An article and interview by art critic Yves Joris, highlighting the work of Francesca Marti’ as part of the group show Nature’s Conversation at Galerie Ysebaert in Belgium, was published in Gallery Viewer magazine, The Netherlands, December 23, 2024.
Scroll down for the English translation of the text after the article.
https://galleryviewer.com/nl/article/2742/de-stille-dialoog-van-francesca-marti
Francesca Martí’s silent dialogue
by Yves Joris, for Gallery Viewer, The Netherlands
December 23, 2024At a time when the call of nature is ever louder but often drowned out by humanity, there is a need for artists who can make this fragile balance visible. Francesca Martí is one such artist. Her work goes beyond aesthetics; it is a meditative exploration of the connection between man and nature, a conversation without words in which the symbolism of growth and decay is central. Within the framework of Nature’s Conversation, a group exhibition at Gallery Ysebaert, in which she engages in artistic dialogue with Tomas Zemla and Koen Vanmechelen, Martí’s vision becomes tangible. Nature whispers, speaks and reflects – if only we are willing to listen.
Man as spectator and participant
Francesca Martí’s work is characterised by the subtle interplay between nature and man. During our interview, she refers to the influence of her homeland, Spanish Mallorca, where the rugged beauty of the landscape helped to shape her as a child. It is those images – of weathered rocks, weathered leaves and the play of light and shadow – which serve as the foundation for her artistic language. Yet it goes beyond merely observing nature. Humans are not only spectators in her universe, but also participants. Her sculptures and photographic works show (small) human figures, silently and often vulnerably placed in a monumental natural context.
In her work, for instance, the large, organic decay of a tree leaf becomes a metaphor not only for the transience of nature, but also for human beings themselves. Martí reminds us that we are part of this cycle. It is not an indictment, rather an invitation to introspection.
«I want to take the viewer into a world where time and scale blur,» she says. «Nature gives us clues, but we have to be willing to look.»
There is a philosophical truth in this: we are neither bigger than nature, nor separate from it. By making the human figures small against the natural elements, Martí reverses the relationship. She confronts us with our futility and forces us to be humble.The power of impermanence
A major recurring motif in Martí’s oeuvre is the theme of impermanence. Leaves, like the monumental leaf which appears in her photographic work, serve as symbols of both life and decay. With Martí, the leaf that once grew, caught light and provided nourishment becomes a stage on which the past and the future converge.
«The beauty of a withered leaf is in the history it tells,» says the artist. That past is tangible in the veins, the folds and the cracks. But what makes her work so special is the way she manages to capture the beauty of this decay. Instead of melancholy, it exudes a serene strength. Nature, she seems to be saying, reminds us of the constant transformation of life.
In this process of decay and rebirth, she places human figures – not as a dominant element, but as silent witnesses. They observe, wait or wander over the leaf as if it were a landscape. This scale relationship makes us think: are we not as fragile and subject to time as that single leaf? Martí’s works ask uncomfortable but necessary questions about our own existence and our impact on the world.Dialogue at its core
The title of the group exhibition, Nature’s Conversation, is particularly appropriate to Francesca Martí’s work. Dialogue is at the heart of her practice: the dialogue between man and nature, but also between past and future, growth and decay. She uses a visual language that is universal and timeless, bridging the gap between cultures, generations and perspectives.
In our interview, Martí names her fascination with nature’s subtle signals. «It is a conversation without words, but full of meaning,» she says. This is not a romantic, idealised vision of nature, but an invitation to listen closely. How often do we carelessly pass by the veins of a leaf, the crack in a rock, or the rhythm of the waves? Martí reminds us that nature is always speaking to us, if only we are willing to slow down.
Her work is therefore not merely a representation of nature, but rather a translation of that silent conversation. The small human figures, almost lost amid the organic forms, are not a coincidence. They represent us – searching, waiting and listening.
An invitation to reflection
What makes Martí’s work so powerful is her ability to make the small monumental and reduce the monumental to its essence. With her, the weathered leaf, seemingly a banal object, becomes a symbol of transience, beauty and connection. Her works challenge us to reflect on our relationship to nature and to ourselves.
Observing her contribution to Nature’s Conversation, it becomes clear that her art is more than an aesthetic experience. It is a philosophical invitation. How do we move in a world that is constantly changing? How can we establish a deeper connection with the nature that carries and nourishes us?
Her work does not give answers, but asks questions. Questions we have ignored for too long. She calls us to hear again the whispers of nature and recognise our place in it. Not as rulers, but as participants. Not as outsiders, but as part of a greater whole.Epilogue: a silent conversation
Through her work, Francesca Martí has created a visual and philosophical statement that is both poetic and powerful. In Nature’s Conversation, she shows that nature is not just a backdrop for human presence, but an active interlocutor. Her works offer a quiet space for reflection, inviting the viewer to listen again to what nature is telling us.
There is a universal message in the weathered leaves, cracks in the ground and small human figures: we are part of this world, as fragile and impermanent as everything around us. Her art reminds us that beauty lies in the temporary, and that – like nature – we can grow through connection.
‘It’s a conversation without words, but full of meaning,’ she says.