Maria Theresa Barbist (b. Schwaz, Austria, 1979) translates traumatic memories into performative actions, moving pictures and sculptural objects. She has an MFA in New Genres from the San Francisco Art Institute, Chicago, and a Phd in Psychology from the University of Innsbruck, Austria. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, in places such as at Kunstpavillion and Neue Galerie in Innsbruck, Austria; the Northern California Performance Platform; the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami; the Wiregrass Museum; the Miami Short Film Festival; and the 2018 South Florida Biennial. During her ProjectArt residency, she was teaching art to children in the Culmer Overtown Branch of Miami Dade Public Library, while creating a series of sculptural works based on children books.

As part of the BABA Collective (Maria Theresa Barbist and Elysa D. Batista) she has developed the ongoing project RCS: Rocking Chair Sessions, collecting oral histories of South-Florida-based artists and creatives. RCS earned a Community Grant from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs.

Barbist is currently an artist in residence at the Bakehouse Art Complex.

Website: mariatheresabarbist.com

Instagram: @mariabarbist