ANNA MARIA ORRÙ
PhD
Architect - SAR / MSA
Farmer
WELCOMEAnna Maria’s work is embedded in biomimicry (nature’s inspiration), artistic/design research and in curating ‘hands-on’ research and action, providing alternative approaches to ecological design and sustainability through transdisciplinary modes. Everywhere in her practice and teaching, she looks to provide poetical, practical and seductive forms of reconnecting to nature as a critical solution to tackle the climate breakdown. She is co-founder and directs Nordic Biomimicry, a center dedicated to collaborating with nature as a mentor, measure and method. In her practice, she situates herself between academia, research, art and public space. She believes that artstic modes play a key role in sustainability, and in the 2024 Superorganism show at Munkeruphus in Denmark, our relations with bees was the leading topic. In exhibition work, she both contributes art work, but also curates around Nature’s thematics and embodied modes of immersion.
In 2020, she started the Monte Preti nature academy with the Danish artist/poet Morten Søndergaard on a farm in the hills of Tuscany, where she runs a series of international courses with SSES (Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship), DIS (Study abroad in Scandinavia), IED Torino and other organisations on sustainability in real-world situations through design, space-making, food and nature reconnecting. Her work with SSES in conducting these educational programmes was nominated finalist for the NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS ‘Education Champions’ Award in 2023. (7 of 1400 applications in the category ‘reconnecting to nature’. She is an Affiliated Senior Lecturer at Konstfack – University of Arts, Crafts and Design (Stockholm SE) and Head science coordinator for IED Torino on the co-founded MA programme in Ecological & Social Design, but teaches also abroad and most recently in Japan at Kyoto University of Arts. Anna Maria has a PhD in Architecture & Artistic Research, from Chalmers University of Technology.
Finally, to further underpin her service to ’nature’ and in exploring various modes of nature-inspired work, she became a beekeeper, and takes care of a biodynamic vineyard and olive grove on Monte Preti.
Email: amo (at) annamariaorru.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
LINKS TO ANNA MARIA ORRÙMonte Preti
SSES
Konstfack University
Nordic Biomimicry
PhD Thesis
IED Torino
RebelArchitette
Design & Posthumanism Network
Research Gate
Academia
FoAM
Parse Journal
BiomimEXPO
Hållbarhets guiden
MAGAZINES / BOOKSJANUARY 2013 - FOODPRINTS book published. To download a Low-resolution pdf to the catalog, please follow the following link: Foodprints.
DECEMBER 2012 - featured article on Footprints in Polish art magazine Notes81. Link to full article, click here
MAY 2012 - featured in Arkitekten Magazine May issue with article on Biomimicry by Nina Gunne. Click here to download pdf of the issue.
NOVEMBER 2011 - featured in article in South African design magazine ‘Design Indaba’.
PRESS
MAY 2024 - SUPERORGANISM exhibition press in Informacion, Politiken, Informacion,. Also in DK Radio, Sverige Radio (Klotet), Kristeligt Dagblad and Arkitekten Magazine. Other links: Kulturkupeen, Tidsskrift for Biavl (Bee Foundation DK),
OCTOBER 2014 -featured and interviewed on Polish TV news program 'Dzien Dobry TVN' in Warszawa. The piece looked into the subject of growing your own food in the city - Stockholm in this instance. Seeking a way to combine architecture and gardens, called urban farms. Link to Tv show can be found here.
OCTOBER 2014 - Anna Maria Orru comments on Swedish Radio (Sveriges radio P1 - Klotet) regarding biomimicry, responding to Sweden's Miljöminister Åsa Romson's comments on providing further funding into this type of research. Link to the show can be found here.
NOVEMBER 2010 - Anna Maria Orru interviewed by AxTalk in Stockholm. See interview here
DECEMBER 2009 - Anna Maria Orru interviewed at ‘Cultures | Futures’ Symposium and conference in Copenhagen in preparation for COP15 summit. See video interview here.
Anna Maria Orru filmed in collaborative workshop at Klimaforum (COP15) www.yourclimate.tv
NOVEMBER 2009 - Anna Maria Orru meets Britian’s previous Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. An article was featured in AJ (london UK) on the event with another image printed.