Matthias Laurenz Gräff, Offizielle Webseite

biography


Matthias Laurenz Gräff (2016, Foto Reinhold Podolsky)
Matthias Laurenz Gräff als NEOS Representative für Griechenland. (Foto von Georgia Kazantzidu)

academic painter, political activist & politician, private historian

Helmuth Gräff, drawing "Matthias-Laurenz träumend", 1985/86

childhood and youth

 

Born 19th july 1984 to an European family shaped by social, political and religious free thinkers as well as traditionalists. Son of the academic painter Helmuth Gräff and Martina Maria Elisabeth Gräff (neé Gach), former highschool-professor of arts. The family lived at several places in Lower Austria and Vienna

At the age of three young Matthias had already developed his love for art and drawing. Beginning at the age of three he stayd at his fathers studio. In the studio of his father he had been drawing thousends of artworks

student

 

Summeracademy Geras / Lower Austria by Prof. Bernhard Hollemann (2001- 2004) and Prof. Arthur Redhead (2002-2004)

2001 to 2002, study at private collage New Design Centre, St. Pölten / Lower Austria (director/dean Mag, Barry John Hewson)

"VIVO", 150x160 cm, oil on canvas, diplom

Between 2002 and 2008 Gräff studied art at University of Applied Arts Vienna of Wolfgang Herzigs masterclass of painting

 

Diploma "Weltaussenschu-Weltinnenschau" at the University of Applied Arts/Vienna  ^^^

Matthias Laurenz Gräff, Ernest kienzl, presidetnf the St. Pöltner Künstlerbund (Art Union) and Thomas Pulle, director of the Stadtmuseum St. Pölten (Museum of the City of St. Pölten). Photo St. Pöltner Künstlerbund

academic painter, private historian, political activist & politician, organizor

 

During the 64th yearly fair of St. Pöltens Künstlerbund (art union) Gräff received the "Adolf Peschek Preis" (Adolf Peschek Public Award) in the Museum of the City of St. Pölten

Matthias Laurenz Gräff, Wolfgang Sobotka, Willi Sauer with the vine ettiquettes of the Red Cross vine. Foto: Christian Leneis, NÖN Kremser Zeitung

In 2012 Gräff created the vine etiquette of Red Cross in Lower Austria. Presentation with Gräff (2nd left) Wolfgang Sobotka, president of the austrian Parliament (3rd left), Willi Sauer, president of the Red Cross Lower Austria (2nd right)

Georgia Kazantzidu and Matthias Laurenz Gräff (central) on stage with the Mojo Blues Band

In 2013 Georgia Kazantzidu together with Gräff organized the concert of the famous Mojo Blues Band in his hometown Gars am Kamp 

Matthias Laurenz Gräff and the two Mayors (Gars am Kamp and Gars am Inn) in front of the twin city painting. Photo NÖN Horn

2013, town twinning Gars am Kamp - Gars am Inn On the accasion of the celebration of the sister city Gars am Inn Gräff created the twin city painting  ^^^ 

In the same year he become co-Founder and chairman of the worldwide Union "Familienverband Gräff-Graeff e. V." (Family Union Graeff)  ^^^

Matthias Laurenz Gräff and Georgia Kazantzidu with the painting "Garser Wein, Pathos". Photo Copyright by Rupert Kornell, NÖN Horn

In 2014 Gräff received from mayor's bureau the contract to create the vine etiquettes "Garser Wein 2014". A local businessman boycott the publishing of the etiquettes about the illustration of a half naked woman, and this led to a little media scandal  ^^^

Group photo in front of Kornberg castle (Matthias Laurenz Gräff sixt person from right)

In the same year Organisation of a worldwide Graeff-families Reunion meeting on the occasion of "530 years Graeff" at the castles Kornberg and Riegersburg and Graz in Austria

Matthias Laurenz Gräff, Anita Hohenberg and Georgia Kazantzidu

1914 to 2014, "100 years Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Duchess Sophie of Hohenberg in Sarajewo" at Schloss Artstetten. Gräff, Princess Anita Hohenberg (great-granddaughter of Franz Ferdinand of Austria) and Georgia Kazantzidu ^^^

Her Excellence Mrs.Chryssoula Aliferi, Matthias Laurenz Gräff and Mrs. Georgia Kazantzidu

2014, at the residence of the Greek Ambassadress in Vienna. The Greek Ambassadress in Vienna, Chryssoula Aliferi, Gräff and Georgia Kazantzidu with the painting "Achilleion auf Korfu"

Regina Waldum, Her Excellence the Greek Ambassadress in Vienna - Mrs. Chryssoulla Aliferi, Georgia Kazantzidu, GGR Gerald Steindl, Maria Elena Kyriakou - the greek Song Contest Singer 2015, Matthias Laurenz Gräff, photo Martin Kalchhauser

In 2015 Gräff and Georgia Kazantzidu, together with Chryssoula Aliferi, the Greek Ambassadress of Austria, welcome the greek Eurovision Song Contest Singer Maria Kyriakou in the Greek Embassy in Vienna ^^^

Franz, Georgia Kazantzidu, Nick Simper and Matthias Laurenz Gräff.  Photo Peter Brkusic

