Kris Martin (born 1972 in Kortrijk) is a Belgian conceptual visual artist. His work consists of monumental and small-scale

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

s, drawings and interventions. Recurring themes in his work are the notion of time, history and the transience of human existence. His artwork also explores the relationship between the creators and the consumers of art, and combines elements of contemplation with humour and playfulness. Among his best known works are 'Mandi XVIII', a plaster cast of the Laocoon group with the snakes omitted, and '100 years' a sculpture that will explode in 100 years from its conception. Martin has worked with curators

Jan Hoet Knight Jan Hoet (; 23 June 1936 – 27 February 2014) was the Belgian founder of SMAK (''Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst'' or Municipal Museum for Contemporary Art) in Ghent, Belgium. Biography Jan Hoet was born in Leuven, Belgium. Throu ...

and

Jens Hoffmann Jens Hoffmann Mesén (born 1974 in San José, Costa Rica) is a writer, editor, educator, and exhibition maker. His work has attempted to expand the definition and context of exhibition making. From 2003 to 2007 Hoffmann was director of exhibit ...

. Martin held his first solo show in 2000. Since then he has mounted many solo exhibitions, and his work has been included in dozens of group exhibitions. In 2020, a retrospective of Martin's work was held at S.M.A.K Ghent titled ''EXIT.'' The exhibition gathered many well known works amongst which the iconic Altar ''(2004)'', with recent additions such as Water (2020), a spread of vessels holding the life sustaining liquid.

Solo shows

*2000 - Wahnsinn, Garden of Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Deurle *2004 - Beaulieu Gallery, Wortegem-Petegem *2005 - Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen; Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf *2006 - Deus ex machina, Johann König, Berlin *2007 -

MoMA PS1 MoMA PS1 is a contemporary art institution at 2201 Jackson Avenue in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens in New York City, United States. In addition to its exhibitions, the institution organizes the Sunday Sessions performance series, th ...

, New York; My Private 5, Piazza San Marco, Venedig; Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf; Marc Foxx, Los Angeles * 2009 -

Aspen Art Museum Founded in 1979, the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) is a non-collecting contemporary art museum located in Aspen, Colorado, United States. AAM exhibitions include drawings, paintings, sculptures, multimedia installations and electronic media. Building ...

, Aspen; Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf; Johann König, Berlin * 2010 - FESTUM,

White Cube White Cube is a contemporary art gallery founded by Jay Jopling in London in 1993. The gallery has two branches in London: White Cube Mason's Yard in central London and White Cube Bermondsey in South East London; White Cube Hong Kong, in Centra ...

, London; T.Y.F.F.S.H., K20

Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen is the art collection of the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, in Düsseldorf. United by this institution are three different exhibition venues: the ''K20'' at Grabbeplatz, the ''K21'' in th ...

, Düsseldorf; Almine Rech Gallery, Brüssel/Brussels * 2011 - Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf; Marc Foxx, Los Angeles; The Magnificent Seven: Hammarby!,

Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts The Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts is a nonprofit contemporary art center and research institute in San Francisco. It is part of the California College of the Arts. The institute holds exhibitions, lectures, and symposia, releases publica ...

, San Francisco * 2012 - Every Day of the Weak,

Kestnergesellschaft Kestner Gesellschaft (Kestner Society) is an art institution in Hanover, Germany, founded in 1916 to promote the arts. Its founders included the painter Wilhelm von Debschitz (1871–1948). The association blossomed under the management of and ...

, Hannover,

Kunstmuseum Bonn The Kunstmuseum Bonn or Bonn Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Bonn, Germany, founded in 1947. The Kunstmuseum exhibits both temporary exhibitions and its collection. Its collection is focused on Rhenish Expressionism and post-war German ...

Aargauer Kunsthaus The Aargauer Kunsthaus () is a Swiss art museum founded in 1959, and located in Aarau. The museum collection includes Swiss art from the 18th century to the present day; and ''Naturama'', a natural history collection. History The art museum st ...

, Aarau; Mandi VIII, Lehmbruck-Museum, Duisburg; DO NOT CROSS THE RED LINE, Kunst-Station Sankt Peter, Köln; Festum II, Theseustempel,

Kunsthistorisches Museum The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien ( "Vienna Museum of art history, Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts, Vienna") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, i ...

, Wien * 2013 - Somebody, Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf;

, London; Künstlerraum, K21

, Düsseldorf * 2016 - König Galerie, Berlin. *2020 - EXIT, S.M.A.K, Ghent.

References

External links

EXIT, Kris Martin Ghent retrospective, Flash Art issue 330, Elaine YJ ZhengKris Martin on Artsy
Kris Martin on Artsy

* ttps://books.google.com/books?id=vhEo5F_AlMkC&dq=%22kris+martin%22&pg=PA165 passage about Martin in 'Art for the people: a collector's journal' by Michael K. Corbin
Catalogue to the overview exhibition "Everyday of the Weak", issued by Distanz

Kris Martin at Sies + Höke gallery

Kris Martin on ArtFacts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Kris 1972 births Living people 21st-century Belgian artists