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ABOUT

Seeing art as an integrated part of my life and the emphasis, being not only on the medium of presentation but on the essence of art. I try to achieve the best accomplishment by choosing the most suitable medium and to find different ‘roads’ to express my ideas. 

Monique van Kerkhof was born in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Most of her youth she lived in Maastricht, she moved to Amsterdam at an age of eighteen. She left for Spain, 22 yrs. old to study Spanish and continuing dancing in Barcelona at ‘La Fabrica’. In 1985 she moved to New York City studying at the ‘Alvin Nikolais Dance School’ and at the ‘Merce Cunningham Studio’ (She received a scholarship from Merce Cunningham) 

 

In New York, Monique’s professional Decoration/Floral Design experience continued. She worked 5 years for Preston Bailey Design Inc. and for Bill Ash from Interior Design Magazine. 

She moved to Japan in 1990, worked 14 years for a Japanese production company: Bird Land as a (computer graphic) designer, in the meantime she produced performances, installations, projection/video art and exhibitions at unique architectural locations as:

* A multimedia art project at world biggest underground construction space ‘Gaigaku Housuiro; ‘Tunnel Vision` broadcast on News NHK

* Art Performance Project at the United Nation University; ‘Seeing the World Through Different Eyes`

* A Modern Opera in a reservoir in Abiko; ‘Concrete water`

In Tokyo 2002, Monique started her own company MONDESIGN as a cultural entrepreneur in visual and performing arts.

 

After 30 years living abroad, Monique moved back to the Netherlands in 2012 and continue her work in performances and film.

Her recent performances: 

Museum night 2022, 2017 & 2016 at the Dominican Bookstore 

Film Performance Installation Dak ‘Art Biennale 2022, National Theater Sorano, Dakar

And Art Village Ngaparou, Thies, Senegal

Theater at the Vrijthof Theater, Jubilee 2017

Water Tower Schimmert, IBA Parkstad 2016

A2 Tunnel performance 2016 and shows in Chengdu and Beijing, China

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Her recent films, both produced by MONDESIGN.

* ‘I dream My dream’ 2023.

Exploring, loving and dreaming

Unearthing freedoms, instinctively

with consciousness and unconsciousness intertwined

Circles define as if nothing be something.

Some moves for true nearness, I give ground.

but my dream after the real you, is real

 

Awards film festivals (total 64):

Winner (18)

Finalist (5)

Semi Finalist (4)

Nominee (3)

Honorable mention (4)

Selected (30)

 

Winner:

European Cinematography AWARDS (ECA) Amsterdam Website

Experimental, Dance & Music Film Festival Los Angeles and Toronto

Prague International Music Video Awards

Northwood Film Festival,

Nominated

Vienna, Poetry Film Festival, Art Visuals & Poetry Film Festival 2023

Berlin, ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival 2023

 

* ‘Follow Me Down Again’ 2018

Based on the story of Icarus and 'Hell is the place where nothing connects'. T.S. Eliot

Icarus learned to fly from his father Daedalus, but Icarus fell, and he died. His story is a symbol of our society. We also want to fly higher. Everything must go faster, further and better so we lose contact with ourselves and others. We come in the situation that Elliot sketched: 'Hell is where nobody and nothing connects'. We realize that we always will have to fall to come closer to ourselves. It is buffeted by the ups and downs of life. The true self is not centered on the demands of ego but on higher values: love, truth, creativity, and compassion. My own learning experience, I look for interesting connections between things (books) and to feel, share with others. Separation is at an end called: NOTHING.

