Ejercícios Superficiales Sobre Dispositivo de Deleite José Carlos Martinat

20/06/2013 - 20/07/2013

In his second solo exhibition at Galeria Leme, Peruvian artist José Carlos Martinat develops his critic and social investigation, now applied to other techniques and urban elements.

The artist has as main focus the exploration and discussion of political, economic and social aspects, usually associated with its respective cultural contexts. Martinat thinks and realizes his work in the site where it will be exhibited in order to create a close dialogue with the place and to reach the spectator in the most contusing way.

In his new series of works the artist uses aluminum sheets to make appropriations of public sculptures. When putting the sheets onto a torso, statue, monument or other and molding it on the selected object, the results are superficial sculptures, thin and delicate, but still carrying the serious visage that comes from the original work.

Martinat uses the street as his mold and takes advantage of it to copy elements that interest him. His actions on the street are always made in an independent way, generating an ambiguity aspect in his process.

The spectator encounters known works from one’s quotidian, transported to the gallery space. With a really different aesthetic approach from the ones seen in their original spaces, the work becomes a visual rereading of what one may consider trite in the city space.

About the artist:

José Carlos Martinat (Lima, 1974). Lives and works between Lima, Peru and Mexico City, Mexico.

His recent solo exhibitions include the individuals: “Superficial Exercises” Baginski Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal (2012); “Ejercícios Superficiales para Galeria”, Galeria Leme, São Paulo, Brazil (2010) and the group shows: “Ruins in Reverse”, TATE Modern, London, United Kingdom (2013); 9th Shanghai Biennial, China (2012); 5th Noord-Holland Biennale, Hoorn, Netherlands (2012); “Modify, As Needed, Knight Exhibition Series, Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami, USA (2011); “Monumentos Vandalizables: Abstracción de Poder II, MALI, Lima, Peru (2010) e 7th Mercosul Biennial, Porto Alegre, Brazil (2009).