Nora Christine Johanna Mertes
Born on 28.11.1982 in Herdecke. Grew up in Raeren/Liegé, Belgium.

Education
2018 University teaching certificate from the BZHL (Berlin Center for University Teaching)
2009-12 Postgraduate studies “Art in Context”, Berlin University of the Arts, Master’s program
2008-09 Master of Fine Arts, Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, Alfter
2004-08 Study of fine arts, focus on sculpture, Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, Alfter, diploma / Meisterschülerin with Prof. Andreas Kienlin
2006-07 Sculpture, Hiroshima City University, Hiroshima

Teaching at universities
2022 Professorship of Fine Arts (Plastic Design Free Drawing) Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Building and Design
2016-2023 Artistic-scientific assistant in the Department of Fine Arts, Institute of Architecture, TU Berlin
2015-2021 Lecturer and workshop leader at the Berlin University of the Arts
2015-2021 Lecturer at the Bauhaus University Weimar
2014-2021 Lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts at the Alanus University for Art and Society Alfter
2012-14 Lecturer at the Institute for Architecture-Related Art (IAK), TU Braunschweig

Awards
2023 Professorship program University of Kaiserslautern
2023 Research professorship University of Kaiserslautern
2021 BBK (German association of Visual Artists) Module C “Analog – Digital”, research grant
2020 Neustart Kultur Kunstfonds, Artist research grant
2020 BBK (German association of Visual Artists) Mentoring, as mentor
2018 Residency scholarship USF Bergen (NO)
2016 Scholarship holder of the Goldrausch Künstlerinnenprojekt, Berlin
2016 Residency scholarship USF Bergen (NO)
2015-16 Residency grant from the Goethe-Institut Denmark, Skaftfell, Seyðisfjörður (IS)
2015 Ikob Prize, Ikob Museum for Contemporary Art, Eupen (B)
2014 Ateljé Stundars residency scholarship with J. Kintner (FI)
2013-2023 Studio grant from the BBK Berlin
2012 Scholarship of the Situation Simulation Society (LI)
2010-11 Study grant from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation
2010 Project grant from the UdK Berlin
2009 Karin Halft Prize, Alanus University, Alfter
2008 Japan Scholarship from the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium
2007 Study scholarship Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, Alfer

Solo exhibitions
2023 “GREIFEN und LOSLASSEN”, Saarländische Galerie, Berlin
2020 “Display ‘9”, Graylight Projects, Hoensbroek (NE)
2019 “Chatty Matter” Kogo Gallery, Tartu (EST) with K. Saarits
2017 “Die Wandergruppe” Dzialdow, Berlin with H. Gieseler
2016 “suspending plains” Gallery Skaftfell (IS)
2015 “ebenda” Gallery Volume, Berlin
2011 “Still not Blue” Gallery Blunk, Trondheim (N)
2009 “Dibujo” Gallery Bessel, Berlin

Group exhibitions (selection)
2024 “Handarbeit” a production of I. Schad, with Josephine Findeisen, Claudia Tomasi & women from Bitterfeld-Wolfen, co-produced by Festival OSTEN/Kulturpark e.V. and the Humboldt Forum Foundation in the Berlin Palace. In cooperation with Frauen helfen Frauen e.V. / Frauenzentrum Wolfen
2023 “Interspace”, Projektraum Schönhauser, Pfefferwerk, Berlin
2019 “Chatty Matter II” Vilnius Art Fair (LIT)
2016 “Ghost Flowers”, Hermann Germann Contemporary Zurich (CH)
2016 “Kilometer of Sculpture”, Art Festival Rakvere (EST)
2016 “Cumuli-Trading Places”, Gallery 5020, Salzburg (A)
2015 “Ikob-Award 2015”, Ikob Museum for Contemporary Art Eupen (B)
2015 “Cumuli-Trading Places”, MEWO Kunsthalle Memmingen and Kunstverein L40, Berlin
2014 Exhibition at “Salon piano alto”, Berlin
2014 “Vision and Existence” Month of Photography, Strahler – Space for Photography, Berlin
2014 “From above and below”, Project Space Festival Berlin, Kleine Humboldtgalerie, Berlin
2013 “Choir rehearsal”, residency and exhibition, ArtToll Bedburg-Hau art association
2013 “Kunsttransit” Supermarket Art Fair, Stockholm (S)
2013 “Salon d’Acre” by S. Teitge, Berlin
2013 “A stone reduced to its ground plan” Ikob Museum for Contemporary Art Eupen (B)
2012-13 Performances in public space with the “Simulation Situation Society” (LI)
2012 “Out of Context” final exhibition UdK Berlin
2011 “After Art & Language” in the exhibition “Brilliant Volume”, UdK Berlin
2011 “In maps, water is always marked blue”, Schatten und Licht, A. Köker, Königslutter Cathedral,
2009 “Young Art on the Victory” (Karin Halft scholarship holders), Eitorf
2009 “A Room”, stone-symposum Heliopolis University for Sustainable DevelopmentCairo (ET)
2009 “ASYLIER”, Japanese-German exhibition project, Künstlerforum Bonn
2008 “IKOB Prize 2008”, Ikob Museum for Contemporary Art (nomination) Eupen, (B)
2008 “Triebwerk” master student exhibition, Jack in the Box, Cologne
2007 “World Arts 2007”, Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art (J)

