Everyone seeks his or her identity. Whether it is identity through nationality, through the family tree or through gender and their roles in society, we as human beings are always asking ourselves where we come from and where we are headed. I do not try to answer these questions through my work, but rather to analyze and expose these situations through familiar objects and images, such as passports, family photographs, social situations and images and other personal ephemera.

I'm a multidisciplinary artist currently based out of Hong Kong. My motto seems to be: “hoy desde Hong Kong, mañana desde cualquier parte del mundo” which roughly translates to: “today reporting from Hong Kong, tomorrow from any place in the world.” I was born in Bogotá-Colombia and by the time I was 8 months old I started traveling around the world. Since then I have lived in many different places, from Ecuador, Nigeria and Dominican Republic to United States, Germany, China, Japan and finally Hong Kong.

Diatoms are one of the most common phytoplankton. They are producers within the food chain. One of their unique characteristics is that they are encased within a cell wall made of silica. Their perfectly symmetrical structure has inspired many artists, designers and architects for many years.

This project was made for the exhibition "Diatomeen Formensinn" at the Phyletic Museum Jena, Germany with the collaboration of fellow conceptual designer and artist Monika Calusinska.

For more information about the exhibition, please visit http://www.diatomeen-ausstellung.de/.

Using Visceral as a spring board, this project uses the same concept of body exploration and cell division but from a destructive angle. Cancer, and in particular, breast cancer also starts from cell division, but an uncontrolled one that ends up infecting not only the insides of the body, but also other aspects of life.

This particular project started as an exploration of the internal body. The understanding of cells and how they move, divide, re-create, create and die. We all start as single cell organisms, and out of cell division we are formed into complex beings. This particular piece started as an exploration of the cells, once one single cell was sewn, just like in cell division, more complex figures started appearing on the fabric.

The series "Atomic Café" was inspired by the 1982 documentary "The Atomic Cafe". The documentary shows propagandist commercials and instructional videos about the cold war and the nuclear crisis of the 1950s and 1960s. This government propaganda used to tell its citizens that radiation did not present any real danger.

In the "Atomic Café" series, the topic is seen from a woman's perspective. In the past, when women only had the opportunity to become housewives and mothers, sewing became another one of the household chores and also a way to keep them busy. In a male dominated society women did not have much choice or opinion, especially when it came to politics. Women were relegated to their homes and were forced to be passive observers.

EDUCATION

2008-2010	Masters of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Media Art and Design Bauhaus Universität Weimar, Germany.
2008-2010	Masters of Literature (M.A.) in Chinese Culture and History, Tongji University Shanghai, China
2004-2007	Bachelors of Fine Arts (B.F.A) in Mixed Media with Minor in Art History, FIU, Miami, Florida.

RELATED EDUCATION

2010	Adobe Workshops, Thomas Filter, Bauhaus University
2009	Chinese Traditional Painting, Professor Yu, Shanghai, China
Dec. 2008	reacTIVision Workshop, Louis Philippe Demers, Weimar, Germany
2008-2009	Arduino and Processing Workshops, Jan Sieber, Weimar, Germany
Feb. 2008	Artist Writing Workshop, Rosie Gordon-Wallace, Miami, FL
2007-2008	W-10 Workshops, Yovani Bauta, Miami, Florida

GROUP EXHIBITS

2010	“Guerrilla Documental”, La Ex-Culpable, Barranco, Perú.
2010	“Summaery” Bauhaus 15, Bauhaus University Weimar, Germany.
2010	“UFO”, Poznan, Poland curated by Robert Bodnar.
2010	“Zhongtan Rd” Shanghai, China.
2009	“Projecting ON”, Miami, FL
2009	“Implicit Ageism“, CAF + CAS Exhibition Center, Miami, FL.
2009	“Diatomeen Formensinn”, Phyletisches Museum Jena, Jena, Germany.
2009	“Jamaica International Cultural Exchange”, Revolution Gallery, Kingston, Jamaica.
2008	“Art Off the Main”, Chelsea, New York City, NY.
2008	“Beyond Breast”, Tower Theaters, Miami curated by Yovani Bauta.
2008	“Virgins and Altars”, MiArte Gallery, Coral Gables, FL.
2008	“I Do, I Do”, curated by Yovani Bauta, Tower Theater, Miami, FL.
2008	“Between Lines” 2nd Intl’ Artists Biennale in St. Maarten, curated by Rosie Gordon Wallace
2008	“Evolution of Involution”, Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Miami Design District, FL.
2008	“Fiber and Paper”, MiArte Gallery, Miami, FL.
2007	“Safety Zones” DVG Gallery, curated by Rosie Gordon-Wallace,Miami, FL.
2007	“Obj-Art”, Color Alternative, curated by Yovani Bauta Miami, Florida.
2007	“Safety Blanket”, I.D. Art, Solo Exhibition Miami, Florida.
2007	“Art of Uncertainty”, Fabri-K and Edge Zones, San Salvador, El Salvador.
2007	“I DO, I DO”, curated by Yovani Bauta, Alternative Color, Miami, Florida.
2007	Alternative Space, curated by Juan Griego, Kunst Motel, Miami Florida
2007	FIU BFA Spring 2007 Exhibition, Frost Museum, Miami, Florida
2007	FIU Annual Student Show, Curated by Frederic Snitzer, Frost Museum, Miami, Florida.

