"Nomader"- Exploring the Intersection of Art: The Venice Biennale and Eddie Martinez

 Odile Chen / Ravenel Quarterly No. 47 / 2024-05-17

In April, the warm climate of Italy sets a perfect stage for travel as the beautiful city of water welcomes the opening of the 60th edition of the International Art Exhibition - La Biennale d'Arte di Venezia. It is the world's oldest biennial exhibition, established 129 years ago. The biennial event, held every two years, is a grand occasion in the international art world, often referred to as the "Olympics of the art world." With a tradition spanning over a century, the exhibition has only been interrupted twice, during World War I, and in 2021, when it was postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2022, the exhibition has transitioned from odd-numbered to even-numbered years, alternating with the Architecture Biennale (established in 1980). This internationally significant event sees artists, curators, and galleries from the art world putting their best foot forward to actively participate. Major mainstream media outlets don't miss out on covering the event, and participating artists are seen as having received academic and market recognition. Collectors also pay close attention to each edition's exhibiting artists, seizing the opportunity to acquire their works. One of the founding principles of the Venice Biennale is to establish a new market for contemporary art.

Latin American art in Venice

The visual arts director and curator of this year's art biennale is Adriano Pedrosa from Brazil. He revealed the theme "Stranieri Ovunque" (Foreigners Everywhere), which reflects contemporary global politics and situations. The biennale, running from April 20th to November 24th, has gradually adopted an open-minded approach since 1995, allowing art workers of different ethnicities and sexual orientations to integrate into this century-old event. Pedrosa is the first curator of Latin American origin for the Venice International Art Exhibition, and in fact, the first person from the Southern Hemisphere.

Pedrosa proposed: "Foreigners everywhere, the expression has many meanings. One could say that wherever you go, wherever you are, you are always surrounded by foreigners. ... And then in a more personal, perhaps psychoanalytic subjective dimension, wherever you go, you are also a foreigner, deep down inside. Refugee, the foreigner, the queer, the outsider and the Indigenous, these are the subjects of interest in the exhibition."

The exhibition categories of the Venice Biennale include the Central Pavilion, National Participations, and Collateral Events. The Central Pavilion, held at the Giardini and Arsenale, is divided into two main aspects. One focuses on contemporary art, emphasizing contemporary foreign and local artists. The other explores historical themes, celebrating 20th-century classics like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and addressing issues such as globalization, colonialism, Southern Hemisphere modernism, portraiture, abstraction, and Italian emigrants in the Southern Hemisphere. Besides the Central Pavilion, related exhibitions more or less echo the curatorial themes.

National Participations are open to applications from independent government institutions worldwide. Within the Giardini, 30 countries have their own pavilions, either maintaining dedicated structures or using suitable buildings in the city.

In 2024, 88 countries participated, with Russia and Israel absent due to war-related controversies. Taiwan, appearing as a National Pavilion for the first time since the 46th edition in 1995, rented the Palazzo delle Prigioni near the Bridge of Sighs. However, due to protests from the Chinese government, Taiwan was removed from the National Pavilion list in 2003 and participated as a Collateral Event instead. Yet, it is still regarded as the "Taiwan Pavilion" due to its proximity to St. Mark's Square. China, on the other hand, acquired a National Pavilion starting from the 51st edition in 2005, ten years after Taiwan. In 2024, the China Pavilion was located in the Arsenale, where the Biennale organizers granted it exceptional treatment. The pavilion was situated near the media area and had the largest exhibition area. The location of National Pavilions at the Venice Biennale has always been a display of national power and economic status, reflecting the intertwining of art and politics.

Additionally, there were 30 Collateral Events approved by curators, promoted by non-profit organizations and international groups, held at various locations around Venice. Each of these events enriches the diversity of the Biennale and amplifies various voices of expression.

"The world needs artists"

The Vatican City is the heart of Rome, home to the most magnificent and grandiose churches and top-tier museums. In order to bridge the gap between religion and art, the Holy See Pavilion made its debut as a National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2013. Founded by former Pope Benedict XVI, it aims to encourage a stronger relationship between art and the church.

This year, Pope Francis visited the Holy See Pavilion's exhibition titled "With My Eyes" to commemorate human rights and marginalized communities. His visit garnered widespread attention as Pope Francis became the first pope to set foot in the Venice Biennale.

"Pope Francis, the compassionate pontiff, met with artists in Venice and conveyed the message that "The world needs artists." He believes that artistic works can help address issues such as racism, xenophobia, ecological imbalances, "fear of the poor," and inequality.

In response to this year's Venice Biennale theme, "Foreigners Everywhere," the Pope stated: "No one is a stranger." "Beside you, I do not feel like a stranger. I feel at home." He emphasized that through the love of religion, there is no criticism, only closeness and encouragement towards people.

