Ane Thommessen Graff

Ane Graff lives and works in Oslo, Norway. She graduated from Bergen National Academy of the Arts in 2004 and is currently finishing up her PhD in Artistic Research at the Oslo Academy of Fine Art. Recent shows include the exhibition "The Wound In Its Entanglements" at Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam, NL (2022), “Liquid Life” at the Kistefos Museum, NO, (2021), the 2021 Liverpool Biennale, Liverpool, GB, the Rhizome/ New Museum/ Stavanger Kunsthall collaboration 7x7 (2021), and "Weather Report –Forecasting Future", shown at the Nordic Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale and at KIASMA, Helsinki (2019-20).

What I am working on now / current interests

My artistic practice is informed by feminist new materialisms’ ongoing re-thinking of our material reality, in which a relational and process-oriented approach to matter–including the matter of living bodies– plays an integral part. I focus on questions such as: "What is touch within matter?", and "How are bodies materialized?" and uses Deleuze's concept of "the wound" as a thinking tool. I mainly produce sculptures (some more "experimental" than others), but I also write literary texts and work with performance.

Pedagogical approach and expectations of students

As a teacher, you will have my support and undivided attention. I expect honesty, openness and vulnerability (given the nature of what we are trying to do, creating art), and I will think with you and offer what I can, when i can. Likewise, generosity and preparation is a key element in the way the group critiques are approached from my side. What this means is that some information about the individual’s practice and artworks to be discussed will be distributed beforehand, in order for the rest of the group to be able to prepare and to think about how they can contribute for the benefit of the presenting student. We are there to help each other grow and will generously share from our lives and practices and knowledges. My aim is to build a support structure of peers that could possibly continue after the studies.

Forskningsprosjekt: The wound in its entanglements