Today’s fabulous Queer artist is @100neon
Call Me Queer – Martin Kamen – @100neon (IG)
I am probably QUEER since 1999, but back in that time the term QUEER did not exist yet, at least not in Czech Republic. So back in time the public did not know what to think about me. For the art society I was too gay. For commercial photography I was too artistic. I do not like any kind of labels. But being named as a queer artist has helped me a lot, it helps right now, because I feel accepted and the society can see me clear without doubts. On the other hand again, I do not like labels and do not like stereotypes. I believe in chemistry of the art of life.So you can call me however you want, I remain faithful to my art work, I try to keep developing and not staying in one place or with one style. If I ever start to repeat and follow a formula, please kill me.
2019 I happily married my Love, my husband, my friend and my support Oscar Humberto Retamoza Cañedo.
Martin Kámen (*1982) graduated The Academy of Fine Art, Prague (New Media Art) 2008. He´s started with photography in 1999.
His first solo exhibition was in 2003 in No D Gallery – Roxy, Prague. 2007- 2011 he was a director and script writer of QUEER magazine – TV Show for Czech Television.
In 2008, he co-established The Chemistry Gallery in Prague. 2008 – 2012 as an art director in The ICON Gallery, Prague. He was one of the founders and president of HIV/AIDS charity project Art for Life in Czech Republic (2007 – 2015).
Between 2011-2015 he was a photographer of National Theatre in Prague.His work was presented at nearly fifty exhibitions internationally – Amsterdam, Barcelona, Los Angeles, London, Prague, Warszava.
He became the curator of twenty exhibitions of contemporary acclaimed artists. Art works of Martin Kámen are represented in the collections of the National Gallery in Prague, the Goethe-Institut of Los Angeles, the Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation, the Skalička Chateau and other private collections.
In 2015 he moved to Barcelona and started to teaching at Estudio Nómada – Art School a field of photography and video art. Since 2019 he lives and works in Madrid.
Print Publications Queer Encyclopedia in Europa 1969 – 2019 Oxford Encyclopedia 2016
British Publishing House Photographic Monograph 2012 Photographic Monograph 100NEON 2008
We are honoured to have Martin featuring in our upcoming podcast and exhibitions! Check out the trailer for Martin's episode of the podcast: