About - Barbara Macek
Barbara Macek, born in Bruck/Mur, Austria, studied psychology in Vienna with focus on psychopoetology. As an author she published
short stories and poems in Austrian, German and Swiss literary magazines and anthologies. In 2006 her novel "sehen & nicht
sehen" was published by the Viennese publisher Czernin. She received several state grants for her literary projects, most
recently a scholarship for literature 2017.
In July 2017 she was a contributor at the conference "Produktive Äquivalenz" in Berlin and gave a talk about metaphors in medicine. From 2017 to 2018 she worked as a tutor at the Medical University of Vienna within a transdisciplinary project to develop new ways of anamnesis.
In September 2018 her Art & Science-project on pain: "Between Agony and Ecstasy – Investigations into the Meaning of Pain" was published in the Journal for Artistic Research (JAR).
In July 2017 she was a contributor at the conference "Produktive Äquivalenz" in Berlin and gave a talk about metaphors in medicine. From 2017 to 2018 she worked as a tutor at the Medical University of Vienna within a transdisciplinary project to develop new ways of anamnesis.
In September 2018 her Art & Science-project on pain: "Between Agony and Ecstasy – Investigations into the Meaning of Pain" was published in the Journal for Artistic Research (JAR).
In November 2018 she received the Award of Excellence of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research for her Master's thesis "Lycanthropus erythematosus".
In March 2019 the Prize for Excellent Research Catalogue Exposition 2018 was awarded to Barbara in the scope of the 10th SAR International Conference on Artistic Research at Zürcher Hochschule der Künste for her work "Between Agony and Ecstasy - Investigations into the Meaning of Pain".
Link to Pain Project
https://www.dieangewandte.at/aktuell/news/news_detail?news_id=1552993685489
In March 2019 the Prize for Excellent Research Catalogue Exposition 2018 was awarded to Barbara in the scope of the 10th SAR International Conference on Artistic Research at Zürcher Hochschule der Künste for her work "Between Agony and Ecstasy - Investigations into the Meaning of Pain".
Link to Pain Project
https://www.dieangewandte.at/aktuell/news/news_detail?news_id=1552993685489
In August 2021 she received a two-year DOC Fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) for her doctoral project:
“Autoimmunity and Anthropological Difference”. Within this Art & Science-project at the intersection of medicine, mythology,
philosophy and poetry she explores the cause and meaning of autoimmunity.
In December 2023 Barbara defended her dissertation "Autoimmunität und anthropologische Differenz" (Autoimmunity and Anthropological Difference) with honors! Congratulations!
In December 2023 Barbara defended her dissertation "Autoimmunität und anthropologische Differenz" (Autoimmunity and Anthropological Difference) with honors! Congratulations!
www.transpoetry.net
Link to Barbara's Portrait on MASTERS PORTRAITS. March 2025
Works
- Defensio of Dissertation by Barbara Macek (December 14, 2023)PhD Dissertation Defensio
- Lycanthropus erythematosus (November 20, 2018)Exhibited
- Lycanthropus erythematosus (June 13, 2018)Exhibited
- HURTING WORDS (October 25, 2017)Works
- Caring. Enactments of Heterogeneous Relationships (June 27, 2017)Report
- Pain Cut Bone Blood (June 26, 2017)Author
- Crows’ Death Talks (June 02, 2016)Exhibited
Activities
- The Essence 18 (November 20, 2018)University of Applied Arts Vienna | Annual ExhibitionExhibited
- The Essence 18 (November 20, 2018)University of Applied Arts Vienna | Annual ExhibitionExhibited
- Master projects | summer semester 2018 (June 13, 2018)Exam and ExhibitionDiploma Project Presentation
- ROUNDTABLE (March 20, 2018)Future Master’s Project presentations | Master’s Project Groundwork | mid-semester presentations
- Excursion to Radiology Department (AKH) (January 16, 2017)with Franz Kainberger and Andrea Maier
- ROUNDTABLE (January 10, 2017)Semester presentationsPresentation
- ROUNDTABLE (November 08, 2016)MULTINATURALISM - Preparing for HEPHY & CERN
- ROUNDTABLE (October 25, 2016)Skill sharing
- ROUNDTABLE (October 11, 2016)Third Semester presentations/ installations
- OPEN HOUSE 2016 (October 11, 2016)
- ROUNDTABLE (June 14, 2016)Caring.Presentation
- [Dis]placement (June 02, 2016)Information through SoundExhibited
- ROUNDTABLE (May 24, 2016)SoundPresentation
- OPEN HOUSE 2016 (January 26, 2016)Report
- ROUNDTABLE (December 01, 2015)Sound I Caring.Protocol
- ROUNDTABLE (December 01, 2015)Sound I Caring.Presentation
- ROUNDTABLE (November 17, 2015)Caring. I SoundPresentation
- ARS ELECTRONICA 2015 (September 03, 2015)Festival for Art, Technology and Society

Barbara Macek