Sculpture in painted metal
Presented at Arsenale di Venezia, 2017
Now part of an Italian private collection
Presented at the Arsenale di Venezia in 2017, Here, a Wall stands out in Gustavo Martini’s practice as a work conceived purely as an artwork—free from functional or design-related intention. Created for an international art prize and exhibition, the piece reflects a deliberate shift into sculptural expression, while still echoing the essential language of geometry, contrast, and spatial tension that defines Martini’s broader body of work.
A black monolithic volume lies grounded, immobile and stark. Flowing around it are nine metallic tubes—bent, continuous, and seamless—evoking the movement of wind as it adapts to obstacles in its path. The sculpture becomes a metaphor for the relationship between human construction and natural force: while the monolith represents the rigid, rational structures of civilization, the fluid lines embody nature’s quiet resilience, contouring rather than confronting, redirecting rather than resisting.
Here, a Wall transforms a moment of invisible tension into visible form. It is a meditation on coexistence—on how presence can be redefined by gesture, and how even the most imposing structures must yield, eventually, to the subtleties that surround them.
