Studio Sunday: Mona Hatoum
Mona Hatoum is an artist who specializes in video and installation art of a performative, questioning nature. Born in Lebanon, Hatoum took a trip to London just before a civil war broke out in Lebanon, and chose to stay in London studying art between 1975 and 1981, rather than returning home to the conflict.
The artist’s studio is a beautiful example of modern architecture, and comes complete with a huge work space, as well as a kitchen and a bathroom suite. Hatoum’s work is mainly installation based and rarely involves drawing or painting, but even so her space appears remarkably clean in the photo. Hatoum most likely uses this studio as a part-time exhibition space, or a place for brainstorming and inspiration. Some of the pieces, such as those that use film or neon lights as a medium, would have to be assembled offsite. This studio contains a couple desks possibly for research or sketching, and what looks like some installation mock-ups or in progress works.
I’m really amazed by the kitchen Hatoum has in her studio! Seen in the picture below, it's more than just a microwave and a sink, it’s a beautiful full kitchen of the sort you’d find in a luxury condominium.
While her early works were more politically aggressive and focused on performance, she later moved on to art pieces that were heavily influenced by minimalist and conceptual art that she was taught about in school. Her works today are still political but are more subtle, and often address issues abstractly and through relation to individuals and bodies.
