PerformanceNovember 19, 2021
"Monument II" by Carlos Martiel
Cuban artist Carlos Martiel subjects his solitary body to ritual acts of pain and extreme physical stress in his installation and performance works. His works are socially engaged works, questioning systems of violence, displacement, and immigration; the artist's body, under pressure, functions as a conduit for the stories and lived experiences of a black person's body. These resistance projects serve as commentary on oppressive and racist power structures, cultural hegemony, and global geopolitics.
"Monument II" is the latest work by Carlos Martiel. It is a site-specific body installation that makes visible the artist's concerns about invisible power structures. This work was conceived after "Monument I" (2021). Martiel's naked, blood-covered body was presented as a temporary monument representing minorities historically discriminated against, oppressed, and excluded in the United States. For this new presentation, Martiel once again used his nude body, handcuffed standing atop a pedestal in the rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum. Evoking a living sculpture, the artist endured this motionless posture in silence for several hours as a form of activism and physical resistance against abuses of power affecting marginalized communities of color. For the duration of the performance, which was presented during a one-night-only event, visitors could view him from multiple perspectives around the Museum's ascending ramp.
This project was commissioned by the Guggenheim's Latin American Circle and organized by Pablo León de la Barra, General Curator, Latin America; and Geaninne Gutiérrez-Guimarães, Associate Curator, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, New York.
The Guggenheim Museum's Latin American Circle, formed in 2016, is a dynamic group of art collectors interested in the contemporary art and culture of Latin America. The group advises and supports Guggenheim's contemporary Latin American art initiatives and facilitates the Museum's ongoing efforts to diversify and strengthen its programming and collection by including both emerging and established Latin American artists.
"Monument II" is the latest work by Carlos Martiel. It is a site-specific body installation that makes visible the artist's concerns about invisible power structures. This work was conceived after "Monument I" (2021). Martiel's naked, blood-covered body was presented as a temporary monument representing minorities historically discriminated against, oppressed, and excluded in the United States. For this new presentation, Martiel once again used his nude body, handcuffed standing atop a pedestal in the rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum. Evoking a living sculpture, the artist endured this motionless posture in silence for several hours as a form of activism and physical resistance against abuses of power affecting marginalized communities of color. For the duration of the performance, which was presented during a one-night-only event, visitors could view him from multiple perspectives around the Museum's ascending ramp.
This project was commissioned by the Guggenheim's Latin American Circle and organized by Pablo León de la Barra, General Curator, Latin America; and Geaninne Gutiérrez-Guimarães, Associate Curator, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, New York.
The Guggenheim Museum's Latin American Circle, formed in 2016, is a dynamic group of art collectors interested in the contemporary art and culture of Latin America. The group advises and supports Guggenheim's contemporary Latin American art initiatives and facilitates the Museum's ongoing efforts to diversify and strengthen its programming and collection by including both emerging and established Latin American artists.
