Galerie Martel

Chris Ware, Blutch, Lorenzo Mattotti, Robert Crumb… just a glance at the list of exhibitors is enough to situate the Galerie Martel in the Parisian artistic landscape with the best of independent graphic artists, a distinct choice that marks the gallery out from the main trends of the contemporary art market. You won’t find conceptual installations or monochrome paintings or animals preserved in formaldehyde here. Since the gallery was founded in 2008, it has displayed some of the most original and surprising voices from graphic novels published by places like Frémok, l’Association and Cornélius, offering a rare opportunity to discover the works of artists like Eric Lambé, Charles Burns and Roland Topor, outside of their usual book formats. The format has its fair share of disadvantages as well – the exhibitions are often limited by presenting the works on boards, without any real attempt to hang the pieces artfully or to pay attention to perspective and the possibilities of the gallery space.