Anna Grath

Anna Grath (*1983, Immenstadt) lives and works in Hamburg. She studied at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg with Prof. Andreas Slominski, Prof. Michael Diers and Prof. Thomas Pletzinger and graduated from the HfbK with a Diploma in Fine Arts.

Anna Grath’s delicate wall and room sculptures are constructed from fragile framings, as well as found objects such as branches, wires, glass and other everyday materials. They form assemblages by often combining hard materials with softer ones, such as scraps of fabric and clothing, nylon stockings or simply a ribbon. Thus, her practice of objets trouvés could even be described as sustainable. She not only reassembles found materials, giving them meaning, but also manipulates them: bending, binding, and flexing to create graceful sculptures from items like an old T-shirt or a nylon ribbon woven around a glass to make a simple pattern. In this way, she creates dialogues and symbioses, liberating objects from the functions and identities they are associated with, and thus creating space for new narratives in which fragility becomes strength.

Anna Grath was awarded the Hiscox Art Prize in Hamburg in 2013; in 2014 she received a one-year scholarship from Hamburg School of Art as well as a place in the Airstream Residency in Chicago. In addition to other scholarships and prices, she was also awarded the Hamburg Working Scholarship for Visual Arts in 2018.

Grath’s work was included in numerous exhibitions: Kunsthalle Hamburg; Kunstraum LLC, New York, US; Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof, Hamburg; Kunstverein Bremerhaven; Deichtorhallen/Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg; Produzentengalerie Hamburg; C. Rockefeller Center, Dresden.

Her work is part of numerous collection, such as the Sammlung zeitgenössischer Kunst der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn / Collection of Contemporary Art of the Federal Republic of Germany, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, LBBW Collection Stuttgart, Sammlung Haus N, Kiel und Athen, Sammlung Südhausbau, München, and the Hall Art Collection.

Detailed CV

1983

Immenstadt, Germany / Deutschland

Lives and works in Hamburg, Germany / lebt und arbeitet in Hamburg

Education / Ausbildung

2014

Diplom, Prof. Andreas Slominski, Prof. Michael Diers und Prof. Thomas Pletzinger, HfBK Hamburg

Selected Exhibitions / Ausgewählte Ausstellungen

2024

“JIB DOOR”, PAK Palais für aktuelle Kunst Glückstadt

2023

“Something new, something old, something desired”, Kunsthalle Hamburg, 2022-2024

2022

Anna Grath USE SPACE BAR TO BLAST WORMS, Haverkampf Leistenschneider, Berlin

Ostfriesland Biennale, Kunstraum Pilsum

“Something new, something old, something desired”, Kunsthalle Hamburg

“danger lurks in every cut | Hannah Bohnen, Anna Grath, Daniel Hörner”, Kunstverein Schwerin

2021

Proximity and Distance, Kunstraum LLC / New York, USA

Aufzeichnungen aus dem Abyssal, Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof / Hamburg

2020

‘Grußformeln privater Korrespondenz’, Haverkampf Galerie, Berlin

‘Always Together… Mostly Happy’, Godsbanen, Aarhus, DK

‘all over’, Galerie Mathias Güntner, Hamburg

‘Garten der Gegenwart’, Hamburg

‘Invitation to Love’, Kunstverein Bremerhaven, curated by FORT

‘Arbeitsstipendien für Bildende Kunst’, Deichtorhallen / Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg

2019

‘Neue Kunst in Hamburg’, Produzentengalerie Hamburg (solo)

2018

‘Normal Square’, Galerie Wassermühle, Trittau

‘Reisegruppe Sandrock’, C. Rockefeller Center, Dresden

‘Intervention’, Parallel Vienna, Wien, AT

‘warm white’, Künstlerhaus Sootbörn, Hamburg

‘Kontiki’, Künstlerhaus, Lauenburg

‘Less’, il caminetto, Hamburg

‘Sensitivities:’ The inner state (Matter of concern), Westwerk, Hamburg

2017

‘Junger Westen – Kunstpreise’ Kunsthalle Recklinghausen

‘Port de Bras’ Philipp Haverkampf Gallery, Berlin (solo)

‘Highball’ Wiensowski & Harbord, Berlin

‘Mit Pflanzen kartographieren’, HfBK, Hamburg

‘Sandrock+Sandmann’, Hamburg

‘Deviationen’, MOM Artspace, Hamburg

‘Artists book for everything’, Weserburg, Bremen

‘In the black box’, forum box, Helsinki, FN

‘Rites de Passage’ Philipp Haverkampf Gallery, Berlin

‘sepal petal thorn’, Kunstverein FAN / Wien, AT (solo)

‘Nord/WestKunst’, Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven

2016

‘Deux Swis No4’, Galerie 21, Hamburg

‘PushPull’, MOM Artspace, Hamburg

2015

‘Füge Dich’, BCC, Brandenburg

‘AffentrangerFeldmannGrath’, Galerie Mathias Güntner, Hamburg

‘Next time’, Golden Pudel Club, Hamburg (solo)

Schlafzimmer Sandrock, Hamburg (solo)

2014

‘Eine Bürste als Krücke’, Mana Contemporary, Chicago, USA

‘SteinertFasshauerGrath’, Wiensowski&Harbord, Berlin

‘Please press the button if you would like to alight’, BCC, Brandenburg

‘Lalebüll, Absolventenausstellung’, HfBK, Hamburg

2013

‘Hiscox Kunstpreis 2013’, Kunsthaus, Hamburg

‘Index 13’, Kunsthaus, Hamburg

‘Ast’, Im Kabinett, Hannover

‘Quadrille de deux’, Galerie der HfBK, Hamburg

2012

‘Weiße Elefanten’, Galerie der HfBK, Hamburg

‘Schönwald’, Studio Sechs, Hamburg

2011

’Dreamcatcher’, Feinkunst Krüger, Hamburg

‘Flora at Order’, Galerie der HfBK, Hamburg

2010

‘Slominski Class Show’, Velada Santa Lucia, Maracaibo, VE

‘Haptifikation’, Rauhfaser, Berlin

Publications

2022

Cotton Ball Diet, With a text by Nina Lucia Groß Supported by Stadt Hamburg | Behörde für Kultur und Medien

2021

Anna Grath | Das Regal, textem Verlag, 2021

2020

Anna Grath, „Das bogenartige Herunterbinden kurzgestielter Stelzen“, 2020, Textmontage

2019

Anna Grath, „Form Versus Function“, 2019 (Katalog zur Ausstellung Neue-Kunst-in-Hamburg mit einem Text von Chloe Stead / Hrsg. Moritz Wesseler / 24 Seiten)

2018

Anna Grath / Jenny Feldmann, „Normal Square“, 2018 (Katalog zur Ausstellung mit einem Text von Susanne Stroh / Verlag Gudberg Nerger) – Anna Grath, „Im Zustand der Starre kann man Stabheuschrecken wie Streichh lzer

2017

Anna Grath, „Im Zustand der Starre kann man Stabheuschrecken wie Streichh lzer zusammenlegen ohne dass sie die geringste Bewegung machen“, 2017 (Katalog mit Texten von Hanne Loreck, Thomas Pletzinger u. a. / 140 Seiten) – Anna Grath / Jenny Feldmann, „Please Press The Button If You Would Like