ART-PREVIEW:Kris Martin-EXIT

Kris Martin is recognized for a rigorous conceptual practice in which he addresses existential questions with subtlety and wit. Martin’s sculptures, drawings, photographs and installations reflect his ongoing preoccupation with matters of human existence and its contradictions. In his work Martin often makes use of the readymade; through subtle acts of displacement and with minimal intervention, he re-contextualizes familiar objects, infusing them with new meaning.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: S.M.A.K. Archive

“EXIT” is the first Belgian retrospective dedicated to the work of Kris Martin. From existing objects Kris Martin creates images that raise questions about concepts such as transience, identity and death. These are themes that have traversed art history for centuries. The artist also weaves art history, literature and myths into his work. Moreover, he plays on mechanisms such as recognition and alienation in order to make us think about the bigger questions. Martin’s poetic gestures range from the grand to the intimate, drawing upon icons of history, art history, religion and literature to fashion poignant meditations on mortality, faith and the human condition. For “Whom” (2012) is a large bell installed in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden that takes its name from John Donne’s poignant verse which asks, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” before answering, “It tolls for thee.” Originally cast for a small church in southern Germany, the bell was left for salvage when it failed to produce the proper tone. Martin reclaimed the object and removed its clapper, effectively negating its purpose. Now the bell is programmed to sway on the hour, its silent rhythm creating what the artist considers a “blank space” where visitors can bring their own associations of bell-ringing, from a call to worship to marking the hour of the day. To create “The Idiot” (2005) Martin hand wrote the 1,494 pages of Dostoyevsky’s novel of the same name, replacing the protagonist’s name with his own; in another work he transcribed Franz Kafka’s novella “The Metamorphosis” onto a single page of paper, completely obliterating the text. In these works, as in all areas of Martin’s radically diverse practice, the artist explores universal themes of value, time, persistence and futility with a critical eye and keen humor. In S.M.A.K., Martin plays subtly with the work of Jan van Eyck. In “Eve and Adam” (2017), for example, he makes us look at the representation of our ancestors in “The Ghent Altarpiece” (1432) in a completely different way. Meanwhile, the Ghent altarpiece is back in St Bavo’s Cathedral, where the work of three contemporary artists (Kris Martin, Lies Caeyers and Sophie Kuijken) who were inspired by its form, technique and content also is shown. The work “Altar” (2014) by Kris Martin is installed outside and can be seen next to the portal of the cathedral. The works is a steel replica of the 15^th Century painting by the Van Eyck brothers. Kris Martin only reproduced the frame and omitted the panels. Instead of letting us admire a sumptuous scene, the artist invites us to look at the surrounding world through an open structure. In this way, he directly refers to the intention of the Van Eyck brothers. They realised “The Ghent Altarpiece” as an expression of what was then a new artistic vision, in which the idealisation of the medieval tradition gave way to a detailed observation of nature and mankind. Like the original, Kris Martin’s “Altar” is intended for the public domain. The sculpture was conceived for Jan Hoet’s last exhibition ‘”De Zee, salut d’honneur Jan Hoet” in Ostend. In addition to the sculpture that is permanently installed on the beach, there are five editions of this artwork that have already been shown in New York, London, Miami, Düsseldorf, Rome and Bremen. In 2020, ‘Altar’ will be on display in the center of Ghent.

Info: S.M.A.K., Jan Hoetplein 1, Gent, Duration: 7/3-31/5/20, Tue-Fri: 9:30-17:30, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, https://smak.be