Exhibition "Inhospitable Borders", by No Martins

With critical text by the curator and researcher Luciara Ribeiro, the exhibition presents an unprecedented set of paintings, sculptures and installations that demonstrate the material and conceptual expansion in the artist's practice, while delving deeper into the themes debated throughout his career.

The first individual at Martins in Brazil in five years, Fronteiras inóspitas investigates the relationships between the subject and the dominant social structures, permeated by classic existential debates. An example of these reflections is the set of paintings produced for the exhibition, in which the artist lends his image in the form of self-portraits. Thinking about dimensions that are not limited to himself, Martins places himself in environments marked by symbols related to the brevity and impasses of life, as well as signs that relate to Brazilian society. One of these paintings reveals a birthday scene with balloons, banners and a table with bottles of soda. The character blows out the candles on a cake, next to which lies a skull. The symbol is a classic memento mori — images that in the history of art serve as a reminder that existence is fleeting.

Another work shows the character feeding a vulture and wearing a t-shirt with a reference to Hélio Oiticica's flag — the image of Cara de Cavalo's body stretched out and a change in the famous phrase: “Be marginal, don't be a hero”. More than a quote, Martins provokes the art system and questions the social values ​​that distinguish some between prestige and marginality.

The existential investigation marked by political criticism is also present in the large installation that welcomes the public to the gallery. Seca is composed of a boat resting on a mirrored surface. Upon approaching, the viewer notices that there is also another mirror in the vessel. “An illusion, a mirage, an impossibility in possibility,” writes curator Luciara Ribeiro in the exhibition text. “The image captured by the mirror makes the body present inside the boat, an entire dimension of the confrontation between reality and its projections, time and space. Time is different, with dilations and accelerations, being felt and projected, computed or risked,” she adds.

The violence present in Brazilian daily life, especially that perpetrated by the State, is addressed head-on in other works on display. Bulletproof vests are molds for sculptures, in addition to being, in themselves, material for works. In Dress Code 2, they are positioned and arranged on the wall, alluding to formalist compositions of Brazilian concrete art. The work raises discussions about the monetization of violence, highlighting the control, security and surveillance of bodies. “Surveillance and control as a strategy for managing public, political, social, educational and police violence,” points out the curator.

Service
Exhibition | Inhospitable borders
From November 09th to December 14th
Monday to Friday, 10am to 19pm, Saturday, 11am to 15pm