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Martine Syms
Born	1988 (age 36–37) Los Angeles, U.S.
Alma mater	School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA) Bard College (MFA)
Occupation	Artist filmmaker critic publisher

Martine Syms (born 1988) is an American artist residing in Los Angeles, specializing in various mediums including publishing, video, installation, and performance. Her artistic endeavors revolve around themes of identity, particularly the representation of the self, with a focus on subjects like feminism and black culture. Syms frequently employs humor and social commentary as vehicles for exploration within her work. In 2007, she introduced the term "Conceptual Entrepreneur" to describe her artistic approach.

Martine Syms is represented by Sadie Coles HQ and Sprüth Magers.

Early life
Career
- Conceptual Entrepreneur
Work
Personal life
Collections, Lectures and Exhibitions

Early life

Martine Syms was born in 1988 in Los Angeles. She grew up in the Altadena suburb of the city alongside her three siblings. During her formative years, she received homeschooling from her parents between the ages of 7 and 12. Recognizing her passion at a young age, Syms expressed her aspiration to become an artist early on. Reflecting on her homeschooling experience, Syms has commented on the challenges of accessing quality education in her area, stating, "The area I grew up in didn't have the best public schools, and it was hard to get all of us into the same private school—for a lot of racist reasons, from what it sounds like." Both of Syms' parents fostered her creative development, with her mother having an interest in art and writing and her father being an amateur photographer. As part of her artistic journey, she participated in the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) at CalArts.

In 2007, Syms earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in film, Video, and New Media from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She later pursued a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, completing her studies in 2017.

Career

From 2007 to 2012, Syms was a co-director of Golden Age, an artist-run space in Chicago.

In 2015, Syms participated in the New Museum Triennial Surround Audience. During the same year, her video titled "Notes on Gesture" was exhibited at Bridget Donahue Gallery in New York City and the Machine Project in Los Angeles. The video delves into the significance of seemingly little bodily gestures in shaping one's identity.

Syms collaborated with Willo Perron and Associates in assisting with the writing of Kanye West's speech at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, where he announced his candidacy for the 2020 Presidential Election.

In 2016, Syms presented the performance piece "Misdirected Kiss" at the Storm King Art Center in New York's Hudson Valley, as well as at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles. The work's title is inspired by the 1904 film "The Misdirected Kiss." Incorporating elements reminiscent of a TED talk, the performance critically examines issues related to language and representation. In the same year, Syms held a solo exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, titled "Martine Syms: Fact & Trouble," which featured her video series "Lessons."

In 2017, Syms had a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, titled "Projects 106: Martine Syms," which revolved around a feature-length film called "Incense, Sweaters & Ice." Additionally, Syms was shortlisted for the Future Generation Art Prize and received the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation grant in the same year. Syms joined the faculty of the California Institute of the Arts in September 2018 and was awarded the Graham Foundation Fellowship for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. She also received the Future Fields Commission in time-based media from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo.

Syms founded Dominica Publishing, an artists' press dedicated to exploring Black identity in contemporary art and visual culture.

In 2022, Syms made her directorial debut with the film The African Desperate, which premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The distribution rights for the film were acquired by the streaming service Mubi.

Conceptual Entrepreneur

The concept of artists seeking financial self-determination is a recurring theme in modern and contemporary art. Artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Marcel Broodthaers, Piero Manzoni, David Hammons, and Joe Scanlan have explored this idea. Scanlan, in particular, articulated this concept in his text "People in Trade," which highlights the business potential of conceptual art. Scanlan argues that artists with unique skills and production methods, such as Agnes Martin and David Hammons, embody personal branding, value-adding, and just-in-time production principles. These artists have often been overlooked for their contributions to state-of-the-art business innovations. Syms embraces the notion of self-determination through a sustainable institution, influenced by her interest in independent music and black-owned businesses. Her artwork has been showcased in various venues, including Human Resources, Bridget Donahue Gallery, the New Museum, Kunsthalle Bern, The Studio Museum in Harlem, Index Stockholm, MOCA Los Angeles, and MCA Chicago. Currently, Syms holds a teaching position at the California Institute of the Arts.

Work

Syms' artistic practice delves into contemporary Black identity, queer theory, and the significance of language. Her exploration takes shape through various mediums such as video, performance, writing, etc. She often incorporates found footage from contemporary media to convey her thematic concerns. Syms values the concise nature of video as a means of transmitting important information and considers herself a collector of "orphaned media." For instance, she examines the role of smartphones as tools for constructing identity, even though she abstains from using social media. Syms finds enjoyment in exploring how self-constructed identities manifest through these platforms. In her artistic process, Syms frequently utilizes gallery spaces to create multimedia collages. She possesses diverse technical skills, including self-taught coding supplemented by classes at the Armory Center for The Arts in Los Angeles. Satire is a source of inspiration for Syms, employing parody and sarcasm to convey her artistic messages. She describes her working style as project-driven, adapting her approach throughout the creative journey.

Personal life

Syms participates in soccer as a player for Sativa Football Club, assuming the position of midfielder.

Collections, Lectures and Exhibitions

Public Collections

Source:

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago IL, USA
Carré d'Art, Musée d'art contemporain, Nîmes, France
Guggenheim Museums and Foundation, New York NY, USA
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles CA, USA
JFABC Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection, Chicago IL, USA
Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection, Chicago IL, USA
KADIST, Paris and San Francisco CA, USA
LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles CA, USA
Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds, England
MCA Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago IL, USA
MOCA Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles CA, USA
MoMA Museum of Modern Art, New York NY, USA
Museum of Modern Art Library, New York NY, USA
Perez Art Museum, Miami FL, USA
San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio TX, USA
Serralves Foundation, Porto, Portugal
Studio Museum in Harlem, New York NY, USA
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis MN, USA
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York NY, USA

Lectures and Conferences