Gabriel Martinez: Artist Talk

Rivalry Projects is thrilled to present Sites of Encounter, the gallery’s first exhibition with Philadelphia-based artist Gabriel Martinez. Including new photographic works of cruising spaces across the US, Martinez creates fragmented queer landscapes that are imbued with anticipation and memorial. The exhibition opens on Friday, June 26 from 5:00-9:00pm and the artist will be speaking about his new work on Saturday, June 27 at 11:00am. Coffee, bagels and pastries will be served.
Of Cuban-American descent, Martinez was raised in Miami’s Little Havana in the 1970s - a period of massive cultural shifts, radical creativity, sexual liberation, and profound loss. He utilizes experimental dark room techniques, alongside both archival and personal images, to explore topics at the intersection of his Cuban and Queer identities. This has manifested in series that examine the AIDS crisis, Caridad del Cobre, the aesthetics of disco, Stonewall, and the legacies of migration and exile. The subject of AIDS, in particular, has remained central throughout his career, shaping an approach that resists erasure and honors the resilience of his communities.