feature kris martin
Mandi VIII (2006), a recent work of Martin’s, for example, that were used to cover statues of saints and other craftworks. Absent
consists of a plaster cast of the antique sculpture representing the of their precious content and placed directly on the floor, these glass
struggle of Laocoon and his sons to overcome two serpentine beasts. domes retain the suggestion of protection, such that the meaning of
Mandi VIII effects one oddly subtle yet substantial difference to the the piece vacillates between the notion that some ethereal presence
original: the serpentine beasts attacking the father and sons have is trapped in the air contained under their form and, alternately, that
been removed. Absent of this source of terror and physical attack, the cylinders themselves might represent an army of saintly figures,
the figures’ contorted poses and facial expression are left to signify their barely-there materiality suggestive of divine presence. Vase
an unknown fear, some delocalised terror that could be attributed (2005), one of Martin’s most notorious works, consists of a Chinese
equally to our current indeterminate position in the midst of a barely vase of a fairly substantial size that the artist acquired for an exhibition.
recognised state of world hostility or the abstract horror of existence, Prior to the opening, he smashed the vase by tipping it over, and
its brevity and unknown or absent significance. It is a brilliant work of then laboriously pieced together its broken parts, restoring it to a
simple adjustment that uses its source material in a manner that is fragmented version of its former self. For each subsequent exhibition
neither facile nor affected. of this piece, the vase will be broken afresh and pieced back together.
A similarly powerful effect was achieved in another work involving The ‘antique’ appearance of the vase in its restored state seems, on
the slight alteration of an existing piece. Asked to contribute a piece for the one hand, entirely appropriate for an object such as this – thereby
an exhibition in Sonsbeek Park, Arnhem, Martin worked with the given taking on the ‘value’ of a Ming dynasty rarity restored for display.
environment. Two statues, of a man and a woman, normally placed on The brutality of the act of repeated destruction, however, abjectly
pedestals in the park in a formal sculptural environment, were removed plays with our value-laden consciousness for the preservation and
from their positions and placed beside a lake. The female figure was caretaking of objects. What does it mean to so ruthlessly destroy that
positioned by Martin close to the water looking out over the expanse, which has been carefully restored? What does this say for both our
while behind her, apparently approaching the woman, was the male compulsive desire to preserve the past and our notion of perfection
statue. From two otherwise formulaic sculptures, Martin managed to or beauty? How can the owner of this work willingly participate in what
create a romantic scene, utterly transforming the figures by bringing to will inevitably be its ultimate destruction by allowing it to be shown and
life, liberating even, their heretofore hidden souls. then repeatedly destroyed?
Numerous other works of Martin have similarly referenced Martin has made other works that reflect on the potential for an
historical artworks or artefacts. All Saints (2007), for example, is a end through a destructive moment of violence, both within the artwork
gathering of glass bell jars from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and, by extension, in life itself. 100 Years (2004) consists of a golden
artreview 44
Kris Martin.indd 44 29/11/07 10:30:09
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