Photo by Agustina Isidori
Current
November-December 2024 – Cuddly Circuits in Motion Solo Exhibition at Lab36, Barcelona.
Biography and artistic statement
Electronic artist and creative coder. Born and based in Barcelona.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (UB). Master’s degree in Digital Arts (UPF). Master’s degree in Contemporary Philosophy (UOC). Phd Student at Network and Information Technologies doctoral program (UOC).
I’ve been awarded with the Catalan National Culture Award 2021 (Premi Nacional de Cultura de Catalunya 2021).
My works are part of the National Contemporary Art Collection of Catalonia, .NewArt {collection;} and Colección DKV.
I focus my practice on creative coding and electronics, combining them with non-digital objects to create interactive projects, robotic installations, and handcrafted electronic devices.
The general interest of my artistic practice lies in the development of alternative technologies through creative coding and electronics. My proposals merge technology and philosophy through art, creating technological artifacts far from the need of any functionality or productivity, just for the sake of building critical devices that trigger collective thinking and discussion. Formally, my practice it is based in producing handmade electronics objects and robots, that perform different concepts of my research scope, presenting themselves as theatrical devices. With this devices, I want to offer experiences that propose alternative ways of thinking about technologies, robotics and open hardware.
With my projects I have participated in different art festivals and institutions around the world such Ars Electronica (AT), Manifesta Biennial, ISEA, Creative Tech Week (NY), Robotronica (AUS), Loop Festival (SP), Laboral (SP), FILE (BR), CCCB (SP), Arts Santa Mónica (SP), La Capella (SP), among others.
I have been awarded with the Catalan Culture Award 2021, and also at the Japan Media Arts Festival, AMAZE Berlin, the Margaret Guthman Musical Instrument Competition in Atlanta and with a BBVA Foundation Leonardo grant. I have participated in artistic residencies at S+T+ARTS program, Technoculture, Arts and Games in Montreal, European Media Artists in Resicence Exchange (EMARE-EMAP) in QUT (Australia) and Hexagram (Montreal), Medialab Prado in Madrid, Platohedro in Medellin and Etopía in Zaragoza, as part of the European ARTificial Intelligence Lab program.
Currently, I’m conducting artistic research in critical robotics in collaboration with the Barcelona’s Institute of Industrial Robotics IRI UPC-CSIC and I’m part of the Creative Board of La Capella (Barcelona).
Main residencies, talks and awards
Catalan National Culture Award 2021
October’23- June’24 – Artist in residency at S+T+ARTS in the city program with Hacte. Barcelona, Spain.
November’23- April’24 – Artist in residency at GRIN S+T+ARTS program. Oulu, Finland.
Summer – Autumn 2023 – EMAP Residency at Hexagram (Montreal, Canada).
June 2023 – Sonar+D. AI & Web Creatives Summit. Barcelona.
July – August 2023 – Artistic residency at Palau de la Musica Catalana. Barcelona.
October – November 2021 – Artistic residency at D6, Newcastle. UK
January 2020 – August 2022 – Resident artist in the European project Contested Desires
September 2020- VisionarIAs – Artistic residency. European ARTificial Intelligence Lab. Etopia Centro de Arte y Tecnología. Zaragoza.
September 2020 – Creative Robotics – Sonar+D
2020 – Production and Exhibition Grants by Institut Ramon Llull, NewArtFoundation and Hangar
2018-2020 – Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators. Fundación BBVA.
October 2018 – Speaker at IndieCade Europe. Paris.
October – November 2018 – Artistic residency at Medialab Prado. Madrid.
March 2018 – Artistic residency at Platohedro. Medellín, Colombia.
July – August 2016 – The Conduit. Collaboration with Friedrich Kirschner in his Transmit3 Residency (Ars Electronica FutureLab and QUT The Cube) with The Society for Cultural Optimism. Berlin/Linz.
April 2016 – Award nomination at the A MAZE. Festival, Berlin.
February 2016 – Jury Selection at 19th Japan Media Arts Festival
February 2015 – Semi finalist at the Margaret Guthman Musical Instrument Competition, Georgia Tech, Atlanta.
November 2014 – Digital Futures: New Realities, organized by Victoria and Albert Museum at the MWC in Barcelona.
July 2014 – September 2014 – Move On: European Media Artists in Residence Exchange at QUT Residency. Brisbane,
July – August 2023 – Artistic residency at Palau de la Musica Catalana. Barcelona.
