Esencia: Materica: José Carlos Martinat (CDMX - Gallery)

The work of Martinat examines the intersection of technology, politics, and human experience, investigating how machines, objects, and systemic structures shape culture. He transforms everyday artifacts into layered reflections on social mechanisms and the conditions of contemporary life.

 

Martinat has exhibited at Tate (London), the Shanghai Biennale, MoMA (New York), Saatchi Gallery (London), EVA International (Ireland), the Havana and Mercosur Biennials, the Poly/Graphic Triennial of Puerto Rico, the North Holland Biennial, IFA (Germany), La Laboral (Spain), and the Pinacoteca de São Paulo, among others.

 

His works belong to major collections, including Tate, MoMA, the Guggenheim, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, MALBA, Saatchi, and MALI.

 

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" (...) In recent years, particularly following the global paradigm shift brought by the 2020 pandemic, Lima-based artist José Carlos Martinat has taken unexpected turns that also engage with textile work. Known for decades for his installations, mechanical and electronic works, and interest in repurposing elements of public space, Martinat has embarked on a new artistic field of exploration. This work bridges his past and present research, where a novel form of textile design has emerged.

 

Essencia:Materia represents a body of work that continues to merge two realms: the medical and the spiritual. On one hand, Martinat draws from the SARS-CoV-2 genome, structured by four letters across 33,000 sequences, visualized through a geometric, tiered design. On the other, he integrates traditional medicine and the use of minerals and crystals believed to restore organic balance. Alongside this, he employs natural dyes, initially used to color a set of gauzes. By combining these two spheres, he achieves a new installation format that redefines spatial intervention. (...) "

 

Exhbition text by Natalia de la Rosa