Orhun Mersin (b. Izmir) is a Berlin-based transdisciplinary researcher and artist working at the intersection of academia, exhibitions, nightlife, and theaters, often under the stage name kekik.
Trained as a contemporary dancer and holding a bachelor's degree in computer science, they have been part of the research platform New Practice in Art and Technology at TU–UdK Berlin, supported by a scholarship from Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft. Their practice is rooted in dance, contortion, a critical engagement with technology as a performative rather than a neutral tool, and an exploration of "dragging" as a methodology: pulling fragments across contexts to break narratives, and open up queer futures. They often combine this with diasporic archive materials from Turkey's and Germany's 1980s–2000s. Lately, they have been a research fellow at the University of Freiburg.
Recent work has been presented at Maxim Gorki Theater (Berlin), Sophiensæle (Berlin), DOCK11 (Berlin), Schauspiel Dortmund, HEK Basel, Ars Electronica (Linz), b3 Biennale (Frankfurt), Kaynaş Club (Amsterdam), İÇ İÇE (Berlin), re:festival (Nürnberg), and Ballhaus Prinzenallee (Berlin).
Artistic & Professional Work
2026Ballhaus Prinzenallee, Berlin — Workshop: "Reimagining Yeşilçam: Queer Reflections on AI"more
2025–26University of Freiburg, Imaging Memory and Consolidation Lab — Research Fellow
2025Ausland Berlin, All The Rivers Residency — Choreographer for "pre:submission" by an*dre neely, Melanie Sien Min Lyn, Frieder Miller
2025Sophiensæle, Berlin — "Apocalypso" by Justin F. Kennedymore
2025HEK Basel, Attention Is All I Need curated by Jonny-Bix Bongers — "Dragging Banu Alkan"more
2025KW Berlin, New Practice — "The Imaginary Intelligence (I.I.)" w/ Nani Gutiérrezmore
2025HGB Leipzig, (Un)Learning Digitalities Symposium — Workshop: "Unlearning and Dragging: Speculative practices within AI" w/ Yağmur Uçkunkayamore
2025OnCurating Academy, Berlin — Workshop: "Fantasizing through drag, dreaming with deepfakes"more
2025University of Europe of Applied Sciences, Berlin — Workshop on drag in drag
2024/25NEOLA Art Projects x İç İçe Festival, Köln; Kaynaş Club, Amsterdam — "kekik x kimyon"more
2024/25re:festival Nürnberg; DOCK11 Berlin — "Attitude" by Tomi Paasonenmore
2024Kunstverein Heidelberg; Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin — "Bitches on their Deen" w/ Anna Ehrensteinmore
2024Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin; Schauspiel Dortmund — "Project O" w/ Anthony Hüseyin
2024Factory Berlin — Panelist at "DIGITAL MIRRORS"
2023/24Ars Electronica Linz; b-Seite Festival Mannheim — "OceanFlight" by Jonny-Bix Bongersmore
2024Ars Electronica Linz; UdK Berlin — "Ex-Human"more
2023/24b3 Biennale Frankfurt; Ars Electronica Linz; Factory Berlin; UdK Berlin — "Smile to Play"more
2022–23Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI), Speech and Language Technology group — Guest Researcher
2022DOCKdigital, DOCK 11 Berlin — "Cell Farming"more
2022TU Berlin & Empiria Theatre Zagreb — Researcher in "Future of Performing Arts with XR Technologies"
2021–22Augmented Robotics Berlin — Game Developer
Education
2022–25UdK Berlin & TU Berlin — M.A. Design and Computation
2018–23TU Berlin — B.Sc. Computer Science
2016–18Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, Istanbul — State Conservatory for Contemporary Dance
Stipends
2019–25Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (sdw)
2024STIBET I - Grant for master's thesis
2018Deutschlandstipendium