Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
I am Associate Professor of Art History and Curation teaching on the BA Art History, BA Art History with Gallery & Museum Studies and MA Cultural Heritage & Museum Studies courses.
I am currently researching the histories and cultural heritage of modern and experimental artist practice in East Anglia.
I collaborate with cultural institutions across the East of England to develop curatorial projects that bring wider impact and public engagement with my research through exhibitions and film screenings. I am also an experimental film & video maker whose work has been shown internationally, including at the Museum of The Moving Image, New York, and the Festival International de Cinéma de Marseille.
My latest publication Shadows of Reality: A Catalogue of W.G. Sebald’s Photographic Materials (Boiler House Press and MIT Press) brings together for the first time a comprehensive and fully illustrated catalogue of all Sebald’s photographic materials accompanied by a series of new essays which reveal insights into the celebrated writer’s preoccupation with photographs. The publication is a New York Times 'Art Book of The Year' for 2023.
Recent Exhibitions:
Norwich Works: The Industrial Photography of Walter & Rita Nurnberg
Exhibition curator and principal researcher
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, 2023-24
Lines of Sight: W.G. Sebald’s East Anglia
Exhibition curator and principal researcher
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, 2019-20
W.G. Sebald: Far Away – But From Where?
Exhibition Curator and principal researcher
Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts, 2019
Live Cinema & Expanded Films: Roger Hewins & Guy Sherwin
Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts, 2018
Key Responsibilities
Course Director - Art History and World Art Studies
Since 2021 I have been the Course Director for undergraduate studies in Art History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Gallery and Museum Studies.
Academic Director of The East Anglian Film Archive
The East Anglian Film Archive (EAFA) is the regional film archive for the six counties of the East of England region. Its holdings include thousands of films dating from 1896 to the present day, mainly non–fiction material such as documentaries, home movies, travelogues, educational, advertising, and promotional films. EAFA also homes the work of significant regional artist filmmaking groups such as The East Anglian Film-Makers Co-operative. The archive is a valuable resource for academics, researchers and students and my role as Academic Director is to lead on building collaborative partnerships that support teaching, research, and engagement activities.
Curator of Photographic Collections
The Department of Art History's photographic collections contains approximately 150,000 prints and 500,000+ negatives and positives, making it one of the largest of its type in the UK. I manage the collections and make them available for teaching and research purposes.
Key Research Interests
Art History
British and European Modern Art
19th & 20th Century Painting & Sculpture
Photography
Modern Art in East Anglia
Museums, Archives and Galleries
Cultural Heritage
Curation & Exhibition Making
Artists' Film and Video
Art and Photography
The Photography of W. G. Sebald
'Outsider' / Folk / Naïve Art
Critical Theory
Teaching Interests
Art History
19th & 20th Century European Painting and Sculpture
Photography
Museums, Galleries and Archives
Curation & Exhibition Making
Cultural Heritage
Experimental Film and Video Art
'Outsider' / Folk / Naïve Art
Areas of Expertise
History of Art, Photography, Cultural Heritage, Curation, Museums, Exhibitions, Experimental Film, Video Art, Screen Heritage, Archives, Avant-Garde Art, W.G. Sebald, Modern Art in East Anglia.
Keywords
- Visual arts
- Modern Art
- Avant-Garde Art
- British Art
- Art of East Anglia
- Museums (General)
- Curation
- Heritage
- Exhibition Making
- Archives
- Photography
- W. G. Sebald
- Industrial Photography
- Painting
- Outsider Art
- Sculpture
- Art History & World Art Studies
- Modern History
- Critical Theory
- Arts (general)
- East Anglia
- Film Studies
- Artists' Film
- Video Art
- Experimental Film
- Archive Film
Projects
- 2 Finished
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BFI Screen Heritage Project Fund - EAFA & Queer Norfolk Community Curating Project
Warr, N. (Principal Investigator)
1/07/25 → 30/06/26
Project: Other
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Fast Forwarding Screen Heritage in the East of England
Kelly, S. (Principal Investigator), Warr, N. (Co-Investigator), Kelly, S. (Technician) & Warr, N. (Academic Lead)
1/04/23 → 31/03/26
Project: Other
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A Conversation with Michael Brandon-Jones on the photography of W.G. Sebald
Warr, N., 29 Sept 2023, Shadows of Reality: A Catalogue of WG Sebald’s Photographic Materials. Scott, C. & Warr, N. (eds.). Norwich: Boiler House PressResearch output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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A Small History of Re-Photography
Warr, N., 12 Dec 2023, Shadows of Reality: A Catalogue of W.G. Sebald's Photographic Materials. Scott, C. & Warr, N. (eds.). The MIT Press, p. 64-73Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Inventory of Sources
Warr, N. & Catling, J., 29 Sept 2023, Shadows of Reality: A Catalogue of WG Sebald’s Photographic Materials. Scott, C. & Warr, N. (eds.). The MIT Press, p. 423-458Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Norwich Works: The Industrial Photography of Walter & Rita Nurnberg
Warr, N. (Editor), 20 Oct 2023, Norfolk Museums. 108 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book
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Norwich Works: The Industrial Photography of Walter & Rita Nurnberg
Warr, N. (Curator), 20 Oct 2023Research output: Non-textual form › Exhibition
Prizes
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Innovation and Impact Awards 2020
Warr, N. (Recipient), 6 Feb 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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New York Times - Best Art Books 2023
Warr, N. (Recipient) & Scott, C. (Recipient), 14 Dec 2023
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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UEA Engagement Awards: Arts & Culture
Warr, N. (Recipient), 28 May 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Artists Film Double Bill
Warr, N. (Invited speaker)
8 Jun 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Invited talk
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Community Curating Symposium: People, Power and Activism in LGBTQ+ Contemporary Collecting
Warr, N. (Organiser)
8 May 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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Seven Decades of Contemporary Art
Warr, N. (Invited speaker)
27 Mar 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Invited talk
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Celebrating Amateur Movie Day
Warr, N. (Organiser)
10 Mar 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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International Federation of Television Archives (External organisation)
Warr, N. (Member)
2 Feb 2026 → …Activity: Membership › Social or cultural organisation
Press/Media
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ITV at 70: Celebrating seventy years of ITV
20/03/26
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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Trip to Norwich for the launch of W.G Sebald’s Shadows of Reality
18/07/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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Svenska Dagbladet: Fotografiet förvandlat till litterärt trollspö
3/07/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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Darllen llun: Cysgodion real
1/07/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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Vertigo: Sebald’s Shadows of Reality – The Essays
25/06/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution