artnexus #24

 The first time I saw the work of Marta Maria Perez in 1989,1 was greatly impressed by her strength, her courage in working with her body, her relationship with her condition as a woman and a mother, and the links in her work to Afro-Cuban symbols.

Since then I have followed the development of other career and her participation in such events and exhibitions as the XXIst edition of the Sao Paulo Biennial in 1990, Cartographies in 1993, The New Generation: Contemporary Photography from Cuba, Fotofest in 1994, and Longing and Belonging: From the Faraway Nearby, Site Santa Fe in 1995.

In September 1995 we published an article by Gerardo Mosquera, titled "Marta Maria Perez: Self- portraits of the Cosmos". In the current issue, she appears on our cover, in a tribute to her career and the quality of her work, as the image of ARCO 97, where she was awarded the Artist's Revelation Prize of the Fundacion Argentaria, and where two pairs of photographs from the series You can't live only were acquired for the National Museum Centro Reina Sofia.

Latin America was the special guest as ARCO 97 and the results achieved exceeded all the expectations of both organizers and participants. So great was the success that for next year, in addition to the already planned participation of Portugal, the organizers will be extending a special invitation to the countries of the Caribbean, with the Southern Cone following suit in 1999. 

(See the articles by Alexandra Pozo and Alicia Murria).

CELIA SREDNI DE BIRBRAGHER