GRIF is a Copenhagen based
scenographer duo.

The mission of GRIF is to expand artistic approaches, methods and forms of collaboration in the field of scenography.

GRIF investigates known and yet-to-be-known ways in which a scenographer enters a dialogue and develops artistic material in performing arts in the relationship between
scenographer-to-scenographer as well as scenographer-to-theater.

GRIF is formed by

Scenographer and costume designer

Ditte Marie Walter Tygesen

Scenographer and architect

Mikkel Sebastian Rostrup

Both scenographers graduated from the Danish School of Performing Arts in 2020.

Ditte and Mikkel individually received the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation‘s honorary scholarship 2021.

GRIF was followed by the
Internationel Center For Knowledge In The Arts‘ career program Enhanced Practice in the period August 2021 – August 2022 with assigned mentor
Miriam Frandsen
(Dramaturge, curator, and project leader at TOASTERcph)

STATEMENT

GRIF is a mission:
To break away from and challenge the expected way of working as a set designer.

GRIF is critical of the current normative way of working as a set designer at the institutional theaters in Denmark.

In the meeting with the Danish theater field, GRIF experiences a lack of reflection on expectations for the set designer’s work.

GRIF investigates alternative approaches, methods and forms of collaboration in the field of scenography.

GRIF attacks and expands known ways in which a scenographer enters a dialogue and develops material in performing arts, both in the relationship between scenographer-to-scenographer, as well as scenographer-to-theater.

GRIF experiences that Danish theater is locked in expectations by the work of the set designer.

The institutionalized theater focuses on efficiency and feasibility, which does not amend openness to explore new scenographic working methods.

So, there is no time, profit and confidence to recognize that newly educated scenographers can contribute new knowledge and new working methods that can revolutionize the theater. Lack of time breeds distrust of the set designer’s contribution and leaves no room for common doubt and intuition in the process.

GRIF sees opportunities for new forms of work in: The way the scenographer submits their material to the theater, the scenographer’s employment date and participation, collaborating two scenographers on a single performance, expanding the collaboration between scenographer and builder, propmaker, painter or tailor.

GRIF believes that the artistic struggle lies in the study of new working methods. The product of this research is not the result of the performance, but the development of new methods and knowledge sharing.

Side by side with their artistic practice

GRIF will reflect, document and discuss.

GRIF’s goal is to make the collected knowledge available and share it with the Danish Scenographic Association.