Anais-karenin is an artist, writer and researcher. Her practice is intimately engaged with plants, evoking them as ancestry. She investigates the liminal states between materials and gradations of belonging to each other, evoking mixture and abdicating pure categories. Her works deal with the cultivation of plant systems, plant medicine, installation, fieldwork, collaborations, sound, image and actions. She considers that listening to plants calls for intimacy and intuition, which make up her creative methodology. Guided by a symbiotic speculation, she allies herself with animism and mythological thought to critically reflect on history, language, territory and science.
She researched traditional methodologies with medicinal herbs since 14 years old inspired by the cosmovisions of her ancestors from "sertão" (a dry, rural area in northeastern Brazil), from where arise the main questions and myths that guides her works.
2024 PhD in Arts University of São Paulo|USP (Brazil)
2021-2023 Visiting Researcher Fellow Waseda University, Department of International Culture and Communication Studies (Japan)
2018 MA in Art and Contemporary Culture University of Rio de Janeiro|UERJ (Brazil)
2016 BA in Visual Arts University of Rio de Janeiro|UERJ (Brazil)
2017 Butoh Dance Studies with the Masters Tadashi Endo and Yoshito Ohno
Member of bio-aesthetics research group metaPhorest (Japan)
Integrant of experimental sound project Meteoro (Brazil)
Based in Tokyo
SOLO
2023 Things named [things], The 5th Floor, curated by Tomoya Iwata (Tokyo-JP)
2023 Mediate Plants, Kobo Chika Gallery, Yebizo MEETS Program - Yebisu International Festival for Art and Alternative Visions 恵比寿映像祭 (Tokyo-JP)
2021 (un)visual latency, Uradana Gallery, Sumida Expo, presented by Ona Project Room (Tokyo-JP)
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2024 野良になる (Becoming Feral), Towada Art Center, Aomori Gokan Art Festival (Aomori-JP)
2024 Outras Paisagens, MAC Niterói, Museum of Contemporary Art Niterói (Niterói-BR)
2024 Gunma Artist in Residency Program Exhibition, The Museum of Modern Art Gunma 群馬県立近代美術館 (Gunma-JP)
2024 The Senses of Plants, curated by Julia Thiemann, Villa Merkel (Esslingen-DE)
2023 土と夢 , Gasbon Metabolism (Hokuto-JP)
2023 Diffusion of Nature, Watowa Gallery (Tokyo-JP)
2023 Radio Otherwise, CTM Festival + Vorspiel Berlin
2022 Between Of, curated by Tomoya Iwata, The 5th Floor (Tokyo-JP)
2022 記録する, Gallery Kobo Chika (Tokyo-JP)
2022 Mettazine, curated by Alliwen, Org. Goethe Institute Tokyo, Buoy Space (Tokyo-JP)
2022 PARADISE HOUR, PARADISE AIR (Matsudo-JP)
2022 Anthropocene beyond the fork, Tsukuba Art Cycle, curated by Noriko Yamanaka (Tsukuba-JP)
2022 Performar Circuitos, curated by Dudu Tsuda and Priscila Arantes, Galpão Cru (São Paulo-Brazil)
2022 the breath below, Kunstverein Göttingen (Dresden-DE)2021 Künstlers äus Gebäud f:, Berlin Art Week (Berlin-DE)
2021 SANAR SONAR, with Meteoro, Festival Sur Aural (Bolivia)
2021 Radio Otherwise, with Meteoro, Archival Community, Floating University (Berlin-DE)
2021 A extinção do silêncio, curated by Piscina, São Paulo Art Fair Viewing Room (São Paulo-BR)
2020 Não é o céu, lá fora?, curated by Paulo Gallina, Galeria Tato (São Paulo-BR)
2020 CoVideo-19, curated by Bianca Bernardo (online)
2019 Com os olhos no céu da boca, Centro Cultural Correios (São Paulo-BR)
2019 Mostra do Filme Livre, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (many cities-BR)
