Born in 1976 in Montevideo, Uruguay
Lives and works in Madrid, Spain
Martín Sastre
Strongly influenced by the cinema and audio-visual media, Martín Sastre demythologizes the various models, clichés, and icons of consumer society from a Latin American perspective in a globalized world.
Availing himself of the creative and advertising strategies generated by globalization, Sastre brings sarcasm and humor to bear on his penetrating critique of the mass media, which are both starting point and catalyst for his videos. His commitment is clear as he questions the norms that underlie a complex mesh of relations, both in art and in life, and which construct the differences imposed by economic power centers of various kinds. The work as a whole is the fruit of the artist’s fantasy: he appears as various flamboyant characters, all baulking at their role in a world shot through with contradictions.
In Videoart: The Iberoamerican Legend, Sastre uses real-world images, scenes from American blockbuster movies and a range of youth-culture and pop icons. The artist himself plays the part of a sinister master of ceremonies, who introduces viewers to a very special History of Art. Underpinning the work is the idea that Latin American artists could furnish a new artistic power center, to take the place of the hegemony of North America as the latter self-destructs and goes bankrupt. To this end the piece analyzes the various discourses employed by these artistic practices only to rework them, turning their meanings and intentions upside down, and sarcastically concluding that the only valid way for Iberoamerican art to win a place for itself in the international arena is for it to be significantly cheaper.
Carlos Ordás, 2005
Video Art in Latin America. Exhibition brochure, Laxart, Los Angeles, USA, September 17 - December 16, 2017 (part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA). With texts by Glenn Philipps and Elena Shtromberg. Los Angeles, Laxart, 2017.
Caleidoscopio y rompecabezas. Latinoamérica en la colección MUSAC. Exhibition catalogue, Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno CAAM, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, June 9 - October 9, 2016. With texts by Orlando Britto Jinorio, Wendy Navarro (et al.). Las Palmas, CAAM, 2016.
Alonso, Rodrigo. Elogio de la Low-Tech. Historia y estética de las artes electrónicas en América Latina. Buenos Aires, Luna Editores, 2015.
55. Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte - la Biennale di Venezia. Padiglione America Latina - IILA. El atlas del imperio. Exhibition catalogue, Biennale di Venezia, June 1 - November 24, 2013. With texts by Alfons Hug, Paz Guevara (et al.). Roma, Instituto Italo-Latinoamericano IILA, 2013.
1a Bienal de Montevideo. El gran sur. Exhibiton catalogue, Bienal, Montevideo, Uruguay, November 23, 2012 - March 30, 2013. With texts by Alfons Hug, Paz Guevara, and Patricia Bentancur. Montevideo, Bienal, 2012.
crisisss... América Latina, arte y confrontación. 1920-2010. Exhibition catalogue, Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, March 12 - June 5, 2011. With texts by Gerardo Mosquera, Luis Camnitzer, Aracy Amaral, Karen Cordero Reiman (et al.). Mexico City, Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, 2012.
54. Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte - la Biennale di Venezia. Padiglione America Latina - IILA. Entre siempre y jamás. Exhibition catalogue, Biennale di Venezia, June 4 - November 27, 2011. With texts by Alfons Hug, Paz Guevara, and Patricia Rivadeneira. Roma, Instituto Italo-Latinoamericano IILA, 2011.
A carta da Jamaica. Exhibition catalogue, Oi Futuro, Rio de Janeiro, August 3 - September 5, 2010, Museu da Maré, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, August 6 - September 18, 2010. With texts by Alfons Hug, Alonso Cueto (et al.). Rio de Janeiro, Aeroplano, 2010.
Los impolíticos. Exhibition catalogue, Palazzo delle Arti PAN, Napoli, Italy, December 19, 2009 - February 28, 2010. With texts by Laura Bardier (et al.). Napoli, Electa, 2010.
Los impolíticos. Q 04 Centro di documentazione. Exhibition catalogue, Palazzo delle Arti PAN, Napili, Italy, December 19, 2009 - February 28, 2010. With texts by Laura Bardier (et al.). Napoli, Palazzo delle Arti PAN, 2010.
Variantes discursivas. Colección MUSAC III = Discursive variants. MUSAC Collection III. Collection catalogue, with texts by Agustín Pérez Rubio, María Inés Rodríguez (et al.). León, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León MUSAC, 2010.
For you / Para usted. The Daros Latinamerica tapes and video installations. Exhibition catalogue, Daros Exhibitions, Zurich, April 25 - September 6, 2009. Edited by Katrin Steffen and Domingo Eduardo Ramos. Zurich, Daros Latinamerica AG, 2009.
Menos tiempo que lugar. El arte de la independencia = Weniger Zeit als Raum. Exhibition catalogue, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Argentina; La Paz, Sucre, Bolivia; Santiago, Chile; Medellín, Colombia; Montevideo, Uruguay; Cuenca, Quito, Ecuador; Caracas, Venezuela, and other venues, 2009-2011. With texts by Alfons Hug (et al.). München, Goethe-Institut, 2009.
MUSAC. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León. Colección vol. II = Collection vol. II. Collection catalogue, with texts by Rafael Doctor Roncero (et al.). León, MUSAC, 2008.
Alonso, Rodrigo (ed.). No sabe / no contesta. Prácticas fotográficas contemporáneas desde América Latina. Buenos Aires, Arte x Arte, 2008.
La condición video. 25 años de videoarte en el Uruguay. Catalogue, published in conjunction with the exhibition at Centro Cultural de España, Montevideo, 2007. With texts by Enrique Aguerre (et al.). Montevideo, Centro Cultural de España, 2007.
