BIO:
Rebecca Merlic *17/01/1989 in Oberwesel am Rhein, Germany (HR/AT/DE) is a European digital artist and architect, experimental filmmaker, and senior scientist at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Rebecca Merlic creates virtual, interactively experienceable spaces and situations—not merely as portals from the real to the digital world, but as gateways inclusive representation that can only be discovered in the fluid negotiability of virtual worlds.
Rebecca’s artistic practice is not just digital but deeply rooted in her lived experience, including migration. She explores identity, political struggle, and the collective, while remaining dedicated to learning decolonizing and feminist practices.
Rebecca's work extends beyond art, driven by her deep understanding of intersectionality—the ways in which different layers of identity create different possibilities for alliances and collaboration.
Rebecca also has a strong interest in creative writing and artistic research, blending her interdisciplinary approach to connect media art, architecture, urbanism, the anthropology of the new human image and game design. She is an exceptional artist, a true pioneer who encapsulates the plurality of our world, crafting new narratives for our time with all available tools. Through her work, she challenges boundaries and opens collaborative, intersectional spaces of thought and interaction, where political and personal identities intersect seamlessly.
Rebecca’s artistic practice is not just digital but deeply rooted in her lived experience, including migration. She explores identity, political struggle, and the collective, while remaining dedicated to learning decolonizing and feminist practices.
Rebecca's work extends beyond art, driven by her deep understanding of intersectionality—the ways in which different layers of identity create different possibilities for alliances and collaboration.
Rebecca also has a strong interest in creative writing and artistic research, blending her interdisciplinary approach to connect media art, architecture, urbanism, the anthropology of the new human image and game design. She is an exceptional artist, a true pioneer who encapsulates the plurality of our world, crafting new narratives for our time with all available tools. Through her work, she challenges boundaries and opens collaborative, intersectional spaces of thought and interaction, where political and personal identities intersect seamlessly.
She is the holder of the Marianne von Willemer Prize 2020 for digital media, DKB VR Art Prize winner 2023 as well as Content Vienna winner and the holder of Theodor-Körner prize for art and science 2023. Recently her work was shown at SLAMDANCE (Utah, US), New Cinema Days (Manchester, UK), Belvedere + Belvedere21 (Vienna, AT), ADAF (Athens, GR), ARS ELECTRONICA (Linz, AT), Austrian Cultural Forum (Tokyo, JP), V2 (Rotterdam, NL), Ethnographic Museum (Zagreb, HR), MSU Museum for contemporary art Zagreb.
CV
Rebecca Merlic
*17.01.1989 in Oberwesel am Rhein, Germany (HR/AT/DE/JP),
citizenship: Croatian
EDUCATION:
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, AUT (2016-2020)
Master of Architecture and Art (MArch.), Institute of Art and Architecture
Specialized in Analogue and Digital Production
supervisor: Wolfgang Tschapeller, François Roche & Michael Hansmeyer
University of the Arts Tokyo GEIDAI, JPN (2017-2018)
supervisor: Atsushi Kitagawara student exchange architecture and art
Technical University Vienna, AUT, (2011 – 2016)
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Architecture
TEACHING:
10/2023 - ongoing Senior Scientist, IKA- Institute for Art and Architecture, ADP-platform, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. AUT
11/2022 workshop & lecture Keio University Tokyo, JP Akira Wakita Lab
10/2022 -03/2023 University Assistant Experimental Game Cultures, Prof. Margarete Jahrmann, University of Applied Arts, Vienna
Since 2020 Dean of the faculty of Glitch Bodies and Digital Urbanism Uzupis University, Vilnius, LT
2018-2019 study assistant LECTURE SERIES Institute for Art and Architecture, Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, AUT
2014-2017 study assistant department for housing and design, TU Wien, AUT
since 2023 jury member Gender Queer Decolonial Studies 2024_25 Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
jury member Prix ARS ELECTRONICA 2025 – New Animation Art category
EXHIBITIONS:
10/2024 Kavana Corso, Garaža KAMBA, Zagreb, HR
03/2024 GLITCHBODIES gaming booth, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Inter:Active Exhibition, DNK
10/2023 VIKTORIJA, Realities in Transition XR Camp hosted by Kontejner, Extended Worlds Exhibition MSU- Museum for contemporary art Zagreb, HR
09/2023 DKB VR Art Prize Exhibition, CCA Berlin, Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin Art Week
07/2023 Über das Neue, Belvedere21, Vienna, AT
05/2023 Ljubljana Art Week, Truth is a forgotten memory with Zeljko Beljan, ETC, Ljubljana Galerija Kresija, Ljubljana, SLO
11/2022 DOMUM Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo, JP
10/2022 DOMUM exhibition Studio Kura, Itoshima, JP