October – November 2021 – Artistic residency at D6, Newcastle. UK
January 2020 – August 2022 – Resident artist in the European project Contested Desires
September 2020- VisionarIAs – Artistic residency. European ARTificial Intelligence Lab. Etopia Centro de Arte y Tecnología. Zaragoza.
2020 – Production and Exhibition Grants by Institut Ramon Llull, NewArtFoundation and Hangar
2018-2020 – Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators. Fundación BBVA.
April 2020 – Speaker at A MAZE. Festival, Berlin.
2018-2020 – Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators. Fundación BBVA.August 2019 – Digital Naturalism Conference. Gamboa, Panamá.
October – November 2018 – Artistic residency at Medialab Prado. Madrid.
July 2018 – Dinacon – The Digital Naturalism Conference. Thailand.
March 2018 – Artistic residency at Platohedro. Medellín, Colombia.
April-September 2017 – Residency ‘Suport a la creació’ to develop the interactive theater piece Harinera, at Fira Tàrrega. Tàrrega, Lleida.
May – June 2017 – Sónar Innovation Challenge.
October 2016 – Invited Artist at Videosonica, Cali (Colombia).
July – August 2016 – The Conduit. Collaboration with Friedrich Kirschner in his Transmit3 Residency (Ars ElectronicaFuture Lab and QUT The Cube) with The Society for Cultural Optimism. Berlin/Linz.
April 2016 – Award nomination at A MAZE. Festival, Berlin.
February 2016 – Jury Selection at 19th Japan Media Arts Festival
June-August 2015 – Critical Hit. TAG Research Centre – Concordia University, Montreal.
April 2015 – Interactivos? 15 – Futures at play, Media Art Futures, Murcia.
February 2015 – Semi finalist at the Margaret Guthman Musical Instrument Competition, Georgia Tech, Atlanta.
July 2014 – September 2014 – Move On: European Media Artists in Residence Exchange at QUT Residency. Brisbane,
February 2024 – Hipertèlia. Solo exhibition at Centro Párraga, Murcia.
June 2023 – Solo exhibition at Capella de Sant Corneli. Cardedeu.
April – June 2023 – Hipertèlia. Solo exhibition. BCN Producció. La Capella, Barcelona.
March 2023 – Máquina Orgánica. Canal Connect. Teatros Canal, Madrid.
September 2022 – Ars Electronica Festival. Exhibition and Panel. Linz
November 2022 – NOVA Festival. Bucharest.
June – August 2022 – ISEA2022 Barcelona Exhibition. La Capella, Barcelona.
July 2022 – Xarkis Festival, Cypruss
May 2022 – Contested Desires exhibition, Newcastle. UK
April 2022 – La c(AI)xa de música infinita, Palau de la Música. Barcelona
December – April 2022- Homo Ludens. Videojuegos para entender el presente. Caixaforum. Barcelona.
February – May 2022 – La tradició que en travessa. Arts Santa Mònica, Barcelona.
December – February 2021 – ESPIRALESPAI. Solo exhibition at La Volta, Girona
July – October 2021- Homo Ludens. Videojuegos para entender el presente. Caixaforum. Madrid.
January – September 2021- VisionarIAs – European ARTificial Intelligence Lab. Etopia Centro de Arte y Tecnología. Zaragoza.
June 2021 – NEO Cosmocaixa. Barcelona.
September 2020 – Enacting Innovation participatory performance with Friedrich Kirschner, Judith Igelsböck, Sarah Buser, Tomás Montes, Leoni Voegelin and Laura Zoelzer. Ars Electronica. Linz
September 2020 – New Home of Mind, new work exhibited in Ars Santa Mònica for Ars Electronica Garden. Barcelona
August 2020 – CAFCA* Festival. Oviedo.
December 2019 – August 2020 – Gameplay. Videogame Culture. CCCB, Barcelona.
June 2018 – Sensorium Festival. Bratislava, Slovakia.
June 2018 – Silbersalz Festival. Halle, Germany.
June 2018 – NEGOCIO. Casal de Cultura de Sant Cugat.
February 2018 – Mobile World Week Exhibition. Disseny Hub, Barcelona.
February 2018 – LlumBCN 2019. CC Les Glòries, Barcelona.
November 2018 – Códigos Profanos. Collective exhibition at Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes Rosa Galisteo de Rodríguez. Santa Fe, Argentina.
November 2018 – Experiencia Astralis. Solo exhibition at PAula Educación. Centre Cultural la Misericòrdia, Palma de Mallorca.
