Oliver Sann

Oliver Sann is an Associate Professor of Photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He collaborates with Beate Geissler on interdisciplinary projects exploring the intersections of knowledge systems, power structures, and technological transformation. Their recent work, "Hopium Economy," examines the opioid crisis in the Midwestern USA through lenses of public health systems, pharmaceutical industries, and socio-cultural dynamics.

• Current affiliation: School of the Art Institute of Chicago
• Collaborative research with Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
• Exhibited internationally at institutions including Museum Ludwig (Cologne), Fotomuseum Winthertur (Switzerland), and the German Pavilion at Dubai Photography Biennial

Their practice critically engages with media and technology's inherent idiosyncrasies at the border between factual documentation and constructed realities. They investigate how substance dependency metaphors illuminate humanity's relationship to the Anthropocene and ecological crises.

Scientific Awards

• Videonale Award
• Herman-Claasen-Award
• Graham Foundation production grant
• Humanities without Walls grant