Rubén Martín de Lucas, born in Madrid in 1977, graduated in 2002 as a Civil Engineer from the Higher School of Civil Engineers, Canals, and Ports at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Following an extensive journey through India, he chose to fully immerse himself in the art world, never practicing engineering. In 2001, he co-founded Boa Mistura, a multidisciplinary artistic collective rooted in urban art, collaborating with them until 2015 on projects across South Africa, Spain, Norway, Germany, Algeria, Mexico, and Brazil.

Embarking on a solo career in January 2015, Martín de Lucas developed a body of work centered on what he terms "landscape and associated behavior." His projects critically examine humanity's relationship with territory and the other beings that inhabit it, addressing themes such as the artificial nature of borders, the fluid concept of nationhood, and the dichotomy between industrial and natural agriculture.

In 2019, Martín de Lucas was the guest artist at Art Madrid, where he presented new works from his "Stupid Borders" project, including the "Minimal Republics" series. This work critically examines geopolitical borders and the concept of land ownership through performative actions and visual art.

His work has been recognized with several awards, including the Public Award and Tribew Award at the Circulation(s) Festival in Paris in 2019, and the Emerging International Photography Award at Encontros da Imagem in Braga, Portugal, in 2018.

Martín de Lucas has also participated in various art fairs, such as UVNT Art Fair 2024, Estampa - 30th Contemporary Art Fair, and Art Karlsruhe 2022.

ARTWORKS

His notable projects include "Minimal Republics," which explores the arbitrary nature of borders through the creation of ephemeral microstates, and "Iceberg Nations," a poetic reflection on the transient essence of nations.citeturn0search8 artín de Lucas's work has been exhibited internationally, featuring in venues such as the Lianzhou Museum of Photography in China, the CAB in Burgos, and the Gallifet Art Center in Aix-en-Provence.

EXHIBTIONS

Through his art, Rubén Martín de Lucas invites viewers to urgently reconsider their relationship with the Earth and its inhabitants, challenging perceptions of ownership and the constructs that define our interaction with the natural world.