 

Awards film festivals (total 35):

Winner (2)

Finalist (2)

Semi Finalist (2)

Selected (29)

Awards Winner Best Director and Best film, Film festival MWIFF, Bombay, India

And Winner Music Film in Film festival RTF, Lagos, Nigeria

CV

2023   Film: I dream My dream, Produce and directed by Mondesign, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2022   Exhibition, Video Projection: I dream My dream, Dak’art Biennale, Dakar National Theater, Dakar, Senegal

2022   Exhibition, Video Projection: I dream My dream, Art village Ngaparou, Thies, Senegal

2022   Performance, Installation: I dream My dream, Museumnight 2022, Bookstore Dominicanen, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2021   Theaterplay: Sinbad, collaboration kids’ theaterplay, KunstZacademie, Antwerpen, Belgium

2021   Theaterplay: Shakespeare online, Midsummer night, KunstZacademie, Antwerpen, Belgium

2020   Presentation, Danceperformance: PechaKucha Night 2020, Filmtheater Lumiere, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2018   Film: Follow Me Down Again, Mondesign, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2018   Film, Award Winner: Follow Me Down Again, Best Film and Best Filmdirector, Filmfestival MWIFF, Mondesign, Mumbay, India

2018   Film, Award Winner: Follow Me Down Again, Winner Music Film Award, Reel Time Filmfestival, Mondesign, Lagos, Nigeria

2018   Video Projection: Week of the carefree child, Xonar, Radar, Mondrian, Brightlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands

2018   Performance, Installation: Undergo, Atelier Peter Segler, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2017   Performance, Installation: Later is Now?, Museumnight 2017, Bookstore Dominicanen, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2017   Performance, Installation: The Future of the Book, Theatre Vrijthof, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2016   Design, Presentation: FLOWER DESIGN, Dutch Embassy, Skopje, North Macedonica

2016   Performance, Installation: FOLLOW ME DOWN AGAIN, Museumnight 2016, Bookstore Dominicanen, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2015   Performance, Installation: Watertower, De Reus van Schimmert, Monumentendag, Schimmert,, Parkstad Limburg, The Netherlands  

2015   Presentation, Danceperformance: Pechakucha Night 2015, Fangsuo Commune Chengdu, Chengdu, China

2015   Performance, Installation: A2 TUNNEL, Groene Loper, Monumentendag, Centraal Plan Buro, Zuiderlicht, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2015   Performance, Exhibition: Opening Fashionshow Springcollection, Mixcity, Chengdu, China

2015   Presentation, Curating: Curating: Masterplan Film Talent, Limburg, DUTCH DAY CREATIVITY CHENGDU, Chengdu, China

2014   Performance, Installation: Fashioned My Way, FASHIONCLASH, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2014   Performance, Exhibition: VOETSTAPPEN IN HET GRAS, EXPOA2, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2012   Performance, Installation: Two Times Twice, OAG, The German Goethe House, Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan

2010   Theaterplay: 39, my home is lost, Yokohama Theater, Yokohama, Japan

2010   Design, Fashionshow: ADVANCED FLORAL DECORATION DESIGN, Fashion, Cohim Design Academy, Beijing, China

2009   Danceperformance: ROCK CHALLENGE concert, at Cultural Hall, Performance/ Visual Art School Mondesign, Yokohama, Japan

2009   Danceperformance, Video Projection: Dancing4Kids, Benefit show, Dance Fusion Tokyo, Tokyo Church, Tokyo, Japan

2009   Poetry Performance: At the Dickens, Ebisu, Tokyo, Japan

2009   Danceperformance, Video Projection: Dancing4Kids, Benefit show, Dance Fusion Tokyo, Tokyo Church, Tokyo, Japan

2008   Music concert: ENCORE, MONIQUE’S ORIGINAL SONGS, A benefit dinner/Tokyo International Player, Tokyo, Japan

2008   Poetry Performance: Treasure Bar, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

2007   Performance, Installation: Run for the Cure, Goto Flower Atelier,  Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan

2007   Film: Dance Video Documentary: Tunnelvision, Tunnelvision 50 min, The Making Of 20 min., Tokyo, Japan

2006   Performance, Installation: Tunnel vision, Gaikakuhousuiro, Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan

2006   Performance, Installation: Tokyo University of Science, Noda Campus, Noda, Chiba, Japan

2006   Publicity: Tunnel vision, broadcast at NHK News, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

2005   Danceperformance: Japanese tradition Kabuki Dance, Nihon Buyo, Culture Hall, Abiko, Chiba, Japan

2004   Danceperformance: Japanese tradition Kabuki Dance, Nihon Buyo, Culture Hall, Abiko, Chiba, Japan

2004   Danceperformance: DANCE/ART VIDEO ’Nigorie’, Mejiro, Tokyo, Japan

2003   Performance, Installation: Seeing the World Through Different Eyes, The UNU, Shibuya,, Tokyo, Japan

2002   Performance, Exhibition: Cor Cordis, Atelier E.R. Molenaar, Yokohama, Japan

2002   Film: VIDEO ART TAPE: Cor Cordis, Mondesign, Tokyo, Japan

2002   Publicity: Cor, Cordis, short documentary, Broadcast at T.V. Kanagawa, Kanagawa, Japan

2002   Danceperformance: Japanese tradition Kabuki Dance, Nihon Buyo, Culture Hall, Abiko, Chiba, Japan

2001   Film: DOCUMENTARY, First Published Picture Book, Cambodia, Phom-Penh, Cambodia

2001   Danceperformance: JOMON, Gyouda, Saitama, Japan

2001   Performance, Installation: CONCRETE WATER, Abiko, Chiba, Japan

1999   Publicity: Video Tapes Archived, by Montevideo, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1999   Film: VIDEO ART: SECOND MOVE, Mondesign, Tokyo, Japan

1996   Design: FLORAL DESIGN, Hyatt Hotel, Tokyo, Japan

1995   Exhibition: Today Dutch Art, at Art Harumi, Dutch Embassy, Harumi, Tokyo, Japan

1994   Performance, Installation: SYNESTHESIA, Clay Gallery, Ginza, Tokyo, Japan

1993   Performance, Installation: First move at Clay Gallery,, Clay Gallery, Ginza, Tokyo, Japan

1993   Film: VIDEO ART / RELEASE: FIRST MOVE, Mondesign, Tokyo, Japan

1992   Film: Time of waste, waste of time, TNAE Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

1992   Publicity: VIDEO ART TAPES Distribution, Bought by Miyagi Prefectural Museum., Sendai, Japan

1992   Design: FLORAL DESIGN, Ryokan, Yaguy-No-Sho, Salon Room, Izu-shi, Shizuoka, Japan

1991   Publicity: VIDEO ART TAPES Distribution, Video Distribution by Scan Process Art Inc., Tokyo, Japan

1991   Film: VIDEO ART TAPES Screenings, Image Forum, Yotsuya, Tokyo, Japan

1990   Performance, Installation: 0.25 POLYETHYLENE, Downtown Community Television, New York City, USA

1990   Film: VIDEO ART: GARBAGE, Mondesign, New York City, USA

1990   Publicity: VIDEO ART TAPES, screenings, The Screening Series at D.C.T.V., New York City, USA

1990   Publicity: VIDEO ART TAPES, Broadcast, Southwest Alternate Media Project, The Territory, Houston, Texas, USA

1989   Design: FLORAL DESIGN, TIFFANY PARTIES, Preston Bailey Inc., New York City, USA

1988   Performance, Installation: 16 INCHES, Studio Orensanz, New York City, USA

1988   Film: Traces in space and time, Mondesign,  New York City, USA

1988   Film: Showed at The Screening Series at D.C.T.V., Downtown Community Television, New York City, USA

1987   Danceperformance, Installation: PARTS OF LIVE, At 584 Broadway, New York City, USA

1987   Danceperformance: BAROQUE BLITS, The collective for living cinema, New York City, USA

1986   Design: FLORAL DESIGN, MODERN BRIDE MAGAZINE, Preston Bailey Inc., New York City, USA

1986   Film: Release VIDEO Art: SUBWAY GHOST, Mondesign, New York City, USA

1985   Film: Release VIDEO ART: GRAY CONCRETE, Mondesign, New York City, USA

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