C. V.
Sasha Bergstrom-Katz is an artist, researcher and writer working at intersections of the history of science, pyschosocial studies, STS and critical medical humanities.
Education and Academic Posts
Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Berlin, Germany
University of Bielefeld Bielefeld, Germany
2024-2026 Leverhulme Trust post-doctoral fellowship and artic research in Validation and Regulation in the Biomedical Sciences with Dr Lara Keuck
Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
2023 PhD in Psychosocial Studies
Thesis: On Intelligence Tests: Pyschological Objects and Their Subjects.
Joint supervisors: Dr Amber Jacobs (Psychosocial Studies) and Dr Sarah Marks Marks (History of Science and Medicine). Examiners: Dr Suzannah Biernoff (Birkbeck) and Dr D. Graham Burnett (Princeton)
University of Groningen, Netherlands
Erasmus+ Visiting PhD Researcher 2021-22
Supervising Academic: Dr Annette Mülberger
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
2015-18 MFA Art
2015-18 Graduate Certificate, Critical Theory Emphasis, School of Humanities
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Valencia, CA
2006-08 BFA Art
Solo and Two Person Exhibitions
2023 Psychotechne (with Tomas Percival) curated by Dr. Sarah Marks, Peltz Gallery, Birkbeck, University of London
2020 To be titled, SNEHTA, Athens, Greece (cancelled due to Covid-19)
2018 Effecting a Split, University Art Gallery, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
2017 7 Stages, AWHRHWAR, Highland Park, CA
2016 hi temps, (two-person exhibition with Stephen Quick), Central Park Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
I Live Alone, Patrick Gomez 4 Sheriff at ARTBandini, Los Angeles, CA
2015 Sasha Bergstrom-Katz and Sam Kahn, The Smell, Los Angeles, CA
2014 Inaugural Dinner (collaboration with Emily Marchand), The Pit, Glendale, CA
Sasha Bergstrom-Katz and Sam Kahn | Conversations, Machine Project, Los Angeles, CA
2012 It's very stimulating, and – and it's red (screening), Machine Project, Los Angeles, CA
2008 BFA Thesis Exhibition, D301 Gallery, CalArts, Valencia, CA
2007 Mid-residency Exhibition, Mint Gallery, CalArts, Valencia, CA
Group Exhibitions, Screenings and Performances
2025 Drift. Sink. Emerge. Repeat. Multimodal Submersion as Diffractive Practice (with Antonia von Schöning), Diffracting the Critical (STS-Hub 2025), Berlin
2022 On the Subject of Tests: A Demonstration (performance), Forecast Forum, Berlin, Germany
2021 All I Needed Was Imagination (BS-Projects Fellows Exhibition), Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig, Germany
Rehearsing the Examination (as a part of Gallery Weekend) Inter Art Center (IAC), University of Lund, Malmö, Sweden
2020 Archive Machines, Rewiring, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (with artist panel)
2018 Arc, Wobble, Fade, Fold(curated by Simone Krug), Human Resources, Los Angeles, CA
Co/Lab III, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
On Not Seeing, Material Art Fair with In Lieu, Mexico City, Mexico
A Sequel To, Film Noir Cinema, New York and the Independent Cinema, Los Angeles
2017 Mid-residency Exhibition, University Art Museum, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
+ and – (curated by Micah Espudo), Echo Park, CA
2016 All of You’re Sudden, In Lieu, Los Angeles, CA
Brancusi 2.0, Arturo Bandini, Los Angeles, CA
2017, Art Center College of Art & Design, Pasadena, CA (catalog)
2014 &, Roberts & Tilton, Los Angeles, CA
Publications
2026 Art & Psychotherapy. (Co-editor with Suzanne Hudson and Sarah Marks). Publisher TBA.
Unboxing Intelligence: Psychological Objects and Their Subjects. (Monograph) Publisher TBA.
