Michaela Ott

Dr. Michaela Ott is a retired Professor of Aesthetic Theories at the Hamburg University of Fine Arts (HFBK Hamburg). Her research interests span poststructuralist philosophy, aesthetics and politics, film theory, spatial theories, affect theory, and postcolonial studies. She has held teaching positions at the University of La Jolla, California, and the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). Ott is the author of influential monographs such as Which Outside of Thinking? (2018) and Dividuations (2018), exploring themes like participatory practices and collective subjectivity. Her edited volumes, including Timing of Affect (2014), address epistemologies of emotion and transcultural migration. Ott’s work bridges philosophy, art, and cultural critique, with notable contributions to Deleuze studies and the aesthetics of film.

Her publications span decades, from early works on Deleuze’s literary readings (From Mime to Nomad, 1998) to analyses of Hollywood’s symbolic order (Hollywood: Phantasma, 2005). Her 2004 article on 'Space' in aesthetic concepts remains a foundational text. Ott’s interdisciplinary approach has shaped debates on art knowledge, biennial research, and postcolonial visual culture. She has curated and participated in symposia, including discussions on counter-monuments and para-monuments in public space. Despite her retirement, her intellectual legacy continues to influence aesthetic theory and contemporary art discourse.