Jennifer Merlyn Scherler produces installations that make use of different medias and formats, ranging from video, performance, print, and the production of written and spoken texts. Central to their work is the analysis of internet cultures combined with the issues of gender and collective identities, self-representation, intimacy, nostalgia, and the impact of culturally dominant structures fostered by and reflected in social media networks. The artist self-idenitifies as a fan and draws a lot of inspiration from fan (fiction) communities while referencing media theoretical approaches. They live and work in Basel.
is a resident in the transmediale 2023 Digital Art Residency programme in collaboration with the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia. During the residency, Scherler will develop the research project that's where we found each other, in the same pain – exploring fandom and grief in video games. Investigating how these online spaces act as sites for collective mourning and emotional labour, their research will examine how fandoms establish beliefs and desires, their processes of commemoration, and their collective endeavour to reminisce and lament.