Secuencias 76/06. Arte contemporáneo en las colecciones públicas de Extremadura = Sequences 76/06. Contemporary art in public collections in Extremadura. Exhibition catalogue, Museo Extremeño e Iberoamericano de Arte Contemporáneo MEIAC, Badajoz, March 28 - June 28, 2007. With texts by Juan Manuel Bonet, Antonio Franco Domínguez, Carlos Jiménez et al. Badajoz, Junta de Extremadura, 2007.
29 Bienal de Pontevedra. Imagined Movements between Galicia and the Southern Cone. Exhibition catalogue, Bienal de Pontevedra, Spain, July 13 - September 3, 2006. With texts by Victoria Noorthoorn, Gabriel Peluffo Linari, Cecilia Brunson (et al.). Pontevedra, Bienal de Pontevedra, 2006.
11e Biennale de l'image en mouvement. Exhibition catalogue, Centre pour l'image contemporaine Saint-Gervais, Genève, November 11 - 19, 2005. With an introduction by André Iten. Genève, Centre pour l'Image Contemporaine (Saint Gervais), 2005.
En las fronteras = In Borderlines. Arte latinoamericano en la Colecciõn del MEIAC. Latineramerican collection of the MEIAC, Badajoz. With texts by Carlos Jiménez (et al.). Badajoz, Consejería de Cultura, Junta de Extremadura, 2005.
Las Horas. Artes Visuales de América Latina contemporánea = The Hours. Visual arts of contemporary Latin America. Exhibition catalogue, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, October 5, 2005 - January 15, 2006. With texts by Sebastián López, Eugenio Valdés Figueroa and Hans-Michael Herzog. Zürich, Daros Latinamerica / Ostfildern, Hatje Cantz, 2005.
MUSAC. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León. Colección Vol. I = Collection vol. I. Collection catalogue, with texts by Rafael Doctor Roncero (et al.). León, MUSAC, 2005.
Na hranicích = In Borderlines. Latinskoamerické umení ve sbírkách MEIAC. Latineramerican collection of the MEIAC, Badajoz. With texts by Carlos Jiménez (et al.). Badajoz, Consejería de Cultura, Junta de Extremadura, 2005.
Videografías invisibles. Una selección de videoarte latinoamericano 2000-2005. Exhibition catalogue, Museo Patio Herreriano de Arte Contemporáneo Español, Valladolid, November 16 - December 14, 2005, Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, February 16 - April 16, 2006. With texts by Jorge Villacorta (et al.). Valladolid, Museo Patio Herreriano de Arte Contemporáneo Español, 2005.
26a Bienal de São Paulo. Representações nacionais [national representations]. Exhibition catalogue, 26th São Paulo Biennial, September 25 - December 19, 2004. With texts by Alfons Hug (et al.). São Paulo, Fundação Bienal, 2004.
Casa de América - 2003. Anuario artes plásticas. Catalogue, published in conjunction with the exhibitions at the Casa de América, Madrid, 2003. With texts by Rafael Doctor (et al.). Madrid, Casa de América, 2004.
Files. Un proyecto de Octavio Zaya = A proyect by Octavio Zaya. Exhibition catalogue, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León MUSAC, León, at ARCO '04, Madrid, February 2004. Edited by Octavio Zaya, with contributions by. León, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León MUSAC, 2004.
Martin Sastre - American as well. Exhibition catalogue, Site Gallery, Sheffield, May 1 - June 26, 2004. With a text by Tom Morton. Sheffield, Site Gallery, 2004.
Casa de América 2002. Catalogue, published in conjunction with the exhibitions at the Casa de América, Madrid, 2002. Edited by Rafael Doctor. Madrid, Casa de América, 2003.
Nuevas cartografías de Madrid. Exhibition catalogue, La Casa Encendida and Casa de América, Madrid, October 17, 2003 - January 5, 2004. With texts by Rafael Doctor Roncero et al. Madrid, La Casa Encendida, 2003.
Octava Bienal de la Habana. El arte con la vida. Exhibition catalogue, 8th Habana Biennial, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wilfredo Lam, La Habana, Cuba, 2003. With texts by Rafael Acosta de Arriba, Hilda María Rodríguez Enríquez (et al.). La Habana, Consejo Nacional de Artes Plásticas / Centro Wifredo Lam, 2003.
Trampas 02. Exhibition catalogue, Subte, Montevideo, Uruguay, May 3 - June 2, 2002. With a text by Graciela Taquini. Montevideo, Centro Municipal de Exposiciones Subte, 2002.
Interfaces. Exhibition brochure, Instituto Goethe, Montevideo, April - May 2001. With a text by Alicia Haber (et al.). Montevideo, Instituto Goethe, 2001.
Invisible. Castagno, Cesarco, Delgado, Sastre, Umpiérrez. Exhibition catalogue, Centro Cultural de España, Montevideo, April 14 - May 13, 2000. With texts by Patricia Bentancur and Fernando López-Lage. Montevideo, Centro Cultural de España, 2000.
Invisible. Aguiree, Castagno, Cesarco, Osores, Sastre. Exhibition catalogue, Centro Cultural de España, Montevideo, June 4 - July 3, 1999. With a text by Fernando López-Lago. Montevideo, Centro Cultural de España, 1999.
Sobre gustos.... Exhibition brochure, Centro Municipal de Exposiciones Subte, Montevideo, April 30 - May 30, 1999. With texts by Santiago Tavella. Montevideo, Centro Municipal de Exposiciones Subte, 1999.