404

MASKED PERFORMANCES

Nathalie Moellhausen, is the “Woman of thousand masks”. Queen of the swords, she wears the mask since her childhood. Fascinated by this archetype, the athlete uses it as a source of inspiration, creating a particular universe and a unique interpretation for its meaning inside and outside the sport. “ Itʼs like a confessional of a Church, a sacred place to connect with our intimacy and inner world. it is a safe space, where, physically and emotionally protected, we feel free to confess our truths.”

In a process where she decontextualize concepts and elements of her sport, traceable to our contemporary society, she aims to popularize the art of fencing for a philanthropic and social mission. Her fencing piste becomes a theatrical stage, where Nathalie explores different facets of herself.

Her years of practice, her knowledge of body language, her passion for dance, theater, fashion, develop a keen sense of style, which guides her in the creation of her masks, sketches, costumes, scenography and choreography, giving rise to a unique performance and therapeutic experience through the use of her masks, as a magic tool of expression. “Fencing is a dialogue between two identical masks worn by two different human beings. Each mask contains a soul, a mind, a heart, a light with its own story, country, culture, education”. With an artistic and philosophical perspective, “Hide to show” is the new filter of communication of the fencer, in the respect of the essential principle of fencing itself, the mystery. “Masked performance is a way to show what we hide”.

Questioning the power of the invisibility, Nathalie uses the language of the masks to touch on what we see and what we donʼt see.