about me

Hi! My name is Sophie Publig, and I am an internet archaeologist and digital culture theorist digging deep into the layers of online landscapes.

I am based at the Weibel Institute for Digital Cultures at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, where my research spans media theory, critical posthumanism, internet cultures, and contemporary art. My work investigates how memes, platforms, algorithms, and digital aesthetics shape collective imaginaries, identities, and forms of life in networked environments.

I am particularly interested in meme ecologies, internet folklore, online aesthetics, and networked subjectivities, with recent projects focusing on network spirituality, the Girl Online, digital occultism, AI-generated cultures, and the aesthetics of schizoposting. Across these topics, I approach the internet as an evolving ecosystem of humans, machines, and artifacts.

In 2023, I completed my doctoral dissertation, The Sympoietic Life of Internet Memes, which developed an approach I call internet archaeology: reading memes, platforms, and digital artifacts as traces of collective cultural life online. My writing and research have appeared in journals, books, exhibitions, and international conferences, from Spike Art Magazine and Vienna Digital Cultures to Aksioma and Medialab Matadero Madrid.

When I'm offline, I enjoy photography, video games, and horror films. I also share my home with two cats who occasionally assist in my expeditions through the ruins and lost futures of the web. If you're interested in digital cultures, memes, internet weirdness, or simply want to get in touch, feel free to say hello.