In 2015 artist meeting with Nick Simper, founding member of Deep Purple, in Vienna ^^^

Franz, Georgia Kazantzidu, Nick Simper and Matthias Laurenz Gräff.  Photo Peter Brkusic

In 2017 artist meeting with Don Airey, keyboardplayer of Deep Purple ^^^

Nationalrat Werner Groiß, Bernhard Görg -Vizebürgerm. und Landeshauptmann-Stellvertr. von Wien a. D., Gräff, Jörg Leiter (Präsident "Österreichische Selbsthilfe Polyneuropathie"). Foto - Martin Kalchhauser, NÖN Horn

In the same year benefit-exhibition in favor of Polyneuropathie at WUK, Vienna. Opening by Werner Groiß, member of the Austrian Parliament and Bernhard Görg, former Vice-Governor of Vienna ^^^

Alain Dieckhoff, Christophe Jaffrelot, Elise Massicard: "L’Enjeu mondial : Populismes au pouvoir" (fr), Paris: Presses de Sciences Po, 2019, S. 177.  ISBN 978-2-7246-2500-4

Since 2017 Gräffs political and social critiqual paintings become published by national and international and as well national magacines, blogs and books and by political researchers [as of april 2024 in over 155 publications] ^^^

A reminder of the exhibition, dedicated to me by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover

In 2018 "Deep Purple - Art and History - The exhibition". Celebrating 50 years of Deep Purple, Kunsthalle Köln-Lindenthal (Cologne, Germany) Group exhibition with Roger Glover, bass player of Deep Purple ^^^ Gräffs drawing of the band served as an invitation to the exhibition during Deep Purples European tour ^^^

In 2018, interwiew on the greek POETS Radio by Irene Gavala (former general manager of the greek broadcast ERT World) ^^^

Stephan Maier (Political referent of Beate Meinl-Reisinger), Anais Weinberger (Fundraising), Matthias Laurenz Gräff, Georgia Kazantzidu, Stefan Egger (Federal Managing Director), Ingrid Ciplea

In 2019 invitation from Stefan Egger, Federal Managing Director of the Austrian political party NEOS in Vienna. Topics where:

* Europe discussion at Gräffs studio

* A special art project between Gräff and NEOS, "United States of Europe"

In the same year foundation of the "Dialogue in Kamptal", a non-partisan platform for dialogue and participation in the tradition of a salon of the 18th and 19th century in the Studio Gräff & House Kazantzidu with politics and diplomats [Initiative Georgia Kazantzidu] ^^^

Matthias Laurenz Gräff and Karl von Habsburg (chief of the former imperial house of Austria) in front of the Graeff coat of arms in his living house (Photo Georgia Kazantzidu)

Matthias Laurenz Gräff and Karl von Habsburg - historical HIH Archduke Karl of Austria, chief of the former imperial house of Austria, historical legacy of Roman majesty and the Austrian Empire - in front of a variant of the Graeff coat of arms at his home ^^^

Matthias Laurenz Gräff and Indra Collini - NEOS Lower Austria spokeswoman and club chairwoman, member of the Landtag of Lower Austria- in front of the Cityhouse of Gars am Kamp (photo Georgia Kazantzidu)

"Good politics must put people first"

(Gute Politik muss den Menschen in den Mittelpunkt stellen)

 

Political participation with NEOS as community spokesman for Gars am Kamp since the beginning of 2022, as a candidate for the state elections of Lower Austria in 2023, [Waldviertel] as candidate on the state list and top candidate constituency district Horn ^^^

On the occasion of the 125th birthday of the german novelist and pacifist Erich Maria Remarque, the Erich Maria Remarque Peace Center Osnabrück put on two exhibitions: "Networking Remarque"and "Ein Geschenk für Remarque". Participation with the large-format oil painting "Der Weg zurück", which also adorns the invitation to the exhibitions, and will then be transferred to the museum's inventory. The painting also was used for the book cover "Das Wunderbare, die Idylle und der Krieg: Aufsätze zu Erich Maria Remarque und zur Lyrik des Ersten Weltkriegs" and for the book "Networking Remarque: Zum 125. Geburtstag Erich Maria Remarques". 
Matthias Laurenz Gräff als NEOS Representative für Griechenland. (Foto von Georgia Kazantzidu)

Matthias Laurenz Gräff (39) took over the role of representative for Greece for the Austrian parliamentary party NEOS on March 25, 2024. The state representatives are part of the state organization NEOS X - International, in which politics is made by and for Austrians abroad. Gräff represents NEOS in Greece both internally and externally. In addition to representing Austrians abroad, this function also includes establishing contacts and cooperation with liberal Greek parties ^^^

Matthias Laurenz Gräff presented the award to Austria's Honorary Consul Evelyn Wallner Papadopoulou in Thessaloniki

Since 2024, the family association Gräff-Graeff (Familienverband Gräff-Graeff e. V.) in person of chairman Matthias Laurenz Gräff has been awarding recognition to people with the Letter of honor who have made a contribution to cultural life. This award is intended to continue a tradition that the De Graeff family maintained as patrons of the arts during the Dutch Golden Age  ^^^