An Evening with Enrique Martínez Celaya  
Including a Conversation with Martin Brest 

Reception to follow. 

ADMISSION: 
Admission is free. Reservations required. 

RSVP

DESCRIPTION: 
Prominent contemporary artist Enrique Martínez Celaya will give a brief talk about his work followed by a conversation with acclaimed movie director, art collector, and longtime friend Martin Brest (Beverly Hills Cop, Midnight Run, Scent of a Woman). In addition to discussing the artist’s work and its significance in today’s cultural landscape, topics of their exchange may include the creative process, sources of inspiration, strategies to overcome the challenges that artists face, the role of friendship and collaboration in the artistic process, and themes and concepts that are central to Martínez Celaya’s work, such as memory, identity, nature, and poetry. 

Bios: 

The first Provost Professor of Humanities and Arts at USC, Enrique Martínez Celaya is an artist, author, and former physicist whose paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, and writings are known for their poetic and philosophical qualities that invite viewers to reflect on the human condition, the natural world, and the role of art in society. His work has been exhibited and collected by major institutions worldwide, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany; the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia; The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.; the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York; and Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig, Germany. It is held in 56 public collections internationally, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Martínez Celaya is the author of several books, including two volumes of his Collected Writings and Interviews, and his work has been the subject of several monographs, most recently Martínez Celaya, SEA SKY LAND: towards a map of everything and Enrique Martínez Celaya and Käthe Kollwitz: Von den ersten und den letzten. 

Martin Brest’s film career and passion for art, and his contributions to both fields, have made him a respected and influential figure in contemporary culture. Brest gained critical and commercial success with his third film, Beverly Hills Cop, which starred Eddie Murphy and became one of the highest-grossing films of 1984. He followed with Midnight Run, a buddy comedy starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin, which was also a box office hit and received critical acclaim. In 1992, Brest directed Scent of a Woman, a drama about a blind retired lieutenant colonel played by Al Pacino, which earned Pacino his first Academy Award for Best Actor. Brest continued to direct successful films, including Meet Joe Black, which starred Brad Pitt, and Gigli, which starred Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. In addition to his work as a director, Brest is a collector of contemporary art and, for many years, has been a friend and supporter of Enrique Martínez Celaya. 

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Co-sponsored by the USC Roski School of Art and Design and USC School of Cinematic Arts.  

Photo (left): Enrique Martínez Celaya and Martin Brest, New York, New York, 2023
Photo (right): Enrique Martínez Celaya, The Song of Freedom (2021–2023). Oil and wax on canvas, 92 x 118 in.