2025 The Material Force of Categories. (Co-editor with Tomas Percival) Special Issue, History of the Human Sciences.
“On Creative Destruction: Getting to understand an object through play” chapter in Creative Disruption Studies in the Psychosocial (Palgrave MacMillan)
“Promoting and Professionalizing Art Therapy: Three Exhibitions Featuring Art Made by Individuals in Psychiatric Care, 1955-68” (Accepted, peer review pending)
2023 (with Tomas Percival) “Psychotechne: Assessment, Testing and Categorisation” The Polyphony (online) (https://thepolyphony.org/2023/03/13/psychotechne-assessment-testing-and-categorisation/)
2019 Rudzienko, Sharon Lockhart. (Editor, Exhibition Catalogue) Centre for Contemporary Art, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Selected Talks and Conferences
2025 Rehearsing and Performing Tests from the History of the Human Sciences (with Dr. Michele Luchetti,) Experimental Histories of Science, University of College London (UCL)
Joint talk with Dr. Michele Luchetti, The Healing Arts, Encounters in Art and Medicine, Berlin University of the Arts
Unpacking Intelligence: Testing as a Readymade Performance, Research Colloquium on the History of Knowledge, Institut für Geschichtswissenschaften, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
On the Subject of Tests: Performing with Objects, Institute for Medical & Health Humanities and Artistic Research (IMHAR), (online)
Readymade Performance: Concretizing Improvisation into Standardized Procedures, Workshop: Scientific Instruments in the History of Psychology, Tilburg University, Netherlands
2024 Art as Mental Imaging, as part of the Drawing Research Forum (Part II), The Drawing Room, London
2023 The Material Force of Categories, Birkbeck, University of London (Wellcome Funded) (co-organizer with Tomas Percival)
The test manual as script: Standardized relations between examiners and subjects in two 20th century U.S. intelligence scales, 2023 European Association for the History of Medicine and Health meeting, Oslo, Norway
Readymade Performances of Scientific Acts, The Society for Social Studies of Science (4S), Online
2022 Art & Psychotherapy Workshop, Birkbeck, University of London (co-organizer with Dr. Suzanne Hudson and Dr. Sarah Marks)
Rehearsing the Examination. Workshop on Living with Measurements, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Test as Archive. ‘Histories of Educational Technologies: Cultural and Social Dimensions of Pedagogical Objects’, International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE). Milan, Italy
The Manual as Script. Workshop on Validation and Regulation in the Medical Sciences, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science.
2021 Practice-based Research in Psychosocial Studies (Panel). Department of Psychosocial Studies PhD Online Conference
With W.J. Brown. The ‘Continuous Prototype’ and ‘New Form’ Literature: Off the page processes for interactive and emergent modes of writing. The National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) Virtual Conference
With W.J. Brown. Future and Form: Tracking Audience Participation and Interaction with New Form Literature. Futures for Creative Writing Online Conference, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom (online)
2020 Artist Talk for exhibition Archive Machines, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Fragments and Fractals, Department of Psychosocial Studies PhD Cyber Conference
2019 Practice-led Methodologies, Corkscrew Practice-led Research Working Group, Birkbeck, University of London
Residencies
2022 Understanding intelligence: Across human and other-than-human worlds, Praksis, Oslo
Forecast 7 Platform Nominee. Berlin, Germany
2021 BS Projects Fellowship, Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig, Germany
Inter Art Center (IAC), University of Lund, Malmö, Sweden
2020 SNEHTA, Athens, Greece (cancelled due to Covid-19)
Grants and Awards
2023 Leverhulme Research Fellowship (two years)
Birkbeck Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund, Conference and Symposia Funding
2022 Conference Attendance Support Fund, Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund, Public Engagement Funding
2021 Tom Schuller Intergenerational Research Support Fund, Birkbeck, University of London
2015-18 University Fellowship ( tuition and living stipend), University of California, Irvine
2018 Associated Graduate Student Travel Grant Award, University of California, Irvine
2018 21C Seed Project, University of California, Irvine
2016-18 Graduate Student Research and Travel Grants, University of California, Irvine
2016 Research and Materials Stipend, University of California, Irvine
Academic Memberships and Posts
2021-23 Post Graduate Research Representative, Birkbeck Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Mental Health
2020-23 Post Graduate Research Representative, Birkbeck Institute of the Moving Image (BIMI) Steering Committee
2020 Co-Organiser, Fractals and Fragments, Psychosocial PhD cyber conference, Birkbeck, University of London
2019-20 Member, Corkscrew network for practice-based researchers, Birkbeck, University of London
2016 Graduate Liaison, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine
2015 Co-Organisier, Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine
Teaching Experience
Bard College Berlin, Germany (Guest faculty: Performing Science and Medicine with Michele Luchetti)
Birkbeck, University of London, United Kingdom (Psychosocial BA and MA, Theory & Methods modules)
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Valencia, CA (Workshop on artist curated exhibitions)
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA (BA Studio Art and Theory courses)