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Portrait of Noé Martínez

Noé Martínez Debuts “The Shadow of the Mountain Has Tattoos” at Proyectos Monclova in Mexico City

A treasure of Art Week, the magnetic exhibition voyages through the complex, colonial past of Mexico with unflinching artistry and humanity. Here, multiform oil paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and more become universal portals of hope and healing.

On February 4 in Mexico City, skillful Mexican artist Noé Martínez raises the curtain on an inaugural solo presentation at Proyectos Monclova with “The Shadow of the Mountain Has Tattoos,” on view through March 1. A treasure of Art Week, the magnetic exhibition voyages through the complex, colonial past of Mexico with unflinching artistry and humanity. The horrors of human trafficking and slavery meet with an intricate narrative on the Gulf of Mexico, a place which closely links to the visionary’s ancestry. Fusing research and evidence from compelling historical archives with the artist’s bountiful imagination, multiform oil paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and more become universal portals of hope and healing.

Whitewall had the opportunity to speak with the soulful Martínez about utilizing materials as metaphors, offering colors which evoke the nuances of Mexico’s Indigenous peoples, and inviting international visitors into an especially personal and intimate presentation. 

Portrait of Noé Martínez Portrait of Noé Martínez by Juan Rodrigo Llaguno. Courtesy of the artist and Proyectos Monclova, Mexico City.
Noé Martínez, Noé Martínez, “Razones minerales 2,” 2024, Oil on copper plaque, reclaimed antique crystals, and silver chain, framed in american walnut wood. Framed dimensions: 9.06 x 7.48 x 1.57 in, 23 x 19 x 4 cm, Plaque dimensions: 7.09 x 5.51 in, 18 x 14 cm; Courtesy of the artist and Proyectos Monclova. Photo by Ramiro Chaves.

WHITEWALL: How would you describe your creative practice?

NOÉ MARTÍNEZ: It is an art anchored in historical research and ideas surrounding memory, identity, and multicultural and plural representation.

WW: Can you tell us about the kinds of materials you are drawn to? 

NM: The materials I use vary, always depending on my research. I see them as metaphors for artistic concepts—for instance, in my work, ceramics symbolize the body.

WW: Tell us about your color palette? What tones are you drawn to?

NM: I experience colors in a similar way to materials—I see them as presences. In the world of Mexico’s Indigenous peoples, colors evoke the energies of nature, ideas, people, and animistic beings.

An Exhibition of Memory, Research, and Reconstruction by Noé Martínez

Noé Martínez Noé Martínez, “Animal con espejo en la panza,” 2024, high-temperature slip ceramic, obsidian mirror, reclaimed antique crystals, silver chain and cotton tread, 6.69 x 11.02 x 11.02 inches, photo by Ramiro Chaves, courtesy of Proyectos Monclova.

WW: What was the starting point for this exhibition?

NM: My starting point was researching and reconstructing my personal genealogy—both my own history and the evolution of my artistic ideas over the years. My past is deeply rooted in the memory of my Indigenous culture, while my ideas explore memory itself and how collective history is constructed.

“My starting point was researching and reconstructing my personal genealogy,”

Noé Martínez

WW: Can you tell us about how visitors will move through the space? What do you hope they experience?

NM: I hope they experience something very personal and intimate with this exhibition.

WW: Was there something new you explored for this show?

NM: I explored small-format painting, which is something I almost never do in my practice.

WW: Where do you typically begin with an artwork?

NM: With ideas and research.

An Intimate Studio Setting for a Multi-Dimensional Creative Practice

Artwork by Noé Martínez. Artwork by Noé Martínez. Courtesy of the artist and Proyectos Monclova, Mexico City.
Noé Martínez, Noé Martínez, “Calmecayo, Xantolo 2023,” 2024, Oil on copper plaque, reclaimed antique crystals, and silver chain, framed in american walnut wood. Framed dimensions: 9.06 x 7.48 x 1.57 in, 23 x 19 x 4 cm, Plaque dimensions: 7.09 x 5.51 in, 18 x 14 cm; Courtesy of the artist and Proyectos Monclova. Photo by Ramiro Chaves.

WW: Can you tell us about your studio?

NM: My studio is a small space where I create some of my work, but conceptually, my practice takes shape through travel, conversations, museum visits, and even just walking down the street.

“Conceptually, my practice takes shape through travel, conversations, museum visits,”

Noé Martínez

WW: What is a typical day like for you there?

NM: There is no typical day in my studio. It’s hard to define a routine—activities change very often, and it is a constant process of adaptation and construction.

WW: Is there an element of your creative process you make sure to do each day?

NM: Reading and listening to music.

WW: What are you working on next in the studio?

NM: Finishing a movie I started filming in 2019.

Noé Martínez Noé Martínez, “Fueron llevados a las minas del Caribe,” 2024, high-temperature slip ceramics and cotton tread, 28.74 x 9.06 x 9.06 inches, photo by Ramiro Chaves, courtesy of Proyectos Monclova.
Noé Martínez Noé Martínez, “La sombra de la montaña tiene tatuajes,” 2024, oil on linen, 78.74 x 47.24 x 1.97 inches, photo by Ramiro Chaves, courtesy of Proyectos Monclova.

SAME AS TODAY

Featured image credits: Portrait of Noé Martínez by Juan Rodrigo Llaguno. Courtesy of the artist and Proyectos Monclova, Mexico City.

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