Robertina Šebjanič Among the Winners of Prix Ars Electronica 2026
ON Rizom Institute warmly congratulates our member Robertina Šebjanič on her outstanding international achievement – receiving the Award of Distinction at Prix Ars Electronica 2026 in the Interactive Art+ category.
Her project, Echoes of the Abyss, was recognized for its original and compelling integration of art, science, and environmental awareness, while raising critical questions about the consequences of human intervention in marine environments. As the jury noted, at a time of escalating military conflicts around the world, they were particularly drawn to the work's ability to intertwine scientific research, poetic sensitivity, and geopolitical critique. In the project, the sea is not presented as an empty space, but as a living witness and repository of memory, bearing the traces of wars and their still unresolved ecological consequences.
Our sincere congratulations to Robertina, as well as to all collaborators and producers who contributed to the realization of this remarkable project.
Jury Statement:
Echoes of the Abyss is a powerful and deeply researched body of work by Robertina Šebjanič that investigates the ecological and political consequences of underwater military debris and abandoned ordnance. Through sound, marine research, speculative storytelling, and immersive installation, Šebjanič reveals how the residues of war continue to shape aquatic ecosystems long after conflicts disappear from public consciousness.
The work emerges from Šebjanič’s longstanding engagement with the “Aquatocene” and “aquaforming,” concepts she developed to examine humanity’s impact on aquatic environments and the fragile balance between technological systems, marine life, and planetary ecologies. Echoes of the Abyss makes visible forms of “slow violence” that persist in water, sediment, and living organisms.
At a moment marked by escalating military conflicts across the globe, the jury was particularly compelled by the work’s ability to connect scientific inquiry, poetic sensibility, and geopolitical critique. The sea emerges here not as empty space, but as a living witness and repository of war and its unresolved ecological consequences.
Read more:
· Prix Ars Electronica 2026 – Winners
· RTV Slovenia – Robertina Šebjanič receives prestigious Ars Electronica award
Her project, Echoes of the Abyss, was recognized for its original and compelling integration of art, science, and environmental awareness, while raising critical questions about the consequences of human intervention in marine environments. As the jury noted, at a time of escalating military conflicts around the world, they were particularly drawn to the work's ability to intertwine scientific research, poetic sensitivity, and geopolitical critique. In the project, the sea is not presented as an empty space, but as a living witness and repository of memory, bearing the traces of wars and their still unresolved ecological consequences.
Our sincere congratulations to Robertina, as well as to all collaborators and producers who contributed to the realization of this remarkable project.
Jury Statement:
Echoes of the Abyss is a powerful and deeply researched body of work by Robertina Šebjanič that investigates the ecological and political consequences of underwater military debris and abandoned ordnance. Through sound, marine research, speculative storytelling, and immersive installation, Šebjanič reveals how the residues of war continue to shape aquatic ecosystems long after conflicts disappear from public consciousness.
The work emerges from Šebjanič’s longstanding engagement with the “Aquatocene” and “aquaforming,” concepts she developed to examine humanity’s impact on aquatic environments and the fragile balance between technological systems, marine life, and planetary ecologies. Echoes of the Abyss makes visible forms of “slow violence” that persist in water, sediment, and living organisms.
At a moment marked by escalating military conflicts across the globe, the jury was particularly compelled by the work’s ability to connect scientific inquiry, poetic sensibility, and geopolitical critique. The sea emerges here not as empty space, but as a living witness and repository of war and its unresolved ecological consequences.
Read more:
· Prix Ars Electronica 2026 – Winners
· RTV Slovenia – Robertina Šebjanič receives prestigious Ars Electronica award