09/2022 Ignorance is strength, Exhibition in collaboration Akademie der Künste, Berlin and HDLU, Zagreb, European Alliances of Academies, Ethnographic Museum Zagreb, HR
02/2021 Belvedere21, Vienna, Austria with Yein Lee, Cristian Anutoiu, Legacy Russell, Laokoon, Depart, Keiken
08/21 TheCityAsAHouse 都市が家になるとき soloshow, hosted by ARS ELECTRONICA Bildraum 07, Bildrecht, Vienna, AUT+ GLITCHBODIES WIP
11/2021 CYLAND, CYFEST 13, St. Petersbourg, RUS
09/2020 JAPANREVISITED202X Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo, JPN
09/2020 VIENNA DESIGN WEEK, Vienna, AUT
09/2020 DUTCH DESIGN WEEK, NL
07/2020 with Rashin Fahandej (on the topic of Social Inclusion) AMERICAN ARTS INCUBATOR Ars Electronica, ZERO1, U.S. Embassy Vienna, U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, AUT, USA
07-08/2020 ADAF. Athens Digital Arts Festival, Athen, GR
09/2020 ARS ELECTRONICA, Garden, VENT Gallery WIen/ Linz, AUT
PERFORMANCES:
10/2023 VIKTORIJA Soccer Game Performance,MSU- Museum for contemporary art Zagreb, HR
09/2023 DKB VR Art prize GLITCHBODIES Performnace, Berlin Art Week, Haus am Lützowplatz, GER
09/2023 Tulpenmania / Domum @ Deep Space AS ELECTRONICA FESTIVAL 2023, Linz, AUT
09/2023 Meet the Artist: Rebecca Merlic, GLITCHBODIES @ Deep Space AS ELECTRONICA FESTIVAL 2023, Linz, AUT
06/2023 GLITCHBDOIES GAME SHOW, Tanzquartier, Museumsquartier,S_P_I_T Festival, Vienna
01/2023 GLITCHBODIES GAME SHOW BANGKOK, DECOMMUNE, Bangkok, THA
06/2022 GLITCHBODIES GAME SHOW VIENNA, Auditorium, University of Applied Arts Vienna, AUT
08/21 TheCityAsAHouse 都市が家になるとき game performance, hosted by ARS ELECTRONICA Bildraum 07, Bildrecht, Vienna, AUT
MOVIES:
TheCityAsAHouse 都市が家になるとき (2020)
Best Austrian Animation winner, ASIFA Austria
GLITCHBODIES (2023) in collab. Pixel, Bytes Film, ORF III, Arte
Slamdance 2023 (Utah, US), New Cinema Days, Abandon Normal Devices, , (Manchester, UK) CHP:DOX (2024)
PUBLICATIONS:
09/2023 exhibition catalogue ARS ELECTRONICA2023, Linz, AUT
08/2023 TheCityAsAHouse -1st Book publication published by the Verlag für moderne Kunst
05/2023 Vague Terrain, Institute for Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, and Design, TU Vienna
12/2020 publication book WOMANCAVE_COLLECTIVE, Gendered Space GenderDysphoria with Hannah Jöchl, NY, USA
09/2020 exhibition catalogue ARS ELECTRONICA2020, Linz, AUT
09/2020 publication JAPANREVISITED202X Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo, JP
05/2020 publication Magazine BLANK ISSUE NR. 2: CRISIS, Wien, AUT
2019/2020 KA REVIEW WINTER 2019, Institute of Art and Architecture, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, AUT
PRIZES/STIPENDS:
11/2023 Theodor-Körner Prize for Art and Science `23, by Theodor-Körner Foundation, AUT
11/2023 CONTENT VIENNA award by Wirtschaftsagentur Wien, SXSW South by Southwest, Austin Texas special award
09/2023 DKB VR Art Prize Berlin winner. GER
09/2023 Ars Electronica Prize 2023 honorary mentions - New Animation Art category, Linz, AUT
03-05/2023, Realities in Transition, V2, Rotterdam, NL
11-02-2022/23 International Scholarship for Film, Bangkok, Thailand , The Ministry of the Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport, AUT
09-10/2022 artist in residency Studio Kura, Itoshima,JP,
2022 Digital Humanism x Future Living research project commissioned by Austrian Cultural Forum Tokyo, JP
01-04/22 IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH, residency Akademie der Künste Berlin, European Alliances of Academies, GER
01/2021 BEST AUSTRIAN ANIMATION 2020 winner ASIFA Austria, 2DaysAnimationFestival
01/2021 web residency: DOOM ROOM, Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart GER
12/2020 artist residency, Pixel, Bytes & Film, ORFIII, Arte Creative, Federal Ministry, AUT
10/2020 Marianne. von. Willemer prize for digital media, Women's Office of the City ARS ELECTRONICA & City Council Linz, AUT
07/2020 merit stipend city of Vienna, Culture Department of the City of Vienna (MA 7), AUT
LECTURES:
Since 2023 ongoing lecture winter term Advanced Introduction to Analogue Production, Digital Production, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, AUT
Since 2023 Ongoing seminar summer term 3D Modelling and Animation I Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, AUT
09/2023 Ars Electronica Animation Festival 2023 Meet the Artist: Rebecca Merlic, Deep Space, AUT
06/2022 Creative Days Vienna CIVA- Embodied Structures with Prof. Margarete Jahrmann, Vienna, AUT
12/2022 Subotron, MQ, Games 2021: A Panel on Indie Dev, Art, Education & Community, Vienna, AUT
04/2022 Deep Space ARS ELECTRONICA Linz: Gustav Klimt’s Images of Women – A Dialogue with the Portraits of Women by Rebecca Merlic in collaboration with Dr. Franz Smola, ARS ELECTRONICA CENTRE, Deep Space 8K, Linz, AUT
12/2021 Fair Digital Future for Art and Culture UNESCO, Wien, AUT
01/2021 Symposium on applied paradox: paradox in the body, City of Munich’s Department of Arts and Culture. with Dr. Ulf Hengstmann, Dr. Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, Franz Nahrada, H.E. Tomas Čepaitis
WORK EXPERIENCE:
08/2020 Project lead & art direction Online Experience & Video production STARTS.EU + ARS ELECTRONICA Festival 2021
2018 NOIZ ARCHITECTS, Tokyo
2014: HADI TEHERANI ARCHITECTS, Hamburg