April – March 2018 – ARTEFACTES. Solo exhibition for Womart at Museu de Granollers.
January – March 2018 – FILE Bello Horizonte 2018. .
January 2018 – Harinera at Santiago Off, Chile.
October – December 2017 – FILE Brasilia 2017 .
July – September 2017 – Buildasound at Brunch-in the Park, Barcelona.
September 2017 – Interactive theater piece Harinera, Fira Tàrrega. Tàrrega, Lleida.
August 2017 – Interactive piece for DGTL Festival. Barcelona.
December 2016 – July 2017 – Press Start: the game starts. Espai Cultura. Fundació Sabadell 1859. Sabadell.
December 2016 – May 2017 – LightJumper. Salting Center, Mataró.
April 2017 – Interactive piece for the ceremony of Premi equit@at, Barcelona.
November 2016 – Linkafesta 2016. El Prat de Llobregat.
September 2016 – Ars Electronica Festival, Radical Atoms. Linz.
May 2016 – Music & Dealers, Madrid.
May 2016 – Creative Technology Week, New York.
March 2016 – Iberofest. Taillin, Estonia
February 2015 – Welcome to applied fiction, collaboration in Jean-Pierre Bekolo’s exhibition at SAVVY Contemporaryduring Berlinale, Berlin.
November 2015 – 20th Anniversary event at MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona)
November 2015 – Recorreguts Sonors at CC Convent de Sant Agustí
October 2015 – Salon : Data, Eastern Bloc, Montreal.
October 2015 – Werkleitz Festival 2015, Halle (Saale).
August 2015 – Robotronica. QUT, Brisbane.
September 2013 – October 2015 – Ars Electronica Center, Linz.
July 2015 WOW Festival Brisbane, QUT, Brisbane.
February-May 2015 – Disseny per viure, Museu del Disseny, Barcelona.
June 2014 – 9ª Mostra Sonora i Visual, Convent de Sant Agustí Barcelona.
November 2013 – MB21, Dresden.
September 2013 – U19 – Ars Electronica, Linz.
March 2013 – FILE GAMES, Rio de Janeiro.
February 2013 – 7th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction, Barcelona.
November 2012 – Il grande per i piccoli, Brescia.
July – August 2012 – FILE Festival, Sao Paulo. Brasil.
June 2012 – Manrusionica Xics!, Manresa.
June 2012 – 8ª Mostra Sonora i Visual, Convent de Sant Agustí Barcelona.
May 2012 – Festival Nins, Reus.
February 2012 – Festival Uovokids, Milan.
January 2012 – El racó del lloc, Centre Cívic Sant Jordi, El Prat.
November 2011 – Festival Ingràvid, Figueres.
November 2011 – Lexias, Pinacoteca Universitaria, Colima, México.
November 2011 – Lexias, ACA arte contempráneo, Colima, México.
October 2011 – Lexias, Centro Fundación Telefónica, Lima, Perú.
June 2011 – SonarKids, multimedia art and sound festival. MACBA, Barcelona
May 2011 – Wee PAM, multimedia art festival. C.A. Cal Massó, Reus
April 2011 – JAMM’11, multimedia art festival. C.C. Golferichs, Barcelona.
April 2011 – El Mirador Mutuo. Barcelona.
November 2008 – IKAS’Art, best spanish university students projects.
September 2008 – Exposición Espacio Movistar, digital artworks.
September 2008 – Sense Títol, best student’s projects from Universitat de Barcelona.
September 2007 – Sense Títol, best student’s projects from Universitat de Barcelona.
June 2023 – Sonar+D. AI & Web Creatives Summit. Barcelona.
September 2020 – Creative Robotics – Sonar+D
December 2019 – JUX19, Barcelona.
November 2018 – Talk at PAula Educación. Mallorca.
October 2018 – Speaker at Femtek. Bilbao.
October 2018 – Speaker at IndieCade Europe. Paris.
May 2018 – Pantalla de Inicio #3, Espacio Fundación Telefónica. Madrid.
November 2017 – Panel: Games with a purpose, at MIRA Festival.
July 2017 – Talk: Games, technology, theater and society. Museums and videogames. For EducaThyssen at UCM, Madrid.
July 2017 – Talk & Workshop: Programming languages as culture. Escuela Cívica, Barcelona.
March 2017 – Talk & Workshop for the participants in the open call Juegos Reunidos at MediaLab Prado, Madrid.
November 2016 – Talk: Gender and tech. Civic Lab. MOB, Barcelona.