The Pope affirmed that "Venice has always been a place of encounter and cultural exchange, showing the symbol of beauty to everyone." Therefore, the Venice Biennale holds a sacred and important position in the world."

San Marino Pavilion

In addition to the Vatican City, another microstate within the Italian territory, nestled among the mountains, is the esteemed "Republic of San Marino." Most of its buildings are in shades of beige, giving off an elegant and noble atmosphere. San Marino is the third smallest country in Europe, with an area slightly larger than that of the Vatican City and Monaco combined. It is the world's oldest existing republic, and the entire country is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Despite not being a member of the European Union, it uses the euro as its official currency. Its economy relies mainly on finance, industry, services, and tourism. With a population of just over thirty thousand people, San Marino is one of the wealthiest countries in terms of GDP per capita.

Historically and geographically, as a small country, being friendly to its neighbors and maintaining neutrality is its way of survival. Therefore, liberalism and peace have always been symbols of San Marino. Apart from possessing significant tourism resources and internationally renowned institutions, in the previous Tokyo Olympics, five athletes from San Marino competed and won one silver and two bronze medals. Therefore, it's no surprise that in the arena of art, San Marino also makes its presence felt. Since 2005, there has been a San Marino Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Known for its hospitality and refuge, they have initiated the "Friendship Project," inviting curators to participate and collaborating with international artists.

In 2024, the San Marino Pavilion presented a solo exhibition by Eddie Martinez, who has Latin American heritage. The exhibition was curated by Alison M. Gingeras, an art historian and writer who has previously worked at the Guggenheim Museum, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Palazzo Grassi in Venice. The exhibition took place at the "La Fucina del Futuro" exhibition space near the Arsenale, continuing the same venue used for the 2023 Architecture Biennale. The venue, formerly an abandoned foundry, has a rugged and primitive interior, resembling an artist's studio. Martinez seamlessly brought the creative passion and energy of his New York studio to the "La Fucina del Futuro" in Venice. The transformation of the former foundry into a weathered art gallery highlights Martinez's vibrant contemporary energy through his beautiful paintings.

Eddie Martinez's grandfather was an immigrant from Puerto Rico in Latin America, with a Spanish surname, and their family itself reflects the history of immigrants. The theme of the San Marino Pavilion this time is "Nomader," which refers to a group without a fixed abode, often migrating seasonally within a defined territory from one place to another. The exhibition theme metaphorically alludes to the increasing number of international nomadic peoples in today's world who must migrate due to survival issues, seeking a place to settle and make a living. Martinez's own nomadic upbringing echoes the behavior of nomads, oscillating between representation and abstraction, mixing various styles of artistic creation.

He is a low-key artist who is dedicated to his work, specializing in painting, and has recently even transformed painting into sculptural forms. Curator Gingeras believes that, in terms of English wordplay, "Nomader," is a newly coined term, with a noun transformed into a verb. The pronunciation of "Nomader" sounds similar to "No matter," a pun implying "it doesn't matter" or "it's okay," both semantically and conceptually echoing Martinez's work and improvisational style.

Gingeras mentioned: "Just as the Biennale's curatorial theme embraces the notion of 'Homo Migrans' - the supposition that to be human means to migrate, to physically move, mentally change, and traverse cultures and identities – so does the visual universe of Martinez's oeuvre. Martinez has allowed his work to formally and conceptually migrate from the legacy of automatic drawing, and abstraction practiced by the CoBrA group to his distinctive take on post-Philip Guston cartoony figuration, as well as his unusual revisitation of various classical art genres such as still lifes and portraiture. His experimental, heterogeneous practice is ever- changing, deploying different media as if always trying to make his visual language foreign to himself."

Diligent Painter: Eddie Martinez

Eddie Martinez was born in 1977 at the Groton Naval Base on the east coast of the United States in Connecticut, where his family moved constantly since his childhood. His father was a contractor responsible for painting buildings. After his parents' divorce, he followed his father, and painting on walls was a very common pastime for him from a young age. During his youth, his family moved between California, Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts, spanning almost the entire United States. They later moved back to the Northeast, where he enrolled at the Art Institute of Boston, but he found that his art was actually more aligned with urban culture and imagery, so he decided to leave school after a year.

It can be said that Martinez's childhood was characterized by change, lacking the stability of a traditional family, resulting in fragmented tendencies in his painting and themes. His nomadic upbringing always made Martinez feel like an outsider, as did his Latin-accented surname, hiding the bloodline genes of a long European migration and Spanish colonial history. It wasn't until adulthood that Martinez finally settled in Brooklyn, New York. Painting gave him comfort and a sense of home.

