Exhibition view "Martina Gmür - Impression"
Exhibition view "Martina Gmür - Impression"
Exhibition view "Martina Gmür - Impression"
Exhibition view "Martina Gmür - Impression"
Exhibition view "Martina Gmür - Impression"
Exhibition view "Martina Gmür - Impression"
Guided tour with the artist: Thu. 10. April 08, 6.30p.m.
Martina Gmür (born 1979 in Valais) recently attracted attention with a solo show at the Musée d’art Sion which was given to her as the first Manor Award winner of the canton Valais.
“Impression” is her second solo exhibition at STAMPA Gallery. Indeed, the artist translates impressions, observations or incidents into a very individual iconographic language. Her work includes different medias like painting, drawing, object and installations.
Her choice of powerful and often strongly contrasting colours is characteristic for her work, and intensifies the presence of the mostly figurative motives. The fragmentary pictures are condensed impressions, detached from the familiar surroundings. The faces, fragments, figures and animals look like snap-shots, but every work hints to a narration and tells its own story. This is underlined by the titles of the works as an important part of them. They provide the onlooker with a hint in order to complete the story individually.
By means of carefully selected fragments, Martina Gmür refers to greater coherences and broader contexts. She also transgresses the boundaries between the traditional genres. She compliments paintings by objects or sticks single motives – painted on adhesive film - directly on the wall and thus extends the illusionist space of the image into the exhibition space.
The possibilities and limits in the visual and illusionist field are tested, challenging the sensual perception. The wall object “The Hammer” for example is – contrarily to all expectations - light as a feather.
Although Martina Gmür’s works challenge and irritate our perception, they give a feeling of ease and remind us of own dreams, memories and experiences. (Irène Buffat)