Ilse Wanten

Ilse Wanten (1973) is a visionary, artist, researcher and author. For years Ilse submitted herself to all kinds of in-depth (self-)investigations, which pushed her organically in a playful and contemplative artistic direction. Ilse finished her studies at the Humaniora Kindsheid Jesu Hasselt (Greek-Latin/Mathematics-Modern Languages & Informatics), checked out the Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten/Ghent (Film-Photography) and experienced an intense period under the wings of Jan Decleir at the Studio H. Teirlinck/Antwerp (Drama). She followed several workshops - La Fura dels Baus (performance), Marie de Corte, Les Ballets C. de la B./Koen Augustijnen (modern dance), Jan Fabre (As long as the world needs a warriors soul), ect. She experimented with trance- and club-dance, techno and butoh, sjamanistic rhythms and drums and took private singing lessons (classical voice-jazz) from Miriam v. H. She also takes an interest in the health aspects of food & fasting, herbs & healings, hiking, yoga & meditation. Starting out as an actress, dancer, performance-artist and model, she later began creating her own performances which led her to writing and singing. As an actress Ilse toured the world with the Flemish theatre-company Blauw Vier/Laika (Pinokkio; Een dame in de kast; Peep&Eat). As a mannequin/model she worked in Paris and Milan for Martin Margiela, Dries van Noten, ect. She participated in several fashion-performances for Ann Huybens (+ the book 'Coeurs Crus') and from '97 to 2002, she was the AF Vandevorst house-model, who won the 'Venus de la Mode' in '99. As a dancer/performance-artist Ilse joined forces with Tom Tosseyn (Isda?), Hazim Kamaledin (Gamma van Stilte), Romeo Castelucci (Inferno), Toon van Ishoven (Doors; Top-Play; de Keering), Niek Kortekaas (De man in de boot) and many more. Ilse presented the Festival van de Beweeging 4 (curated by dancer/choreographer Marc Vanrunxt), danced in the music-video 'Disco!' from Stef K. Carlens/Zita Swoon and was a founding member of both the performance-groups Luna Baal (with Jo-An Lauwaert) and Het Achtervolk (with Andy Wauman). She worked with director Greet Vissers/Het Paleis (De drie badhuisjes), gave feedback when the Belgian dancer/choreographer Lisbeth Gruwez (Voetvolk) was creating her 'Birth of Prey', and lend her vocal capacities to the Belgian band Boenox/Dimitri Brusselmans when they recorded their album 'Styl-O-Phone'. The single 'Stylophone' was picked up by Radio 1 and Klara (Belgium). 'Wilde Wilde Wereld' with Fleur Boonman (Melkweg/Paradiso-Amsterdam) and 'Geheimnis#AConspirationDesArts' with desnodevormgevers (DeFabriek-Eindhoven) were steps in creating even more personal work. After being selected for the 'Jonge Honden Festival' ('s Hertogenbosch-The Netherlands), she began a writing- and research-process which lasted seven years. While performing in productions of the Flemish Opera (Ivo van Hove, Waut Koeken, Christoph Waltz, Robert Carsen ect.) Ilse published her first book. 'Soul in Sight!' (Ziel in Zicht!) saw the light in 2012 and was accompanied by the launch of her first website. She then decided the next step was the translation of the content of this book into music. This is where the story of Isle of the Sky begins. Seven years after 'Soul in Sight' Ilse launched her second book 'Lieve Hemel' at the high frequency art Galerie Annette De Keyser/Antwerp. The English translation 'Dear Heaven' appeared one year later.