When Eddie Martinez is seen by others, he is invariably engrossed in drawing. Always armed with a notebook, he diligently records his inspirations, using myriad fragments and exercises to breathe life into his paintings, a practice that has garnered him stellar reviews from art critics. Reflecting on his debut in the art world, Martinez's work made its initial appearance at the ZieherSmith Gallery booth during the NADA Art Fair in Miami in December 2005. Following this milestone, in 2006, he held a solo exhibition at ZieherSmith's New York gallery, where he began to refine his abstract yet whimsical artistic style. Over the course of approximately two decades, Martinez has showcased his work at numerous prestigious galleries, art fairs, museums, and institutions on an international scale.

Some of his notable museum exhibitions include a solo show titled "Ants at a Picknic" at the Davis Museum in Massachusetts in 2017, "Studio Wall" works on paper exhibition at The Drawing Center in New York, the "White Outs" sculpture and painting exhibition at the Bronx Museum in New York in 2018, and "Fast Eddie: New Paintings" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit at the end of 2019, as well as a solo exhibition titled "Open Feast" at the Yuz Museum in Shanghai. His exhibition history is extensive and comprehensive.

Currently, notable public institutions that own works by Martinez include: the Davis Museum at Wellesley College, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, the Jumex Collection in Mexico City, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in LA, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, the Pérez Art Museum in Miami, the RISD Museum in Providence, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The Marciano Collection in LA, The Morgan Library in New York, and The Saatchi Collection in London. There are also some significant private collections, including those of prominent figures in the world of intellectual property, such as Jordan's Abu Ghazaleh, Hiscox in London, and Taiwanese singer and musician Jay Chou.

Blue-chip artists' exhibitions span three continents this year

Currently, Eddie Martinez is primarily represented or collaborated with by four galleries, working together to promote and hold solo exhibitions: Blum Gallery (formerly Blum & Poe) in Los Angeles, Mitchell-Innes & Nash in New York, Timothy Taylor Gallery in London, and Galerie Max Hetzler in Berlin. In the past few years, Perrotin Gallery has held several solo exhibitions for Martinez in Asia. However, Martinez has recently disappeared from the list of artists on the gallery's official website.

In terms of promotion in Asia, the exhibition "Eddie Martinez: To Be Continued" is currently being held at Space K Seoul, a cultural and artistic sharing space under the Kolon Group in Korea, from March 14 to June 16, 2024, which has received great acclaim. Looking back, Martinez's work has been well received in the Asian market. Of the top 20 records of artists at auctions in the attachment, 15 records were set in Asian auction houses. The year 2020 was particularly active for him in the auction market, with annual sales transactions of at least tens of millions of dollars.

Despite some adjustments in the market for contemporary artists in recent times, Martinez's secondary market prices remain strong. According to the Artnet price database, as of early April 2024, Martinez has had 414 works auctioned, with 46% of them selling above the high estimates. The prices of his paintings range from US$100,000 to US$2 million depending on the size.

Furthermore, his work is active in the primary market (galleries). His works have been present at popular art fairs such as Frieze New York, Frieze London, Art Basel Basel, and Art Basel Hong Kong. According to a report from Artnet News on April 14, at the primary market, Martinez's small drawings start at a minimum of US$12,000, while the price of his oil paintings can go up to $600,000. At last year's Frieze London, Timothy Taylor Gallery's booth was adorned with Martinez's small paper sketches, with prices ranging from US$12,000 to US$40,000, achieving impressive sales.

In addition to the Venice Biennale and the exhibition in Korea mentioned above, two sculptures by Eddie Martinez will be installed outdoors at Navy Pier in Chicago. This is a public art exhibition in collaboration with Navy Pier and the Chicago World Expo, running from April 5 to August 25, 2024. The first exhibition in collaboration with the artist at Galerie Max Hetzler in Berlin will also begin on June 7, 2024. Following this, from June 30 to September 29, 2024, the Parrish Art Museum in New York State will host a solo exhibition titled "Eddie Martinez," featuring seven 3.7-meter-tall giant butterfly paintings, along with the release of prints.

From abstraction, sleepers, birds, flowers, still life, blockheads, tabletops, to mandalas, these are several recurring themes in his paintings. After becoming a father, butterflies, which his son loves, have become a frequent subject of his recent creations. Martinez is constantly documenting the migration of life and memories, deeply integrating them into his artistic creations. Martinez has always been an outstanding blue- chip contemporary artist, diligently creating.

2024 will be a busy year for him, and we eagerly anticipate seeing his bright, bold, and colorful paintings and sculptures firsthand.