CURATORIAL EXPERIENCE

2008	“Bound-2008”, Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Miami, FL.
2008	Coordinating International Exhibit in St. Martin for 2008, Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Miami, Forida.
2008	“Danca das Cores Na Nacao Zumbi”, Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Miami, Florida.
2007	“Safety Zones”, concurrent with Art Basel, Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Miami, Florida.
2007	Art Off The Main, Puck Building, New York, NY, Diaspora Vibe Gallery,Miami, Florida
2007	“Work!”, Popopstudios, Miami, FL, Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Miami, Florida.

www.auroramolina.com
www.diasporavibe.net
scholar.library.miami.edu/caribbeanvisual/natalia-schonowski
www.arthousecoop.com
www.adbusters.org
www.myspace.com/somabandmiami
www.diatomeen-ausstellung.de/

natalia.schonowski(at)gmail.com

Women, at some point or another, whether it is by societal pressures or their own families, are forced to think about their biological clock. A time comes when they feel the need to define their identity as a woman, sadly, often this identity is set by the ability to bear children. At first glance it may seem that the mothers are the children’s shield, protecting them from the world and evil. But it is in reality a symbiotic relationship, the mother acts as the child’s shield, and in return, the child acts as the social shield for the mother. Many women get to a certain age where they don’t know what to do next, and in some cases this void (dictated by society) is filled by this shield; the child saves them from becoming worthless in the eyes of others.

This work was created in collaboration with fellow artist Aurora Molina.

Identity is the set of characteristics that somebody recognizes as belonging uniquely to himself or herself and constituting his or her individual personality for life. In philosophy, personal identity refers to the essence of a self-conscious person, that which makes him or her uniquely what they are at any one point in time, and which further persists over time despite superficial modifications, making him or her same person at different points in time.

Portraits can tell numerous things about a person's identity. The viewer assigns certain psychological traits based on the way a person looks. In a way a portrait can tell many stories, but they are only assumed stories because we are relating our own experiences through the portrait. Nevertheless portraits can engage the viewer and transport them to another time and place.

The elderly society of Shanghai is still very much involved in their community, but nevertheless it is being replaced by a "stronger", younger generation whose only true drive is work and the fast pace of this megacity. The younger generations are not concerned to learn tai qi or dancing to keep active and healthy, but rather, to make money to buy many consumer goods that are being shoved onto their faces everyday and everywhere around Shanghai. These elderly people dancing in the early mornings are slowly becoming a cultural relic.

Open Gesture Dictionary

This ongoing project created by Monika Calusinska and myself records peoples daily gestures. There are established sign languages, but no one captures our unconscious and sometimes culture specific gestures. This project aims to create an open dictionary for the masses. Please visit our link and send us your gestures on video. http://opengesturedictionary.blogspot.com/

Graphic Competitions

The designs were created for different design competitions. Some of the designs were made for the Cravatte competition by Hermés Group, the others were for t-shirt design competitions and laptop skin design competitions.

The invitations were designed for Diaspora Vibe Gallery in Miami, Florida. Most of the designs are inspired by photographs that I have taken on my travels. Some of the other designs contain the work of the gallery's artists, the invitations were designed to promote their art openings and exhibitions.

Place and Time: People Square: Nan Jing Xi Lu: Monday October 5th, 2009 6:30-7:30 am. Nan Jing Dong Lu: Sunday October 11th, 4:15-4:45 pm, People’s Park, 1st location: 5:00-5:40 pm; 2nd location: 6:00-7:00 pm.

Action: one white girl in white clothes sleeping on a white bed on the most prominent landmark of Shanghai city.

Participants: Monika Calusinska (Poland), Natalia Schonowski (Colombia/Germany), Anke Stockburger (Germany)

Media: Analog 35 mm Nikon Camera, Nikon Coolpix digital camera, Olympus digital camera, Panasonic digital video camera.

Sleeping… consciousness within unconsciousness. People pushing and pulling, sweating, spitting, walking, running, grabbing, talking, yelling… the city does not seem to sleep."the city that never sleeps"…but Shanghai is more than that, it is constantly breathing and beating, a mixture between raunchy and high class drama: the Paris of the east, the whore of the West. In Shanghai sleeping doesn’t seem like a practical activity, and even if someone is sleeping, motion envelops them constantly.

The sewing machine’s original use is not of an instrument, yet it has a very distinct sound. Even though the sound it produces it’s just a byproduct of its original use, it could be used in some sort of composition. The sound made by sewing machine while in motion, reminds me of my childhood. It gives me comfort and makes me feel safe and at home; it plays upon this nostalgia of a grandmother and/or mother sewing in the adjacent room, this nostalgia of one’s own childhood.

In this piece, the sewing machine starts working when it “feels” the presence of a person in front of them. But it will not start “composing” right away; it will have a slight delay, so that the viewer will not know when the machine will start working. It will start playing a score, as to symbolize that “someone” is working with the sewing machine, but not involving an actual human making the sound on the sewing machine, but the actual sewing machine acquiring its own identity.

The sewing machine is hooked up to a computer, and is directed by Pure Data through the midi function. The machine plays a score that has been “written”. Once the web camera detects a disturbance in its field of vision, the machine is triggered to play the score to its completion; the score will not be triggered to start over in the middle, even if a second person walks in. The trigger does not occur immediately, there is a 4 second delay so the visitor does not know that it is indeed him/her who starts the sewing machine.

A passport is like a security blanket, having it by you will ensure some type of protection, it holds precious information that enables individuals to move from one place to another, it becomes a marker of who you are; by loosing it, you become non-existent, you loose your identity. It can become a tool by which others judge the exterior, based solely by what they read on a piece of laminated paper.

During the Safety Blanket exhibition in I.D. Art in Miami, Florida, a performance was held during the opening night. "Immigration Officers" would stand in front of the exhibition space and check for "valid" I.D. The visitors had to first get a passport next door where they could choose their nationality. Once the visitors were ready to enter the installation space, the nursery, they were asked by the immigration officers to present the passports. Depending on the nationality and the individual criteria of the immigration officer, only certain people were granted permission into the space.