Curated projects (selection)
2022 “flip flop” with J. Breme J. Kistner and J. Reichert, Salon am Moritzplazt, Berlin
2022 “Things Being Friends”, co-curated with J. Kinder, A.Conrad, H. Gieseler, Tempelhof Building 502, Berlin
2014 “Living in empty spaces”, with Katharina Quecke, site-specific group exhibition Neuhohenschönhausen, Berlin
2013 “Beautiful Mind”, German-Sudanese artist exchange, with K. Giesing, Kunsttransit Karlsruhe
2011 “Things being friends”, residency and exhibition for artists and scientists with J. Kintner, Audresselles (F)
2011 “Multistable perception”, symposium on shared authorship in artistic work with subsequent exhibition at E-Werk, with J. Breme, J. Reichel, J. Kintner, R. Mugli, M. Drobny, E-Werke Freiburg
2011 “Eine Art Aufruhr” an exhibition of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Galerie Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin (D)
2010 “Galerie Bessel” Gallery for site-specific exhibitions in public space, Berlin, with M. Drobny, J. Kintner, M. Richter, as part of “Besselkunst”, art project in public space by J. Breme, Berlin
2009 “ASYLIER”, with M. Drobny, J. Hurst, I. Henn, Japanese-German exhibition project, Künstlerforum Bonn
2008 “O.T.”, together with M. Drobny, J. Hurst, I. Henn, Künstlerforum Bonn

Catalogs (selection)
2024 EAT THE RAINBOW, Young art fans curate the IKOB collection, Ikob Museum Eupen (B)
2019 Chatty Matter by Brigita Reinert as part of the exhibition, Tartu (EST)
2015 Gohst Flowers by Lea Schleifenbaum, Zurich (CH)
2015 kmX Kilometer of Sculpture, by M. Haagensen, A. Pundina, E. Lilleaed, T. Metsla,B. Reinert, Rakvere Tartu (EST)
2015 Ikob-Award 2015 by F. Fiedler and M. Vissault, Ikob Museum of Contemporary Art Eupen (B)
2015 Cumuli-Trading Places by R. Gschwantner, R. Hoedt, J. Müller, R. Müller-Waldeck,S. Wachsmuth, M. Zoitl as well as V. Sisek and S. Prinz, N. Mielcarczyk from the Verein zur Förderungvon Kunst und Kultur am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz e.V.
2013 Choir rehearsal by R. Gerth, Kunstverein ArtToll Bedburg-Hau Kunsttransit
2013 A stone reduced to its ground plan by M. Vissault Ikob-Museum of Contemporary Art Eupen,
2013 Light and shadow, by A. Köker and N. Funke

Art education (selection)
2012-14 Freelancer in the art education department of the Berlinische Galerie, Museum of Modern Art
2010-12 Student assistant at the Institute for Art in Context, UdK Berlin
2006-09 Freelancer at the Jugend Kunstschule Bonn
2002-03 Head of the art department at the education center Nanta, Sucre (Bolivia)