October 2016 – Games as an artistic practice. Videosonica, Cali (Colombia).
October 2016 – Games, theater and technology. Segones jornades d’escena digital a Barcelona. Fabra i Coats, Barcelona.
April 2016 – Talk: PechaKucha Barcelona, Musseu del Disseny.
December 2015 – Conectable, IED Madrid.
November 2015 – We/Make’15 at MOB Barcelona
28 February 2015 – Buildacode, DEMO, Disseny Hub, Barcelona.
24 February 2015 – Design to educate, Museu del Disseny, Barcelona.
November 2014 – Digital Futures: New Realities, organized by Victoria and Albert Museum at the MWC in Barcelona.
May 2014 – Dorkbot, Hangar. Barcelona.
October 2021 – Workshop at Sonar+D. Online – Barcelona.
28th October – 1st November 2019 – Piksel, Autum School. Norway.
November 2018 – Floating Robot Workshop. Espacio Fundación Telefónica, Madrid.
November 2018 – Cardboard Robot Hand Workshop for kids. Espacio Fundación Telefónica, Madrid.
May 2018 – Workshop AudioGames. Pantalla de Inicio #3, Espacio Fundación Telefónica. Madrid.
September 2017 – Workshop: ‘Drawing melodies’ at Eufònic Festival.
August 2017 – Workshop: ‘Drawing melodies’ at Festes de Gràcia. Barcelona.
May 2017 – Workshop: Interactive narratives in the forest at ESC.
March 2017 – Talk & Workshop for the participants in the open call Juegos Reunidos at MediaLab Prado, Madrid.
October – November 2016 – APPtivism workshop with David Proto. Centro de Enmedio, Barcelona.
October 2016 – Workshop: Cardboard orchestra. Videosonica.Cali, Colombia.
June 2016 – Workshop: Cardboard orchestra. Lo Pati, Amposta
June 2016 – Workshop: Cardboard orchestra. X Mostra sonora i visual, CC Convent de Sant Agustí, Barcelona
November 2015 – Family workshops at MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona).
February 2015 – Little Robots Workshop at DEMO, Disseny Hub, Barcelona.
November 2014 – Interactive Puppets Workshop at Linkafesta, CC Jardins de la Pau, El Prat.
October 2014 – Little Robots Workshop at Ingràvid Festival, Figueres.
September 2014 – Kids & Electronics Workshop for Ingràvid Festival at Ars Santa Mònica, Barcelona.
11 September 2014 – Masterclass for education and interaction design university students at QUT. Brisbane, Australia.
30 August 2014 – Young Scholars Program: Interactive Hand Puppets at QUT. Brisbane, Australia.
16 and 17 August 2014 – Garduino Workshop at The National Science Week at QUT. Brisbane, Australia.
4, 11 and 18 August 2014 – Introduction to Makey Makey Workshop for Visual Arts University students at QUT. Brisbane, Australia.
23 and 30 July 2014 – Makey Makey Workshop for school kids at QUT. Brisbane, Australia.
July 2013 – Little Robots, Mónica Rikić & Joana Moll. Festival Art Roulotte, Vic.
November 2022 Juror at Creative Bursary by Wetransfer (The supporting act foundation)
June – October 2019 – Mentor at Red Bull Basement Barcelona
June 2018 – Juror in the final presentations of the Masterts in Advanced Interaction of IAAC, Barcelona
June 2017 – Juror in the final presentations of the Advanced Interaction Research Line of IAAC, Barcelona.
September – November 2016 – Mentoring Digital Prototyping for MID Emprenedors – Project Youngfish
May – June 2016 – Mentor of the ABSOLUT LABS challenge at Sónar Innovation Challenge.
Publications
Existential crises of conscious machines: reflections on the machine-like condition through art and speculative philosophy Artnodes No 29: (January 2022). NODE 29. Ecology of the imagination (Guest Editor: Marina Garcés).
Work referenced at: Live Coding and Machine Listening, Nick Collins, Durham University, Department of Music. For ICLC-13 The 13th International Cognitive Linguistics Conference.
“Tangible Syntaxes: Exploring embodied and tangible I/O programming systems for children.” – Mónica Rikić, Juan Gabriel Tirado y Giovanni Maria Troiano. Barcelona, febrero 2013. Published by Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
“Buildasound” – Mónica Rikić, February 2013. Published by Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
El jardí de les delícies digitals. Joan Bordeus. Núvol
Mónica Rikic: “El robot autónomo sería un cotilla”. El País.