2019 Bienal do Sertão, Museu do Piauí (Teresina-BR)
2018 Projeto Estufa”, curated by Daniela Thomas and Mari Nagem, SPFW46, Arca (São Paulo-BR)
2018 Achados e Perdidos, curated by Marcelo Campos, Gustavo Schnoor Galeria (Rio de Janeiro-Brazil)
2018 9+1, curated by Pollyana Quintella, Centro de Artes UFF (Niterói-BR)
2017 Políticas Incendiárias, Centro Municipal de Artes Helio Oiticica (Rio de Janeiro-BR)
2017 Experiência 9+1, curated by Pollyana Quintella, Centro Cultural Justiça Federal, (Rio de Janeiro-BR)
2016 Festival Mais Performance, OiFuturo Ipanema (Rio de Janeiro-BR)
2016 Indisciplinas, with Meteoro, Casa França-Brasil (Rio de Janeiro-BR)
2016 Das Virgens em Cardumes, performance, curated by Daniela Labra, Museu Bispo do Rosário Museu Arte Contemporânea (Rio de Janeiro-BR
2016 4QUINA, Galeria A Gentil Carioca (Rio de Janeiro-BR)
2016 O Teu Osso é Pedra, performance, Galeria Mercedes Viegas (Rio de Janeiro-BR)
2016 Do teus olhos, os gestos, performance, curated by Ivair Reinaldim, Paço Imperial (Rio de Janeiro-BR)
2015 Festival Novas Frequências #5, performance with Delivered in Voices, Atelier do Tunga (Rio de Janeiro-BR)
2015 Primaverinha, curated by João Paulo Quintella, Oi Futuro Flamengo (Rio de Janeiro-BR)
GRANTS | FELLOWSHIPS
2022/23 Fellowship, Doctoral Sandwich, Ministry of Education CAPES (BR)
2021 Grant, QOL Matsudo Art Award PARADISE AIR (JP)
2016/18 Fellowship, National Council CNPq (BR)
2013/15 Fellowship, Ministry of Education CAPES (BR)
RESIDENCIES
2023 Gunma Artist in Residency Program 2023 (Gunma-JP)
2023 Resonance Program (artist and coordinator). Supported by OSAKA EXPO, collaboration with Togatta Residency (Miyagi-JP)
2022 ZAO EXPO, Togatta Residence (Miyagi-JP)
2022 Kumonodaira Artist in Residence Program (Toyama-JP)
2021 PARADISE AIR Artist in Residency, QOL Matsudo Art Award (Chiba-JP)
2021 - m(-u-)lti-yo(-u-)u-s-m(-u-)lti- Laboratory, Torhaus Whelen (Dresden-DE)
2020 Vírus-19, Online Residency
2017 Rice Valley Projects, Artist in Residency (Kyoto-JP)
2016 Museu Bispo do Rosário Arte Contemporânea (BR)
Researcher at GEAA (Art Asia Studies) from University of São Paulo and Kinyokai (Japanese Studies)
Associated to Silo - Arte e Latitude Rural until 2020, coordination of "EncontrADA - Tecnologias e Saberes Ancestrais"
LECTURES | ARTIST TALKS
2022/23 Teaching Assistant, Prof. Pedro Erber, Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies, Waseda University, Tokyo, JP.
2023 Oxford University (UK). Conference "Missing Bodies, Missing Voices". Seminar tittle: "Environment in Japan: Art and Activism from Post-war to nowadays Anthropocene".
2022 United Nations University (JP). Org. United Nations. The 3rd Global Conference Strengthening Synergies Between the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
2022 ECOLOGICAL MEMES Forum. "Reencountering Animism - Arts of Relating to the World"
2022 75th metaPhorest Seminar hold by Waseda University (JP). Seminar tittle: "Dialogues - Plants, Bioart and Animism".
2022 Salamanca University (ES). Lecture tittle: "Not to swallow, to let oneself be swallowed: for a review of the Modern Art Week",
2021 Ochanomizu University (JP). Lecture tittle: "Symbiotic Spaces: Arts, Science & Research",
2018 Contemporary Art Museum, Niterói (BR). Artist Talk: "Gélido Sertão". ANPAP Sudeste.
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