Matthias Laurenz Gräff

**Matthias Laurenz Gräff** (also known as _Matthias Laurenz Gräff Ilpenstein_; born 19 July 1984) is an Austrian-greek painter, historian, politician and political activist.

## Background

Matthias Laurenz Gräff is the son of the artist Helmuth Gräff and the art professor Martina Maria Elisabeth Gräff, daughter of the architect Richard Gach. His paternal ancestors were politically active and religious free thinkers with their own coat of arms who belonged to the Dutch De Graeff family. In 2013 Matthias Laurenz Gräff became a co-founder and chairman of the worldwide Family Association Gräff-Graeff ("Familienverband Gräff-Graeff e.V."). The family association serves to research and bring together the noble and patrician families Graeff, who are natural descendants of the Austrian nobleman Wolfgang von Graben († 1521). He lives in a partnership with the Greek-born born Georgia Kazantzidu. They lives in Gars am Kamp, Austria and Platamonas, Greece.

## Works

Matthias Laurenz Gräff studied art at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and get his master's degree in 2008. Gräff paints still lifes, pieces of flowers, interiors, landscapes, architecture, allegories, nudes, compositions, historical themes. His political paintings are published by national and international books, magazines and blogs.

In 2010 he received the "Adolf Peschek Preis" (_Adolf Peschek Public Award_) in the Museum of the City of St. Pölten. In 2012 Gräff created the painting for the vine etiquette of the Red Cross in Lower Austria. In 2013 Gräff created the officiel twin city painting for Gars am Inn (Germany). In 2014, he received a contract to create three paintings for the vine etiquettes "Garser Wein 2014". A local businessman boycott the publishing of the etiquettes about the illustration of Georgia Kazantzidu as a half naked woman. This led to a little media scandal in Austria.

In his paintings, Gräff also deals with literary themes, including the implementation of the content of the writer Erich Maria Remarque. He participated in large memorial exhibitions in the Erich Maria Remarque Peace Center in Osnabrück. The museum also features paintings by Gräff. His painting “Der Weg zurück” serves as the book cover of “Das Wunderbare, die Idylle und der Krieg: Aufsätze zu Erich Maria Remarque und zur Lyrik des Ersten Weltkriegs”, published by the University of Osnabrück / Erich Maria Remarque Peace Center Osnabrück. It is also part of the book _Networking Remarque: Zum 125. Geburtstag Erich Maria Remarques_ again published by the University of Osnabrück / Erich Maria Remarque Peace Center Osnabrück.

#### Art and politics

Matthias Laurenz Gräff has been working on contemporary images of political and social criticism since 2015, which have been published several times in newspapers, blogs and books on national and international politics. Important topics are anti-fascism, socialism, anti-nationalist, pro-European, liberalism and tradition. Gräff deals with national and global issues and personalities. He also deals with socio-political issues and critical processes in Austrian society and politics.

In relation of the 2019 European Parliament election, Gräff created a pro-European painting in collaboration with the Austrian party NEOS.

The _Erich Maria Remarque-Friedenszentrum_ (University of Osnabrück) wrote about Gräff: _He consistently represents humanistic, anti-nationalist and pro-European positions both in his art and in various exchange and discussion programs organized by him_.

#### Dialog im Kamptal

Matthias Laurenz Gräff organizes the non-partisan political and diplomatic platform Dialog im Kamptal (_Dialogue in Kamptal_) with his girlfriend Georgia Kazantzidu in his art studio in Gars am Kamp. Erhard Busek, Wolfgang Brandstetter, Karin Kneissl, Karl von Habsburg, Wolfgang Petritsch and Hannes Swoboda where just some of the renowned speakers.

#### Politician

Matthias Laurenz Gräff has been politically active as a community representative in Gars am Kamp for the Austrian liberal parliamentary NEOS party since 2022. He was also a candidate for the Lower Austrian state elections in 2023, and here as a candidate for the Waldviertel region and as a top candidate for the Horn district.

In March 2024 Matthias Laurenz Gräff took over the role of official Representative for Greece for the parliamentary party NEOS. 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.

## Other websites

- Official website (in German, English, Greek)
- Matthias Laurenz Gräff. Political and social criticism paintings (in English)
- Profile, basis-wien.at; accessed 7 August 2015.
- Profile, artfacts.net; accessed 22 September 2015.
- Matthias Laurenz Gräff profile, kulturvernetzung.at; accessed 7 August 2015.
- POETS Radio. Irene Gavala, Exclusive interview | Matthias Laurenz Graeff | Ζωγραφίζοντας., 2018
- Universität Wien. Univ-Doz. Dr. Friedrich Polleroß: Gemälde von Matthias Laurenz Gräff im Museum in Neupölla ; accessed 7 August 2015.

## Infobox (artist)

- **name**: Matthias Laurenz Gräff
- **image**: File:Matthias Laurenz Gräff.jpg
- **caption**: Matthias Laurenz Gräff in 2016
- **birth place**: Horn, Austria, Horn, Lower Austria
- **field**: painting, drawing
- **movement**: Expressionism, Expressive Realism (arts), Realism, Modern art, Pop art
- **works**: political paintings
- **awards**: _Adolf Peschek public Award_ (City museum of St. Pölten, 2014)
- **website**: [http://www.matthiaslaurenzgraeff.com Official website]


## Infobox (royalty)

- **name**: Matthias Laurenz Gräff
- **succession**: De Graeff, Chairman of Family Association Gräff-Graeff
- **reign**: 1 August 2013 – present
- **predecessor**: New creation
- **birth place**: Gars am Kamp, Lower Austria, Austria
- **spouse**: Georgia Kazantzidu
- **full name**: Matthias Laurenz Gräff Ilpenstein
- **house**: De Graeff
- **father**: Helmuth Gräff
- **mother**: Martina Maria Elisabeth Gräff
- **religion**: Irreligion