Cortocirtuito – Siglo 21 Radio 3.
Proyecto Madre de Robots. La Vanguardia.
Apptivismo para la acción y concienciación social. El Periódico.
A Playful Design for A Future Society: The Conduit, Ars Electronica Blog.
Buildacode, experimentando con la programación y los sonidos con cubos de espuma, Educación 3.0.
Lo que viene después del “Setenta y ocho”. Karl-Marx Factor.
Buildacode, música y programación artística. Madrid al día.
Interview: Mónica Rikić. Critical Hit Montreal.
These 20 Unorthodox Instruments Are Making the Music of the Future, The Creators Project.
Concurso Margaret Guthman de instrumentos musicales atípicos. Hispasonic.
Complementos lúdicos y educativos para nativos digitales, El arte en la edad de silicio. El País.
Mónica Rikić Creates Her World. Ars Electronica Blog.
Entrevista a Mónica Rikić. Mosaic.
Main exhibitions
November’24 – Loop Festival, Barcelona, Spain.
July 2023 – October’24 – Art Meets Apolo. Sala Apolo. Barcelona.
September – November’24 – Manifesta15, Barcelona, Spain.
July 2021 – June 2024 – Homo Ludens. Videojuegos para entender el presente. Caixaforum (different locations in Spain).
April 2024 – Psychoflage at Sónar Istambul, Turkey.
May 2024 – Hipertèlia. Solo exhibition at Drugo More, Croatia.
February 2024 – Hipertèlia. Solo exhibition at Centro Párraga, Murcia.
April – June 2023 – Hipertèlia. Solo exhibition. BCN Producció. La Capella, Barcelona.
March 2023 – Máquina Orgánica. Canal Connect. Teatros Canal, Madrid.
September 2022 – Ars Electronica Festival. Exhibition and Panel. Linz
November 2022 – NOVA Festival. Bucharest.
June – August 2022 – ISEA2022 Barcelona Exhibition. La Capella, Barcelona.
July 2022 – Xarkis Festival, Cypruss
April 2022 – La c(AI)xa de música infinita, Palau de la Música. Barcelona
December – April 2022- Homo Ludens. Videojuegos para entender el presente. Caixaforum. Barcelona.
February – May 2022 – La tradició que en travessa. Arts Santa Mònica, Barcelona.
December – February 2021 – ESPIRALESPAI. Solo exhibition at La Volta, Girona
July – October 2021- Homo Ludens. Videojuegos para entender el presente. Caixaforum. Madrid.
January – September 2021- VisionarIAs – European ARTificial Intelligence Lab. Etopia Centro de Arte y Tecnología. Zaragoza.
September 2020 – Enacting Innovation participatory performance with Friedrich Kirschner, Judith Igelsböck, Sarah Buser, Tomás Montes, Leoni Voegelin and Laura Zoelzer. Ars Electronica. Linz
September 2020 – New Home of Mind, new work exhibited in Ars Santa Mònica for Ars Electronica Garden. Barcelona
December 2019 – August 2020 – Gameplay. Videogame Culture. CCCB, Barcelona.
June 2019 – Sensorium Festival. Bratislava, Slovakia.
June 2019 – Silbersalz Festival. Halle, Germany.
February 2019 – Mobile World Week Exhibition. Disseny Hub, Barcelona.
April – March 2018 – ARTEFACTES. Solo exhibition for Womart at Museu de Granollers.
January – March 2018 – FILE Bello Horizonte 2018. .
October – December 2017 – FILE Brasilia 2017 .
September 2017 – Interactive theater piece Harinera, Fira Tàrrega. Tàrrega, Lleida.
August 2017 – Interactive piece for DGTL Festival. Barcelona.
September 2016 – Ars Electronica Festival, Radical Atoms. Linz.
May 2016 – Creative Technology Week, New York.
October 2015 – Salon : Data, Eastern Bloc, Montreal.
October 2015 – Werkleitz Festival 2015, Halle (Saale).
August 2015 – Robotronica. QUT, Brisbane.
September 2013 – October 2015 – Ars Electronica Center, Linz.
February-May 2015 – Disseny per viure, Museu del Disseny, Barcelona.
September 2013 – U19 – Ars Electronica, Linz.
March 2013 – FILE GAMES, Rio de Janeiro.
February 2013 – 7th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction, Barcelona.
July – August 2012 – FILE Festival, Sao Paulo. Brasil.
June 2011 – SonarKids, multimedia art and sound festival. MACBA, Barcelona