Born in Spain, Chus Martínez has a background in philosophy and art history. Currently she is the Head of the Art Institute of the FHNW Academy of Arts and Design in Basel, Switzerland.
Martínez has been the Chief Curator at El Museo Del Barrio, New York; she was dOCUMENTA (13) Head of Department, and Member of Core Agent Group. Previously she was Chief Curator at MACBA, Barcelona (2008 to 2011), Director of the Frankfurter Kunstverein (2005–08) and Artistic Director of Sala Rekalde, Bilbao (2002–05). For the 56th Biennale di Venezia (20015), Martínez curated a film installation by Albert Serra for the Catalan Pavillion and for the 51st edition she did the National Pavilion of Cyprus.
Her most recent projects are The Metabolic Age, September 2015 at MALBA, Buenos Aires; Undisturbed Solitude, February 19–April 10, 2016; Idiosyncrasy: Anchovies Dream of An Olive Mausoleum. April 29, 2016–April 9, 2017 at the Visual Arts Center Helga de Alvear Foundation, Spain. She is currently preparing a project for the Stiftung Skulpturen Park in Köln and an exhibition for Castello di Rivoli both for 2017.
Martínez lectures and writes regularly including numerous catalogue texts and critical essays, and is a regular contributor to Mousse and Artforum among other international journals.