Matthieu Martin

two thousand and seventeen

17.09 – 14.10.2017

Matthieu​ ​Martin’s​ ​work​ ​focuses​ ​on​ ​the​ ​organization​ ​and​ ​hierarchization​ ​of​ ​space​ ​(institutional,​ ​public,​ ​urban)​ ​and​ ​the  manner​ ​in​ ​which​ ​it​ ​interferes​ ​with​ ​the​ ​logics​ ​of​ ​standardization​ ​and​ ​control.​ ​Against​ ​imposed​ ​borders​ ​and​ ​restrained  mobility,​ ​the​ ​artist​ ​proposes​ ​forms​ ​of​ ​transportation,​ ​which​ ​are​ ​at​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time​ ​physical,​ ​mental​ ​and​ ​symbolical.  Refresh​ ​ the​ ​ Revolution​​ ​(2012)​ ​is​ ​about​ ​repainting​ ​in​ ​its​ ​original​ ​color​ ​–​ ​the​ ​emblematic​ ​whiteness​ ​of​ ​architectural  modernism​ ​–​ ​a​ ​deserted​ ​building​ ​of​ ​Moise​ ​Reicher;​ ​the​ ​current​ ​​Constructivist​ ​ Garden​​ ​project​ ​plans​ ​to​ ​move​ ​the  vegetation​ ​that​ ​covers​ ​the​ ​roof​ ​of​ ​a​ ​factory​ ​built​ ​by​ ​Erich​ ​Mendelson​ ​to​ ​make​ ​an​ ​urban​ ​park​ ​out​ ​of​ ​it.​ ​In​ ​​Principe​ ​ de  Précaution ,​ ​pen​ ​and​ ​felt-tip​ ​marker​ ​drawings​ ​drafted​ ​after​ ​photos​ ​of​ ​institutional​ ​places​ ​taken​ ​by​ ​the​ ​artist (museums​ ​and​ ​galleries​ ​in​ ​Russia,​ ​France,​ ​Germany,​ ​United​ ​States,​ ​etc.)​ ​show​ ​the​ ​physical​ ​boundaries​ ​and  interruption​ ​of​ ​space​ ​that​ ​museums​ ​create​ ​in​ ​their​ ​aim​ ​to​ ​protect​ ​artworks​ ​and​ ​control​ ​the​ ​visitor’s​ ​behavior.​ ​The exhibition​ ​brings​ ​these​ ​series​ ​together,​ ​with​ ​​Refresh​ ​ the​ ​ Revolution​​ ​produced​ ​in​ ​A4​ ​format​ ​and​​ Principe​​ de Précaution ,​ ​on​ ​a​ ​large-scale​ ​format​ ​composed​ ​of​ ​several​ ​sheets,​ ​between​ ​which​ ​an​ ​emptiness​ ​is​ ​visible.​ ​The​ ​name  of​ ​the​ ​place​ ​and​ ​the​ ​visit​ ​date​ ​are​ ​written​ ​on​ ​each​ ​drawing​ ​in​ ​the​ ​​Principe de Précaution ​ ​series.​ ​Inside​ ​these  drawings​ ​the​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​the​ ​measures​ ​to​ ​protect​ ​the​ ​artworks​ ​creates​ ​a​ ​new​ ​spatiality​ ​uncovering​ ​a​ ​distance​ ​between  human​ ​viewer​ ​and​ ​physical​ ​space,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​both​ ​institutional​ ​and​ ​immaterial.​ ​The​ ​tension​ ​between​ ​absence​ ​and  presence​ ​of​ ​artworks​ ​plays​ ​on​ ​what​ ​is​ ​seen​ ​and​ ​what​ ​is​ ​perceived.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​also​ ​a​ ​way​ ​to​ ​give​ ​a​ ​visibility​ ​to​ ​the  frustration​ ​of​ ​the​ ​viewer​ ​who​ ​cannot​ ​reach​ ​or​ ​touch​ ​the​ ​works,​ ​nor​ ​see​ ​them​ ​closely.​

​(Excerpt​ ​from​ ​​The uncovered​ plan​​ ​by​ ​Alice​ ​Laguarda in ​Matthieu​ ​Martin,​ ​Principe​ ​de​ ​Précaution,​ ​October​ ​2017,​ ​edition​ ​ABM​ ​studio)