Emilia Martin
I saw a tree bearing stones in the place of apples and pears
OD Photo Prize, 2024 | Runner Up
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Emilia Martin [b. 1991, Poland] is a photographic artist currently based in the Netherlands. Passionate about storytelling and myths, her practise primarily consists of the photographic medium but also sound and writing.
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Artist Statement | Meteorites, boulders, rocks, stones… A child-like obsession that began innocently, fuelled with curiosity: What stories does a rock whisper?
Ancient mythology is filled with cautionary tales where young, eloquent females were punished for their outspokenness and turned into rocks. A curse of Medusa meant that she transformed anyone she looked at into a rock: mute, passive, motionless and unable to express. Some rocks were believed to be gods, chained to the ground in case they decided to make a return to heavens; celebrated, feared. Some took on central roles in the communities becoming places of worship, grief, sacrifice.
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For over two years I have been collecting rock stories. Many of them belong to folk people, such as my ancestors: collectively woven myths that gave ground to caring rituals of relating to space, the land, to one another. Over time these stories fluctuate, gently passed for generations. The longer I give in to my obsession, the more I begin to believe that a rock is not mute at all, but perhaps, the most excellent storyteller of them all.
I saw a tree bearing stones in the place of apples and pears is an exploration of a rock as a carrier of stories, a migratory body, a silent, mysterious visitor, filled with projections, dreams and fears. It is an investigation of the myths, stories and rituals and an act of reclaiming them back.
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𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘴.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵.
𝘛𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘦 – 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥.
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Artist Bio | I grew up in between two radically different realities: a remote farm of my grandmother in rural Eastern Poland and Silesia – a heavy industry coal mining urban region in the West of the country.
A clash between these two realities, the narrative of patriarchy and extractivism against the rural mythologies and sublime formed a place where I found myself at home and which continues to be a ground that nurtures my artistic practice. In my work I explore the power of speculation and reimagining of the realities I inhabit. I perceive myths, tales and storytelling to be effective tools for revisioning the past and weaving liveable futures that I wish to inhabit.
With the use of speculation and shifting perspectives I revise and construct personal narratives informed by the intersectional feminist approaches. I seek nuanced ethical and inclusive approaches. I believe in collaborations and encounters based on vulnerability and authenticity and I consider myself and my creative work to be a part of a bigger ecosystem.
Prints available soon
contact | tom@opendoors.gallery
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