The exhibition
CUL-DE-SAC - 2024
Alicia Martín is fascinated by the book, an everyday object that she loves for its formal qualities (colors, smells, textures) and for its symbolic charge with multiple interpretations. The book is a universal vehicle for the transmission of culture, memory and knowledge, as well as a means of expressing human creativity. His piles of books in public spaces reflect the power of literature to push back the boundaries of the imaginary.
A wall of books stands in front of the guns of the Batterie Royale, echoing the shapes and proportions of fortifications dating back to the 17th century. An emblem of peace, the literary barrier obstructs the trajectory of the artillery on site. However, with its title, CUL-DE-SAC, referring to situations with no way out, the artist's pacifying image is nuanced. This truncated defensive structure remains futile in the face of the fierce conflicts raging around the globe.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
ALICIA MARTÍN
Alicia Martín, a multi-disciplinary artist who lives and works in Madrid, uses materials with strong symbolic evocations to elaborate paradoxical metaphors that reflect our complex relationship with reality. The artist accumulates thousands of used books, which she assembles into architectural installations in public spaces.
Since 2001, the artist has presented exhibitions and contextual interventions in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Mexico, Colombia, Russia and Spain. His work is included in the collections of the Institut valencien d'art moderne, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, the Colección Banco de España, the Biblioteca Alexandrina and the Museo Reina Sofía, among others.
Photo Credit: Erea Azurmendi
Photo Credit: Erea Azurmendi
PARTNERS
This project was made possible with the support of the Entente de développement culturel between the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the Ville de Québec.
