
Melina Peña
Interdisciplinary/Action Artist
Barcelona, Spain based artist, born in the border México-USA. Masters Degree in Independents Studies Program (PEI) by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Barcelona (MACBA). Postgraduate Studies on Sensory Language and The Poetics of Play, Directed by El Teatro de los Sentidos/University of Girona, Spain. Double major in World Arts and Cultures (concentration in dance) and Linguistics and Spanish from the University of California, Los Angeles. Since then she´s been in an extensive search of her own body language focusing in Butoh, Experimental Dance, Body Landscape and Performance Art.
In the United States she was a member of the dance group Head On Off where her work was based on Site Specific performance in Urban Spaces in California. In Mexico she founded Coelle a dance group that focused on polemic issues related to the border Mexico/U.S.A. Since 2004 she lives in Barcelona where she´s the coordinator of the annual performance event RIP OFF and member of the collective MALPARIDAS and OCELLS AL CAP.
In the past 20 years Melina has been consistently producing and exhibiting art, showing her work in places such as the Cerveira Biennale, PAN Pallazo, Naples, Venice Biennale, Galerie Taïss and La Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris. Artistic residencies in Estonia, Macedonia, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, England and Spain. Working with artists such as La Pochanostra, Shu Lea, Thierry Geoffrey and collaborating with artists from different disciplines, as well as giving workshops in England, Spain, Portugal and Mexico.
Melina´s work is committed to a live engagement with the audience, critically and playfully creating art that addresses social, political, cultural and economic conditions of our contemporary life. Her work is mostly process driven creating places that offer opportunities and experiences to reflect and negotiate among cultural, physical, and emotional involvement.