Daniel Martinez, 2010 Fellowship Winner at Thaddaeus Ropac and Mona Bismarck, Paris France

Recently Daniel Joseph Martinez, 2010 ‘Everything is Political\” FOCA Fellowship winner participated in Wasteland, New Art From Los Angeles,  a group exhibition curated by LAND (Los Angeles Nomadic Division) at two parallel venues in Paris: the Mona Bismarck American Center and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Paris Pantin.  The exhibition ran from March 12 – July 17, 2016.

As translated from the American Center website, Martinez is a multimedia artist who often incorporates language in its performance-works, sculptures, installations, printed works – in aim to address a number of political and social topics. His work challenges conformity and covers topics such as violence, personal and collective identity, political authority and the class struggle, with great inventiveness and a sense of the absurd.

Martinez’s works in Wasteland included a kinetic sculpture, Black Air Dancers (shown below and in the video) as well as an interactive work \”Against Stupidity\” which invited visitors to take one of his posters and participate in a joint protest.  All the Wasteland artists were invited to submit a personal playlist.  A photo of Martinez’s is shown below.

Other Los Angeles artists included in Wasteland were Edgar Arceneaux, Lisa Anne Auerbach, Math Bass, Mark Bradford, Sam Falls, Jon Pylypchuk, Fay Ray, Ry Rocklen, Amanda Ross-Ho, Analia Saban, Shannon Ebner & Erika Vogt, and Brenna Youngblood.

A video, partially in French,  from the American Center website gives more information about the exhibit at 

https://youtu.be/4h1Mu0NQa5g

In January 2016 Fellows visited the studio of Amanda Ross Ho when she was working on pieces for Wasteland including \”World Map\” which became part of the announcement piece for the exhibition.

Fellows Charlotte Chamberlain and Paul Wieselmann  viewed both venues of Wasteland in June 2016.