merge conceptual design is a public art practice founded by claudia reisenberger and franka diehnelt in 2003. claudia has taken sole leadership of the company in 2020 and merge continues to create public art projects at a wide range of scales and locations, in a collaborative process with communities and clients, and often other artists.

drawing on a background in architecture, alongside art collaborations in both europe and the united states, claudia bring a rich technical background and a unique design sensibility to all projects.

merge is certified as a disadvantaged business enterprise, as well as a women-owned small business enterprise.

we are interested in art with a strong conceptual component.  because our work is generated from its context, we use of a wide range of materials in our installations.

our work aims at creating a sense and awareness of the urban and natural environment. our installations have an inherent spatial quality and play with the viewer’s perception of an art piece in its surrounding while telling the stories embedded in the site.

we generally approach a project through research — we always search for something specific, unusual, untold and unexpected that can create the inspiration for an art piece. this process guides us to the appropriate medium, scale and placement. our chosen narratives don’t necessarily have a literal translation in the art piece, but they always lead to site-specific work.

we acknowledge that there is always more than one solution and test different approaches and ideas. we believe in the value of collaboration, as it enriches the pool of ideas.

through our work in the field of architecture as well as art we are accustomed to working with other design professionals, consultants, manufacturers, clients or an involved community. we view input from many sources as a key component to creating engaging public art.