Mari Amman (b. 1984) makes images, installations, videos, performances, poetry, paintings, and sculptures, reflecting on how reality is perceived, formed, and transformed by making the viewer aware of perception itself. Following her first public exhibition in 1999 of land art, Amman pursued interests in the sublime, discerning patterns in nature, and effects of the imaginary realm on reality. Her music and dance background translates into sensitivity with light, color, scent, and materials. Amman works with scientists, music, architecture, and culture professionals to reevaluate and foster healthy relations between the environment and human choices.
She holds a Master of Fine Art (Honors) with Frankfurt School Theory/Conceptual Studio Practice from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, California (2015), and Bachelor of Fine Art (Dean's List) in Advertising/Interior Architecture and Design from Illinois Institute of Art (2006), with studies in Photography and History of Photography at College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, and Social Psychology at Ehime University in Matsuyama, Japan (2013), Norwegian language (2014-2016), Italian language (2025 - ongoing), and over 12 years of classical piano, voice, and dance training since childhood.
Amman is a member of Leica Society International, Magazzini Fotografici, BONO, Norske Billkedkunstnere. Her video work is archived with Videokunstarkivet, operated under the National Museum of Norway (Nasjonalmuseet) in cooperation with the National Library of Norway. Her photographic works are represented by Daidda Gallery in Oslo and Albumen Gallery in London. Amman is recognized as an EIT Culture & Creativity Expert Evaluator with the EU Institute of Innovation and Technology.
Selected international awards, residencies, and screenings: Omniscient, monolithic image and text, 1st by the jury in the Imaging New Eurasia exhibition at the Asia Culture Center, in Gwangju (SK, 2015). PraksisOslo Residency and Praxis Dansfestivalen at KHiO/Dansenhus (NO, 2017), Butoh Residency with Mushimaru Fujieda at KHiO (NO, 2018), Angelot-Trélex Residency (CH, 2019), UKS Young Artists' Society Residency (NO, 2019), Atelier Nord Residency (NO, 2024, 2019), Afjordance screening, AWMAS (UCSB, 2020), Kjerringøy Land Art Residency (NO, 2020), Stefan Simchowitz (US, 2020) collecting her work, Paris Poetry Residency with Trélex Residencies (FR, 2023), Bonny Doon Residency (US, 2022), foundational support and exhibitions for Art Farm Iowa (US, 2023), and Arte Expuesto (MX, 2023).
Amman's artistic research in Aesthetic Resonances, Phlegrian Fields, Landcape-Memory-Eros developed from her pedagogical work for human-based Pattern Recognition, Visual Literacy, and Body Architecture. Her interest in understanding through arts arose from being raised near the Agonic line, surrounded by forest, prairie, a nuclear power plant, industrial agriculture, paternal heritage to political activist Ellen Ammann, landscape artist Harriet Sundström, scientist and mycotoxin expert Harriet Ammann, and maternal Umbrian-Italian heritage. Amman's foundational training in music and dance underscores her artistic research involving geology, resonances, orology, dream study, social psychology, philosophy, temporality, memory, somatics and parietal perception. Her commitment to bringing harmony into reflective and strangely beautiful cultural work aims to foster discernment and recenter hearts during geopolitical and technological transitions.
