At the beginning of this second year of MA I enthusiastically accepted the invitation to become part of the collective SEVEN International, together with Karen, Daniel, Ben, Holly, George and Karl.
The seeds of this collaboration were planted last year during the low residency, when we naturally bonded, and continued to grow over the summer.
Joining Seven Int. felt like joining a special kind of family, strengthening our friendship and setting the bases for our shared will to create something concrete together.
It was not long before Karen presented us with the opportunity of our first official exhibition in Belfast.
Ben proposed the title “Elegiac Residue”. No need for voting. We all loved it.
Although my series Hierophanies is still a work in progress, I decided it to present it. It’s a great opportunity to test the work with an audience and I’m sure this experience will influence and guide me as I develop further my practice.
Being part of a collective gives me confidence and strength, some sort of protection maybe. I don’t know if I would have made the same choice if I were to exhibit alone or with other unfamiliar artists.
So, I got to work! A lot needed to be prepared and thought through:
Selecting the pieces
Printing the pieces
Write artist bio for catalogue
Consider the best way to show the work in the space
Transportation
Pricing
SELECTING THE PIECES
The creative process of this series is analog but the finished works are currently in digital format. I say “currently” because in the future I aim to find a way to enhance the original burnt paper and make finished pieces that have some analog/charred/textured elements too (maybe using different supports or chemicals like bleach or dying).
I set out to show one large piece and three small ones.
To select them, I needed to see them on a wall but I was on a budget and didn’t want to print a bunch of test prints in different sizes.
I used a projector connected to my computer and made composition tests with it.
Finally, I selected these works:
For the smaller pieces I wanted to give a glimpse of the variety of shapes and textures this series can hold.
PRINTING
As I said, I would like to explore more alternative printing techniques and supports as I move forward in this series. But this time, I thought it was best to go simple and classic: Fine Art print on Hahnemühle Baryta paper (315g).
I printed at Picto but this time I chose to collaborate with a professional printer, Boris, which allowed me to better understand the process and test different papers etc…
Notes: the physical work is soooo different than on the computer or projected on the wall. It is a fundamental part of the practice and process.
I discussed a little with Boris and expressed my desire to give texture to the pictures. He told me that in their facilities outside Paris they have a machine that prints images on layers, giving it different levels of thickness. Another great option could be printing on glass or light boxes.
Every year Picto offers a residency for artists to experiment with printing techniques (both analog and digital). Something to look forward to!
I really enjoyed the hours I spent in the print workshop and I am satisfied with the result.
HOW TO SHOW THE WORK
I thought about the conversation I had with Jonathan in our latest tutorial, about the behaviour of my art in different spaces. In this case, I hadn't seen the space and I knew we had about 2 sq/meters of wall for each artist. The gallery is big but the exhibition area is narrow. Also, I had to think about transportation and budget. I thought a lot about framing/no framing options. I ended up chosing a fairy "classic" setting for my artworks: black frame + black mount. If the artworks were somehow more textured or analogue I would have probably made a different choice. I opted for the frame to add a layer of blackness and different materials to the print itself. The glass sets a distance that I feel is still necessary between the viewer and the work. I also wanted to convey the sensory aspect of these works. But how?
Again, I returned to simplicity. What doI want to test with this exhibition?
I plan to accompany the prints with little organic cotton pouches, filled with incense resins, sticks, and scented wood.
Visitors will be invited to interact with the pouches while they look at the prints and see if that changes their experience.
ARTIST BIO FOR CATALOGUE
Karen proposed to make a catalogue for the exhibition and asked us to write an artist bio/text for it. We were totally free to write whatever we wanted. It's interesting to see how different and yet complementary our vision of ourselves is. This is what I wrote: "Martina Margaux is a Paris-based Italian visual artist working
across film, installation, and experimental photography.
With a background in theatre and an award-winning career in film—recognised with honours such as “Best Director” at the Fine Arts Film Festival (VICA, Los Angeles) and “Best Documentary” at ASVOFF (Paris)—her artistic journey took a transformative turn during her Master’s studies at Central Saint Martins, where she fell in love with experimental photography and alternative darkroom processes.
Martina’s practice reflects a lifelong quest to connect with invisible realities and unconscious dimensions. She explores themes of transformation, memory and spirituality, often drawing inspiration from psychological and cultural archetypes.
Often emerging from a ritual dialogue between artist and materials, her work invites viewers to embrace impermanence, find beauty in the transient, and confront the profound mysteries of human existence at the limits of what we call reality."
The gallery also has the possibility to project some content during the exhibition opening. I offered to edit a video presentation of Seven Int using the 3 minutes videos we made at the end of Unit 2.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation of the artwork could be done in two ways: shipping via DHL or similar, or taking the works with me in the plane. I am arriving in Belfast on Monday, which is early enough to bring the works with me from Paris. The prints are rolled up in a tube. I followed Boris' advice and I had to reconsider the size of my large piece as it risked to curl significantly (since it was not glued to a support).
PRICING
I have no idea how to price my work. I think this is something useful that the MA could offer, maybe a lecture/masterclass about the artist admin: how to price the work, prepare dossiers for grants etc...
I will decide on the price with the group once we are all in Belfast. Some of us already have a lot of experience and can help calculate what should be a fair price for my prints.
That said, I realise that art is a luxury business, especially for artists !
Even if I sell everything at a higher price that I'm imagining, I won’t even break even! I should consider finding exhibiting opportunities in Paris. That would reduce the costs and also give me more freedom on the installation (size, set up, props).
Now, it's time to get to Belfast!
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