Alraunengruppe

2024, installation of five velvet objects, dimensions variable, Tausend Töpfe, MARKK Hamburg

Alraunengruppe (engl: Group of Mandrakes), 2024, consists of 5 textile objects. Influenced by an interest in cryptozoology, it draws inspiration from cultural and historical representations of vegetal life that disrupt human dominance, reflecting on anxieties about our relationship with the non-human world. From the vivid imagery of medieval manuscripts to the speculative realms of modern science fiction and horror, monstrous plants embody resistance to human control, challenging anthropocentric views and exposing the consequences of exploitation. This depiction of plants as vengeful forces or uncontrollable entities, often times seducing and later devouring humans, serves as a metaphor for the fragility of human constructs in the face of ecological upheaval. The interactive textile objects, shaped like huge mandrake roots, invite touch and embrace. The pieces blur the boundaries between horror and comfort, creating an experience where vulnerability and solace coexist.

The mandrake, a recurring theme in Graf's work, is a nightshade plant, which has astounding roots formed similar to the human body. It’s also infamous for its deadly scream emitted when threatened by being dug up. While it is notorious for its use in the Flying Ointment of witches, the common folk used mandrake as a talisman. It was kept in a box, equipped with precious little dresses and tenderly spoiled by its owner. Laid under the bed, it was supposed to help with fertility. It was even said that if taken in, it could change a person’s sex. The mandrake root is a symbol for an active, intelligent, conscious plant world, an idea often questioned by popular science. Through its scream, the mandrake becomes an active resistance fighter of the plant kingdom. Thus, as a plant-human hybrid, it questions original views of nature and encourages us to raise our voices for change.

To read the related short story Carnivore (2022) in Hartikel: Click here

Alraunengruppe, 2024, textile installation, dimensions variable, installation views in studio 

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Alraunengruppe

2024, installation of five velvet objects, dimensions variable, Tausend Töpfe, MARKK Hamburg

Alraunengruppe (engl: Group of Mandrakes), 2024, consists of 5 textile objects. Influenced by an interest in cryptozoology, it draws inspiration from cultural and historical representations of vegetal life that disrupt human dominance, reflecting on anxieties about our relationship with the non-human world. From the vivid imagery of medieval manuscripts to the speculative realms of modern science fiction and horror, monstrous plants embody resistance to human control, challenging anthropocentric views and exposing the consequences of exploitation. This depiction of plants as vengeful forces or uncontrollable entities, often times seducing and later devouring humans, serves as a metaphor for the fragility of human constructs in the face of ecological upheaval. The interactive textile objects, shaped like huge mandrake roots, invite touch and embrace. The pieces blur the boundaries between horror and comfort, creating an experience where vulnerability and solace coexist.

The mandrake, a nightshade plant, has astounding roots formed similar to the human body. It’s also infamous for its deadly scream emitted when threatened by being dug up. While it is notorious for its use in the Flying Ointment of witches, the common folk used mandrake as a talisman. It was kept in a box, equipped with precious little dresses and tenderly spoiled by its owner. Laid under the bed, it was supposed to help with fertility. It was even said that if taken in, it could change a person’s sex. The mandrake root is a symbol for an active, intelligent, conscious plant world, an idea often questioned by popular science. Through its scream, the mandrake becomes an active resistance fighter of the plant kingdom. Thus, as a plant-human hybrid, it questions original views of nature and encourages us to raise our voices for change.

To read the related short story Carnivore (2022) in Hartikel: Click here