25 Facts About Martine Syms

Martine Syms was born on 1988 and is an American artist residing in Los Angeles, specializing in various mediums including publishing, video, installation, and performance.

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

Martine Syms grew up in the Altadena suburb of the city alongside her three siblings.

In 2007, Martine Syms earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in film, Video, and New Media from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Martine Syms later pursued a Master of Fine Arts degree at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, completing her studies in 2017.

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

In 2015, Martine Syms participated in the New Museum Triennial Surround Audience.

Martine 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, Martine 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.

Martine 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.

Martine Syms received the Future Fields Commission in time-based media from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo.

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

In 2022, Martine Syms made her directorial debut with the film The African Desperate, which premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Martine Syms's 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, Martine Syms holds a teaching position at the California Institute of the Arts.

Martine Syms's exploration takes shape through various mediums such as video, performance, writing, etc.

Martine Syms finds enjoyment in exploring how self-constructed identities manifest through these platforms.

Martine Syms 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 Martine Syms, employing parody and sarcasm to convey her artistic messages.

Martine Syms describes her working style as project-driven, adapting her approach throughout the creative journey.

In 2011, Martine Syms contributed to the Future Plan and Program project by publishing Implications and Distinctions.

In 2013, Martine Syms published The Mundane Afrofuturist Manifesto on Rhizome.

Martine Syms emphasizes the challenge of imagining a world without fantasy realms or escapism, urging a contemporary and futuristic perspective.

In 2014, Martine Syms released Most Days, featuring a table read of her screenplay that depicts an average day in the life of a young black woman in 2050 Los Angeles.

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