Rio – Roberta Lima was born in Manaus, Brazil. After graduating with a degree in architecture in 2001, Lima moved to Austria. In 2007 Lima earned a Master’s degree in Fine Arts and in 2013 a PhD in Philosophy. Thereafter Lima worked as lecturer and University Assistant for the Contextual Painting Class at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. In 2018 the Austrian Citizenship based on their merit, accomplishments, and contributions to the nation.

Lima uses different media such as photographs, videos, sculptures, and paintings to create installations, exploring with alternative narratives of body and space; looking for intersections between nature and technology, and gender nonconformity to produce artworks with sustainable and alternative material sources. Rio Roberta Lima currently lives in Helsinki.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023      “Rewriting Love & Pain” (The Coronet, London)
2022      “Início” (Parallel Vienna)
2021      “Bright” (Charim Factory, Vienna)
2021      “Queer Way Reactivated” (das weisse haus, Vienna)
2020      “Ghost Plant” (ESTATE OTTO MUEHL / SF STADTRAUM, Vienna)
2019      “Embodiment of Water” (The Coronet, London)
2018      “Embodiment of Water” (Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto)
2017      “Arki Feminista” (VBKÖ, Vienna)
2016      “Queer Way” (donaufestival, Krems)
2015      “Latin America Solo Projects” (ARCOmadrid – Madrid, Spain)
2013      “InsideOut” (ABC-Art Berlin Contemporary, Berlin)
2012      “Aesthetics of Risk” (Charim Galerie, Vienna)
              “ReBirth” (Defibrillator, Chicago). 
              “Displacement” (White Box, New York)
2009      “From Transgression to Transcription” (Stadtgalerie Schwaz, Tirol)
2008      “Into Pieces” (das weisse haus, Vienna)
              “6teen Stitches” (donaufestival, Krems)
2007      “Lights Out!” Performance and video installation (Kunstraum Noe, Vienna)
              “Cut it Out!” Performance and video installation (Kapelica Gallery, Ljubljana)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS (selected)
2025       “Reverbere” (Museu Futuros Arte e Tecnologia, Rio de Janeiro)
               “All Unicorns are Born Free and Equal” (Tallinna Fotokuu Biennaal, Tallin)
               “Queer Way” (SEE:ART Festival, LLLLLLL Verein für Kunst, Vienna)
2024       “Un/Sichtbarkeiten – In/Visibilizaciones. Dekolonialität und Kunst (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna)”
2023       “Stretching through time and space: On the Coloniality of Objects and Projects”
                (Angewandte Festival, Vienna)
2022       “House of Challenging Orders” (Vienna Art Week, Vienna)
2021       “When Gesture Becomes Event” (Mestne galerije, Ljubljana)
2020       “The Myth of Plenty” (Orto Botanico, Lucca)
2019       “Archipelago Mountain” (EXHIBITION LABORATORY, Helsinki)
2017       “QUEER ENCOUNTERS _ VIENNA TRANS L. A.” (CALARTS, Valencia, California)
               “Austrian Performance Art Season. Feminicities: Performing Potential Avenues” 
                (Solyanka VPA gallery, Moscow)
2016       “Vulnerability Matters- Lab” (Rauma Biennale Balticum 2016 Vulnerability. Rauma Art Museum, Finland)
2015       “Face Forward” (Kunst Arzt, Kyoto, Japan)
               “Self-timer Stories” (MUSAC, León, Spain)
2013       “Hetero q.b.” (Museu do Chiado, Lisbon).
               “Steel and Freedom” (Otto Zoo Gallery, Milan)
               “IN ACTION – Performance, Aktionismus und Konzepte” (Salon Dahlmann, Berlin)
2014       “Mujeres Alcanzando la Luz” (Casa Museo del Banco Nacional de Panama, Panama)
               “Selbstauslöser” (Museum der Moderne, Salzburg)
               “Self-timer Stories” (ACFNY, New York)
2011       “chuan men” (Amelie Gallery 798, Beijing)
               “Wiener Glut” (KIT, Düsseldorf)
2010       “where do we go from here?” (Secession, Vienna)
2008       “Synchronicity” (11th International Cairo Biennale)

PRIZES, SCHOLARSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND ACHIEVEMENTS:
2018      Rewarded by the Federal Government of Austria with Honorary Citizenship as recognition of my working achievements
2013      Award of Excellence for the dissertation “Rethinking Action Through Space”
               (Federal Ministry of Science Research and Economy of Austria)
2012-19 Founder of “Tracing New Ways”: art residency and exchange between Europe and the Philippines
2007       “Friends of the Academy Prize” (Akademiefreundepreis, Vienna)
               “Kunstpreis H13 2007”: Performance prize (Kunstraum Noe, Vienna)

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE AND STIPENDIUM
2025         ECHO (Tech Art Lab, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
2023         Atelier Samaúma (Alter do Chao, Amazon, Brazil)
2021         Charim Factory (Charim Gallery, Vienna)
2012-17    Atelier Westbahnstraße (The Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Chancellery of Austria)
2012         Chicago, USA (The Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Chancellery of Austria)
2010         Limerick (Daghdha Space, Ireland).2009
2009         Beigao. Beijing, China (Red Gate Gallery and The Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Chancellery of Austria)

WORKS IN COLLECTIONS:
The Verbund Art Collection (Vienna)
Austrian Federal Photography Collection / Museum der Moderne (Salzburg)
MUSA Museum Artothek (Vienna)
Ursula Blicke Video Archive (Belvedere, Vienna)
Ostlicht Collection (Vienna)
Saubermacher Collection (Graz)

Website and social media
https://robertalima.com
https://www.instagram.com/roberta_lima_art/
https://www.facebook.com/RobertaLimaArt/