Mario Barrantes Espinoza is a multidisciplinary artist of Costa Rican-Nicaraguan heritage. They studied theatre and dance at the National University of Costa Rica, before moving to Belgium, where they graduated from the Training Cycle (2016) and the Research Studios (2018) at P.A.R.T.S. He has collaborated in works by François Chaignaud, Théo Mercier, Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe, Michiel Vandevelde, Compagnie La Tempête, and Eszter Salamon.

Mario currently develops projects as an independent artist. His work articulates performance, the (re)writing of texts, and the use of voice, with materials sourced from pop culture and mainstream media. Their two end-of-studies works, [A SEQUENCE III] and Drift (I) —the latter in collaboration with Thomas Bîrzan–, were selected by various international festivals, among them the dance platform Aerowaves (2019), which “showcases the most promising new work by emerging dance artists in Europe”. His debut work, El cantar del playo or… a song is a rose is a thorn (2022), was awarded in 2020 with the Roel Verniers prize by Het Theaterfestival for “creative ideas and new performing talent”. His work FLESH CAN’T CAN’T NOT’T ‘TIS FLESH H… (2024) was selected for Het Theaterfestival 2025, which “showcases the best of the season in Belgium in theatre, dance, circus, and performance art.” His most recent project, Maxhete, is an ongoing performative research exploring myth-making through the figure of the banana within the enclave period in Central America. This work is currently developed through collaborations in São Paulo, San José, Manila, Martinique, and Hong Kong.

Since 2023, Mario is involved in the curation of two projects combining nightlife with performance: Culo shaking night!, a night inspired by family celebrations in Latin America, where the audience, accompanied by food, kitschy décor and music, meet artists whose work activates narratives around queerness and Latin American themes; and Apolemia, a hybrid event blending electronic music, performance, and installation in Brussels’ underground scene.  In parallel, he contributes to teaching and mentoring at institutions including P.A.R.T.S., KASK School of Arts, and the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp.