The Art of Self Expression

Words by Like the Wind – Photography by Julien Caldarone

In See Those Flowers? a portrait of Martin Kern strives to resolve the question of whether running is art. The answer is not as simple as it first appears.

Can running be considered an art form? Whether you believe it can or cannot, there is no doubt that running has evolved from a way for early humans to move fast across African plains, in pursuit of prey or away from danger. Nowadays, running is not solely a means for survival – and it can be many things to many people. So perhaps the answer to whether or not running can be art depends on the runner. Or how the runner tells their story.

In See Those Flowers?, filmmaker Julien Caldarone has painted a portrait of Arc’teryx athlete Martin Kern and it is clear from the first few moments that the film is a deeply creative work. It includes many of the diverse elements that make up the universe of art, from visual arts to performing arts and even a touch of literature. See Those Flowers? is, indeed, a portrait in the broadest sense.

At the core of this work of art is Martin. The facts are that he was born in Marseille and, from day one, he was immersed in sport. By the age of seven, Martin was running and exploring the Massif des Calanques – an area of rugged coves and bays along the Mediterranean coast – as his playground.

But, like many people, Martin’s interests changed and by the time he was 18, he had turned to academic pursuits (and that would not be the last change he’d make in his life). Graduating with a degree in engineering required intense focus. So much so that Martin drifted away from his previous passion for being active outdoors.

Then Martin moved to Paris – literally and metaphorically further away from his life of sport and the great outdoors. These were, as Martin says, “quite the party years”. Work and socialising took up most – if not all – of Martin’s time and energy.

But after a while – like many people who have explored different interests – Martin found himself drawn back to his original canvas for expression: the mountains. On a hike, while living in Toulouse, Martin met a group of people who inspired him to return to his true values – self-improvement, personal challenges and following his curiosity. That was in 2014 and it was the beginning of a return to a type of self-expression that would be transformative.

Sitting on the grass, under the shade of trees that fill the Parc Couttet in the centre of Chamonix, France, Martin appears completely at ease. This is despite the fact that in an hour, See Those Flowers? will be shown on a massive outdoor screen to hundreds of people, gathered for the second evening celebration of the Arc’teryx Academy. It might be that Martin seems to be relaxed because in a place like this – surrounded by forest-clad mountains, criss-crossed by trails that stretch for hundreds of kilometres – Martin is at home.

But while he might feel at home geographically, in other ways Martin has the sense of being an outsider. “Making this film has been inspired by nature and the elements,” Martin explains. “And I always had a camera when I was a kid. Trying to show what I like is important for me. Trying to show what’s behind what I do is key, because it activates a community where I don’t feel I belong. This is a very high performance [community] and I’m like a little outdoor kid [who’s] only good at running.”

So, if Martin doesn’t feel part of the running world, why run? “It’s because it’s inside me,” he says. “It was my way to express myself at school. I always hear my parents saying, ‘You were not communicating well when you were a kid. You weren’t a slow kid.’ After all, I studied engineering and I went to a very competitive engineering school. But when I was a kid, it was not easy for me to feel [comfortable] in society.”

To feel more at ease in his skin, Martin turned to sport. Initially that was adrenalin sports like surfing or extreme skiing. He says he had “no fear of dying”. But then, once he graduated and became a father, running seemed like a more appropriate form of self-expression, amongst other things. “Ultra running was [not just] my way to escape the world,” he says.

Martin tries to explain these two seemingly contradictory aspects of running: “[When I run] there’s nothing. There’s no trouble, there’s no life struggle. I feel at peace somehow.” But the peace that Martin seeks and finds when he’s running doesn’t mean he is not also striving.

“I’m 37,” Martin explains. “I’ve been competing for the last 30 years at a high level. So I must be tired. I am tired. I don’t know why. But at the same time, there’s still something pushing me to battle against other [athletes]. When I race, I just reach another level of effort and I can push my limits further than I would do on a normal, casual day. That’s why I keep competing.”

In See Those Flowers?, we see Martin make this point precisely as he gets ready for the start of the Grand Raid de la Réunion. “I need to get out of my comfort zone,” Martin says. “To do my own thing. It’s my way of feeling the adrenaline and actually just feeling alive. I feel alive when things get tough.”

That is where running meets art. In the contradictions. In the way that running evokes feelings. In the way that running is a form of expression.

Through Julien’s film, we are given a glimpse of the inner life of a man for whom running is a way to reach flow state and at the same time be fiercely competitive. This is reflected in the cinematography, which veers from utterly magical and mysterious – such as when Martin appears to levitate as he’s running across a snowfield – to documentary style when we are in the room with Martin as he pins on his race bib just before the start of the Grand Raid de la Réunion. The contradictions in Martin’s relationship with running are also reflected in the music composed by Lucas Brunier, which swirls and surges and resolves throughout the film, ranging from snare drum solos to soaring passages of jazz. And the prominence of the music is no accident.

“My dad is a musician,” explains Martin, “so I always play music. I played the piano for 20 years. And there is not a day when I don’t listen to music. I like every single thing about music. It drives my life.”

Back to the question, then, of whether running can be considered an art form. In Martin’s case, it would seem to be true. With Julien, Martin has made a film which incorporates many of the classic art forms – music, painting, film, photography and a touch of theatre. And it has running. The two are inseparable. Just as they are in Martin’s life.

See Those Flowers? will be available to the public in Spring 2026

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