In Francesca Martí’s latest works, groups of her small Believers sculptures are gathered together around collaged images of large leaves. Painted in hues of copper, green, gold and brown, some of the figures hide in the shadows, others walk across the filigree paper surface of the leaves and some even seem to be carrying the gigantic leaves and petals in their hands. As always, Martí’s work touches on the themes of migration, fragility and equilibrium.
Although the small figures might at first resemble swarms of insects dwarfed by Mother Nature, the artist sees her Believers in the new series entitled Refugees into Nature, as being integral to the broader natural world, and part of the cycle of life. In Martí’s world, a single leaf becomes an entire landscape and ecosystem.
«For me, it is important to show that as humans, we are not more important than nature. We are small, but not insignificant. I want to give a message about how much we need to care about the treasure that we have, and to treasure existence itself.»
This latest series is being created in Martí’s studio for a forthcoming group show on the theme of nature, at Galerie Ysebaert in Sint-Martens-Latem near Bruges in Belgium. Opening on November 9, the exhibition «Nature’s Conversation» is curated by Annelies Ysebaert, also featuring the work of Koen Vanmechelen and Tomas Zemla.
Nor is this the first time that Martí has incorporated plants in her work, ranging from her expressionistic paintings of budding vegetation and leaf litter in the 1990s, her sculptures made from burnt wood after forest wild-fires in Mallorca, or her photographs, paintings, drawings and video performances of Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham as the elf Droplet (2008-2014), acting as a tiny figure exploring a magical forest landscape. Now in 2024, Refugees into Nature transmits our instinct for exploration and the different aspects of discovery and sanctuary.
(Mallorcan studio photographs by Johan Danielson, Sweden)
Nature’s Conversation – Gallery Ysebaert
November 9 – December 31, 2024.
Karel Lodewijk Maenhoutstraat 60
9830 Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium
+32 499 976148
info@galleryysebaert.be
www.galleryysebaert.be
