Yucef Merhi (b. 1977) studied Philosophy at Universidad Central de Venezuela (Caracas), The New School (New York), and holds a Master’s in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University. His artistic practice began in the mid 80s. He is known as the first artist in exhibiting a work of art that included a video game console, the Atari 2600, back in 1985. As a pioneer of Digital Art, Merhi has produced a wide body of works that engage electronic circuits, computers, video game systems, touch screens, and other devices.
Merhi’s career encompasses a world wide exhibition record in places such as the New Museum of Contemporary Art; Bronx Museum of the Arts; El Museo del Barrio; Neuberger Museum; Eyebeam Art and Technology Center and Bitforms Gallery, all located in New York; as well as the Newark Museum (New Jersey); Orange County Museum of Art (California); Los Angeles County Museum of Art (California); De Appel (Amsterdam); Museo Michetti (Francavilla al Mare); Borusan Culture & Art Center (Istanbul); Paço das Artes (São Paulo); Museo del Chopo (México DF); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Yucatán (Yucatán); Concepción 41 (La Antigua); Museo de Bellas Artes (Caracas); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (Caracas); Science World British Columbia (Vancouver); Moderna galerija / Museum of Modern Art (Ljubljana); among many others. Merhi participated in the official selections of the 7th International Festival of New Film, Split, Croatia; the 2007 Bienal de São Paulo – Valencia; the 10th Istanbul Biennial and the 30th Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts.
He is currently represented in the collections of the Orange County Museum of Art (California); Library of Congress (Washington); Mednarodni Grafični Likovni Center (Ljubljana); Whitebox Art Center (New York); Galería de Arte Nacional (Caracas); Museo Alejandro Otero (Caracas); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas (Caracas); Museo de Arte Valencia (Valencia); and private collections in New York, Miami, Caracas, Madrid and Tel Aviv.
Merhi has received several grants and awards including the New York Foundation for the Arts in Digital/Electronic Arts, as well as numerous commissions and residencies from institutions such as Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Orange County Museum of Art, Bronx Museum of the Arts, and Eyebeam Art and Technology Center, among others.
http://www.cibernetic.com opens in a new window
Maximum Security (1998-2004)
Hugo Chavez’ emails, hacking on paper
Dimensions variable
Installation made possible by the generous support of Mr. Eric Brewer and Eleven Hundred Art, New York
