Leo Kees is an Argentinian/German artist who works in the fields of theatre, media, dance, and performance. His creative process revolves around the question of how to stage philosophical and political questions for a wide range of audiences. His productions have toured in more than 20 countries - often in collaboration with the Goethe Institute - and have been performed in venues such as the Sydney Opera House or Sadler’s Wells in London. He is a guest lecturer at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Germany, where he’s currently researching the intersection of artistic, scientific, and entrepreneurial knowledge.

"Some of the most brilliantly imaginative, humorous, touching theatre I have seen this year. Through a combination of dance, conversation and drawings, they tell their stories. [...] they touch, glancingly, on subjects such as sexuality, nationalism, sex, feminism, loneliness and grief. [...] it is a modernist novel, in dance. But it's infinitely more interesting than either genre (or that description) would lead you to believe."

★★★★★ (5 stars), THE TIMES

about ‘Chalk About' prod. by Curios Seed (Edinburgh / UK).

(c) Pipo Tafel

Press Statements

"Eine wahrhaft fulminanten Inszenierung (...) so leicht, so beiläufig und zugleich höchst unterhaltsam sieht man die Frage nach der großen Show des Lebens im Theater nicht wirklich oft verhandelt”

FRANKFURTER ALLEGEMEINE ZEITUNE about 'Slow Motion - Roller Coaster'

"In just 50 minutes, it leads its audience deep into the stuff of human identity, using movement and dialogue to discuss family and origins, nationality and gender, happiness, sadness and the way we express ourselves"

★★★★ THE SCOTSMAN about 'Chalk About'

"As with all successful shows created for young audiences, there is enough nuance in the work that there is something thought-provoking for an eight year old, as well as for those many decades older."

★★★★ SYDNEY MORNING HERALD about 'Chalk About'

"Both performers chat to us about themselves, their personal history, their likes and dislikes, with an affable honesty that is utterly engaging – but the real charm of their disclosures is where it takes young audiences in terms of thinking about how we all define ourselves, and how we make judgements about others based on appearances. There is a sophisticated, caringly-detailed process underpinning this generous-hearted show."

★★★★ THE HERALD about 'Chalk About'

“A wonderful, radical confusion without safety net, which despite its reduced

surface comes out as a wild piece of Performance-Theater”

WESTWIND FESTIVAL about 'THE ARTE PIECE'

"A fast-as-lightning change of performative attitudes is a trademark of this show, from rage attacks to emphatic demonstration of facts or teenage-like exuberance. Grüne Soße and performance artist Leo Kees got together to stage a production that delivers unusual physicality, spontaneity and an appetite for the undefinable."

FAZ (FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG) about 'Sex, Drugs, Ethics, History and Rock&Roll'

"A contact-intensive lecture, without smartphones, no fears, and a lot of self-confidence."

FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU about 'Sex, Drugs, Ethics, History and Rock&Roll'

“Full of scenes to be grasped with intuition instead of theory.

Not everything has to be understood rationally, and definitely not performances.”

WESTFÄLISCHE NACHRICHTEN about 'THE ARTE PIECE'

"...incredibly close to reality..."

KÖLNER STADTANZEIGER about 'TRASHedy'

"The diversity of resources is highly impressive: dance, animated drawings, audio recordings, lighting, interaction with the audience. It's a firework of all the possibilities theatre has to offer."

Festival Augenblickmal! (Berlin )

about 'TRASHedy'

The Metamorphosis / F. Kafka (c) Paul Schöpfer

Awards, Grants and Nominations

2022 Bochum (DE)

Main Jury Prize at Westwind Festival for ’Spectacular Failures’ - performed by performing group

2021 Köln (DE)

Audience Prize at Westwind Festival for ’THE BIG PICTURE’ - performed by Fetter Fisch

2016, Gelsenkirchen (DE)
Main Jury Prize at Westwind Festival for 'Das Unsichtbare Haus' - State Theatre of Münster

2016, Düsseldorf (DE)
Nominated for the Prize 'Förderpreis NRW'

2014, Marseille (FR)
Recipient of the Production Grant 'Tryangle' for the show 'For Pleasure' - tanzhasu nrw - performed by performing group

2013, Bonn (DE)
Main Jury Prize at Westwind Festival for 'TRASHedy' / tanzhasu nrw - performed by performing group

2013, Bonn (DE)
Audience Prize at Westwind Festival for 'TRASHedy' / tanzhasu nrw - performed by performing group

2012, Düsseldorf (DE)

Nominated for the Prize 'Förderpreis für darstellende Künste der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf'

2012, Neuquén (AR)
Main Jury Prize at Festival 'Selectivo Provincial de Teatro' for 'Antropomorfia'

2010, Dresden (DE)
Recipient of the Production Grant 'Tanzplan Deutschland' for 'Antropomorfia'

(Hellerau, Semper Oper, Palucca)

2009, Essen (DE)
Folkwang Prize to Ximena Ameri for the piece 'Eine Odyssee' - directed by Leo Kees

2006, Ludwigshafen (DE)
Finalist at the 'No-Ballet' Festival and Dance Competition with 'Protecciones'

2006, Salt Lake City (US)
Winner of the International Dance for Camera Festival with 'SFGHSF'

​

★★★★★ (5 stars), THE TIMES

(c) Pipo Tafel

The Metamorphosis / F. Kafka (c) Paul Schöpfer