Matthieu Martin

Description

In his project Kreisverkehr (roundabout), presented through photography at the Urban Art Biennale 2026, Matthieu Martin adds labels to works of art in public spaces located at roundabouts, similar to those found in museums. To ensure these are legible to passing motorists, the monumental labels take on the dimensions of motorway signs and also adhere to their typographical standards. Like a protester, the Berlin-based French artist positions himself next to the public sculptures and holds up his hand-painted, large-format signs – as a fleeting intervention in the continuous flow of traffic. Yet he is not protesting nor making any demands: rather, he provides passers-by with factual information about the artworks – titles, dimensions, materials and, above all, the artists’ names. Details that motorists would normally be unaware of. With this gesture, as simple as it is unconventional, Martin complements the institutional endeavour to transform public space into an open-air museum accessible to everyone – even motorists.