markus Schaller, Tansitstation Edinburg
2006-9 TREETALKS video performance (UNTIL DEATH DO US PART)
2008 ONEAN(D)OTHER live-art in Mali, with Markus Schaller
2008-interactive Video-performance in the Watercastel Bad Rappenau
2010 HEART VENTRICLE Royal Danish academy of arts Copenhagen/Transit Station
2011 Live-art-project WATER WISDOM China/Shanghai/ Beijing
2012 E.V.E. fest female performers from New York + Berlin,curated by SilverSilverSilver
SEEDS AND EGGS Cell63 Luisa Catucci Gallery
2013 SEVEN SEALS performative installation (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´(Tel Aviv, Haifa, Akko)
2014+2015 SEVEN SEALS at NEW HEALING festival Germany
2015 SEVEN SEALS in New Zealand (Prana festival) +Lithuania (Yaga Gathering)
ABSTRACT BODIES/ BODY LANGUAGE site-specific dead sea, between Israel and Jordan
SKIN at Cell 63 Berlin weekend of performance art curated by Dagmar-Glausnitzer Smith
SEEDS AND EGGS at open-air-arts museum pédvale, Latvia
2016 SEVEN SEALS - Gili Air Indonesia
V.U.P. Live-art during the Berlinale Festival, Berlin
HOMAGE TO RICHTER videoperformance Berlin
INVOLUTION (SHAME SHAME SHAME) videoperformanceBerlin
2017 SEVEN SEALS in Nazaré Carneval, Portugal
PERIPHERIE WITHOUT CENTER performative installation at gr_und Berlin, curated by L.Hungh
HOMAGE TO NIKI DE ST PHALLE intimate videoperformance
BREATH IN BLOOD with Collin Edina Leach at weekend of performance art,,curated by Dagmar Glausnitzer-Smith
2018 THE CALCULATING MIND CAN NOT BE TRUSTED 42 days non-stop-gallery,durational and solo show, Luisa Catucci Gallery Berlin
HOMAGE TO DUCHAMP ongoing live-art 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 starptelpa performance festival Riga in collaboration with Ely Daou
2018 SEVEN SEALS in Spain La Gomera Magic Tree Festival
2019 VIRGIN MARY AT THE CRADLE OF AI in Vienna
Künstlerhaus 1050 at the opening of the NCW6° Festival curated by Nina Fountedakis
THE ICONIC TURN durational performance installation at Riga performance festival: starptelpa curated by Laura Feldberga
2019 LIBERATION IN PANOPTICON 7 weeks durational performance and Installation/Solo Show at Notkapelle Berlin
2020 COSMIC GRAVITY international Week of Performance Art, Venice, Italy curated by Marilyn Arsem
2020-21 FAMELY TREE one year action, Austria
SUNGATE 5 days durational Performance at Marzona Art Park Verzegnis, Italy
TIME AND TIMELESSNESS 10 Tage durational performance in Lederau, Österreich
2021 ALCHEMIE 10 Tage durational performance Gomde, Österreich
HOW LONG IS NOW? 14 Tage durational performance, Almtal, Österreich
CONTEMPORARY RAPUNZEL Künstlerhaus KuLe zur Art Week Berlin
kuratiert von Richard Rabensaat
2022 HOW LONG IS NOW? Künstlerhaus KuLe zur Art Week Berlin
curated by Richard Rabensaat
FACELESS and other Performances in collaboration with filmmaker Giorgis Fotopoulos, Berlin/ Athen
2023 CREATIVE CREATURES durational performance Galerie Tanglberg, Austria
EXHIBITIONS selection
1994-video installation THE REALITY OF A DREAM Saline Hallein (Austria)
1998 HEIMKEHR videoinstallation and performance at gallery meinblau, Berlin
2002 Videoinstallation SEVEN STEPS AND BEYOND Kunstraum Berlin (Solo show)
2008 Video installation BASIC KNOWLEDGE Bologna, Giardino del Guasto((Italy)
2018 UNTIL DEATH DO US PART Luisa Catucci Gallery Berlin (Solo show)
2019 LIBERATION IN PANOPTICON Installation Notkapelle Berlin (Solo show)
2022 HOW LONG IS NOW at KuLe during Berlin Art Week
CURATION
2000-7 FREIRAUM Berlin Art Salon
2012-14 ACT.ART. OUT Projectspace at Kunstraum Wedding Berlin
2013-19 SEVEN SEALS international performance theater