FRANCESCA MARTÍ

COPPER

11.05.2024

On the occasion of winning the XXI Premio de Artes Plásticas ‘Xam’, by the Rotary Club Palma Ramon Llull, the Mallorcan artist opened the doors of the District’s industrial spaces with Copper. 

The artistic series explores different aspects of contemporary life and encompasses performance, video, sculpture, and installation. Copper is one of the seven planetary metals linked to Venus, both the planet and the goddess, and this exhibition highlights the historical and symbolic importance of this material through emblematic works such as Venus in Copper and Copper Transmissions. 

The almost three meter-tall female figure Venus in Copper shares the space with a procession of figurines painted in copper, climbing a perilous slope like nomads. The artist explains that this installation is about equilibrium, survival and confronting danger. “The large sculpture of Venus represents the senses of power and belief, while the plank supporting all the wrapped figures shows the fragility of society. But it also represents how we can also be united in a moment of fear. The figures all move in a line in the same direction.”

Meanwhile, Copper Transmissions is projected at the end of the industrial space. In this work viewers can see segments of the performance Martí staged at the Swedish Historical Museum in Stockholm in 2021, as well as copper-figured elements descending through the darkened industrial walls of Art & Design District. 

The video installation Quondam, previously presented in the District, was also exhibited alongside this series. This installation explored neighborhood change, social inclusion, and a sense of belonging through the stories of the immigrant community.