Aniara Omann
Residency at Triangle-Astérides, as part of a cross-residency program with Glasgow Sculpture Studios (GB-SCT).
Aniara Omann was born in 1987, Denmark, she lives and works in Glasgow (GB).
Working across sculpture, video, text and performance Omann’s work often uses forms and materials found in manual special effects and prop productions to explore the boundaries and paradoxes between interconnectedness and individuality. She is inspired by Science Fiction, and its ability to reflect present societal and psychological states of humanity, through imagined futures or alternative realities.
Often working with objects positioned somewhere between appropriation and creation, her work mirrors the current transition from postmodernist fragmentation and inability to ‘make’, toward a potentially ‘ism-free future with the ability to imagine and create new realities outside of cultural references. Her work often sits somewhere between pointing to the identity of individual objects, as created through their cultural and collective references, and the attempt to create new objects, existing through their own integrity, materiality and presence. Recently her work has been focused on exploring ways of developing new materials, with particular interest in materials that have short breakdown periods, such as biodegradable plastics.
For the duration of a residency at Triangle France, Aniara Omann will be developing a new body of work around the subject of sleep and dreams. Exploring Jungian theory and Taoist philosophy, the project will be an extension of her recent research on psychoactive mushrooms, looking at ways to bypass the human ego through alternate states of mind.
Aniara Omann is graduated from Glasgow School of Art, MFA and Funen Art Academy, BFA. Recent exhibitions include: Iwillmedievalfutureyou6, Kunsthal Aarhus, Cross-feed, Market Gallery, Transformationer, Kunsthal Ulys; Final Incarnation, VoidoidARCHIVE; In Drógum, Akureyri Art Museum; Aniara Omann / Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys, Celine Gallery; Brad Pitt, Intermedia Gallery, CCA. Other projects and events include: Performance at Artists Moving Image Festival, Tramway; Hybrid, performance event at Gallery Celine. Recent text pieces in publications: Words of Unknown Origin, Uncle Chop Chop and Gnommero.
In 2022, Glasgow Sculpture Studios (GSS) and Triangle-Astérides celebrated the 10th anniversary of their Residency Exchange programme.
Established in 2012, the residency exchange is designed for artists at a pivotal point in their career who have not had major institutional support or the opportunity to develop work abroad. The programme enables Glasgow-based artists and creative practitioners to work, share practice, and learn new skills in France, while facilitating the reciprocal experience for artists based in Marseille to travel to Glasgow and experience the cultural landscape of Scotland.
The partnership between GSS and Triangle-Astérides developed from Glasgow and Marseille’s designation as twin cities in 2006. Both organisations have a history of making culture a centrepiece of life within their cities. Based in former industrial hubs, GSS and Triangle-Astérides share similar objectives, challenges, and working contexts. Both organisations underpin the creative communities of their respective cities through nurturing a supportive and diverse artistic community and providing access to access to artist studios, high-quality production facilities, and cultural networks.
As we continue into another decade of the Residency Exchange Programme, we have formalised the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) as partners in the project. The CCA team have long been supporters of this programme in a variety of ways; through studio visits, in-kind support, and working with the incoming artists from Marseille to present public outcomes from their residency as part of CCA’s Open Source Programme, we are excited to continue to acknowledge and embed this support in our exchange programme.
As organisations, GSS and CCA complement each other well; with GSS able to offer the space and resources to make work, and CCA offering the space and means to share work in addition to offering their Artist Flat as accommodation. Through working in partnership and combining our skills, resources, and expertise as organisations we’re able to provide an enhanced offer to artists from Marseille that will ensure they are well positioned to make the most of creative ecology of Glasgow.
