Martin O’Brien

Martin O'Brien is a Senior Lecturer in Live Art at Queen Mary University of London. His work spans performance, writing, and video art, deeply informed by his experience living with cystic fibrosis. He explores themes of mortality, chronic illness, and the body through durational actions, collaborative projects, and theoretical texts.

His research interrogates death, decay, and survival strategies through interdisciplinary lenses including:

• Performance as resistance against biomedical narratives
• BDSM as a framework for consensual pain/agency
• Zombie theory as metaphor for outliving life expectancy

Publications and performances frequently dissect the intersection of illness and art, employing abject materials (mucus, ash) to challenge perceptions of vulnerability. His work consistently engages with medicalized bodies and temporal dislocation.

Awards:

• Philip Leverhulme Prize for Visual and Performing Arts (2022)

Collaborations include long-term partnerships with artist Sheree Rose, exploring intergenerational trauma and BDSM dynamics. He directs durational performances at institutions like Tate Britain and Whitechapel Gallery, where he was Writer-in-Residence (2023).