Bio

Born in Switzerland, the Martin Sisters currently live between Belgium, France and Switzerland. After working as visual artists, they wrote their first texts in 2002, and began giving performances in 2007. In 2011, they performed at Pompidou-Paris, the Festival L’Escale in Bordeaux, Pompidou-Metz, the actOral Festival in Marseille (FR), and Ferme-Asile in Sion (CH). They use the world and themselves as subject matters of their work. Their investigations include various performative media – drawing, embroidery, sculpture, art history, cinema, video, literature, radio, popular and contemporary music… Inevitably dual, they assume the biographical fact as constitutive of their practice. World events, experiences, feelings are investigated and mercilessly tracked down, dissected and pulled apart in a twisted, tongue-in-cheek, faulty, elliptical, ‘open air’ language.   The Martin Sisters released texts in various publications and gave parasitedconference proceedings. They also animate workshops in art schools and universities.

Statement

The shape is that of an auto-fictional dictionary. The entries are numerous. They consist of materials (text, song, image, photography, choreography, typography, color, reworked film, video excerpt …) ‘mounted’ to make a dramolet; the thread, clear or tenuous, runs through them, unraveling, at the breaking point… The device is that of a visual conference performance.   photo: Daniel Locus