Ignacio Bautista Martínez, known as Mutiu, studied Librarianship and Documentation at the Carlos III University before taking a degree in Fine Arts at the Complutense University in Madrid. This may be a coincidence, but if so it is a significant one, as his work denotes an interest in archiving and cataloguing minor everyday events, which he strips of their context and reinterprets, often in a critical light. He likes to see how people react to events and to question everything that we take for granted by trying to see things from new perspectives. He uses images drawn from the press or found online to reflect on the role assigned to art in modern times as a representation of reality, and how that role is conditioned by the media. His presentation emphasises the poetic, playful side of events but he also sends much more political messages about the control of personal actions, the mastery of freedoms and the ability to shape gestures that single us out as individuals.
In his works, he strives to arouse suspicion, never seeming to tell the whole story but saying more than is apparent at first sight. He distorts the supposed normality of images and casts doubt on how people look at things by changing contexts and scales and breaking up the conventional system of perception. This is a subtle, complex game of readjustment in which there is always an unknown to be discovered. He says that his work is about waiting for something to happen, thinking that things are not going to turn out as they were supposed to, but still finding poetry in contemplating mistakes.
His exhibitions include ‘Project Iceberg’ at Matadero (Madrid, 2012), ‘Leibniz House’ at the Palacio de Santa Bárbara (Madrid, 2015), ’Regulation Plan’ at Cruce (Madrid, 2015) and ‘Generations 2016’ at La Casa Encendida (Madrid, 2016). He has won several awards, including an honorary mention in the ABC Award for Art at Arco (Madrid, 2009); in 2010 and 2014 he was awarded the El Brocense Award; and in 2015 he won the Generación 2016 Award.
Ignacio Bautista Martínez, known as Mutiu, studied Librarianship and Documentation at the Carlos III University before taking a degree in Fine Arts at the Complutense University in Madrid. This may be a coincidence, but if so it is a significant one, as his work denotes an interest in archiving and cataloguing minor everyday events, which he strips of their context and reinterprets, often in a critical light. He likes to see how people react to events and to question everything that we take for granted by trying to see things from new perspectives. He uses images drawn from the press or found online to reflect on the role assigned to art in modern times as a representation of reality, and how that role is conditioned by the media. His presentation emphasises the poetic, playful side of events but he also sends much more political messages about the control of personal actions, the mastery of freedoms and the ability to shape gestures that single us out as individuals.
In his works, he strives to arouse suspicion, never seeming to tell the whole story but saying more than is apparent at first sight. He distorts the supposed normality of images and casts doubt on how people look at things by changing contexts and scales and breaking up the conventional system of perception. This is a subtle, complex game of readjustment in which there is always an unknown to be discovered. He says that his work is about waiting for something to happen, thinking that things are not going to turn out as they were supposed to, but still finding poetry in contemplating mistakes.
His exhibitions include ‘Project Iceberg’ at Matadero (Madrid, 2012), ‘Leibniz House’ at the Palacio de Santa Bárbara (Madrid, 2015), ’Regulation Plan’ at Cruce (Madrid, 2015) and ‘Generations 2016’ at La Casa Encendida (Madrid, 2016). He has won several awards, including an honorary mention in the ABC Award for Art at Arco (Madrid, 2009); in 2010 and 2014 he was awarded the El Brocense Award; and in 2015 he won the Generación 2016 Award.