Mona Hatoum

Mona Hatoum (born 1952 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a performance artist who emigrated from her native Lebanon to London in 1975. Trained at both the Byam Shaw School of Art and the Slade School of Art between the years 1975 and 1981. In 1995 she was nominated for the Turner Prize for her exhibitions at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and for her show at the White Cube.

Related Topics:
1952 - Beirut - Lebanon - Performance artist - London - 1975 - Byam Shaw School of Art - Slade School of Art - 1981 - 1995 - Turner Prize - Centre Georges Pompidou - Paris - White Cube

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In the early 1980s Hatoum began her artistic career with performance pieces, though later she moved from 'live' work to more mechanical installations, involving video, light, and sound. While mostly focusing on confrontational themes such as violence, oppression, and voyeurism, she has often made powerful references to the vulnerability and resistance, of our human bodies.

Related Topics:
1980s - Video - Light - Sound - Violence

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During a visit to London in 1975, civil war broke out in Lebanon and she was forced into exile. With this shadow on her shoulders, her early works can be seen as a metaphor for eternal conflict and resistance.

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