Mona Hatoum: Interior Landscape / Fondazione Querini Stampalia / Venice, Italy

The Fondazione Querini Stampalia currently presents a major solo exhibition with new works by Mona Hatoum. The exhibition, entitled Interior Landscape, coincided with the opening of the 53rd International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale and takes place over two floors of the museum – both in the contemporary exhibition spaces as well as within the existing Museum collection in this historic building, formerly the home of the Querini Stampalia family. Mona Hatoum: Interior Landscape includes over 25 works, many of which are new or previously unseen in Europe.

“New works in the exhibition include Interior Landscape (after which the exhibition is named), a haunting installation of bedroom furniture and domestic elements that imagines the conflict between the dreams and aspirations of a Palestinian individual juxtaposed with the harsh reality they have to face. Another large work created specifically for the space is a delicate and precariously suspended installation made of barbed wire. Hot Spot III is a metal globe with its continents outlined in glowing red neon shown in the proximity of what looks like an enlargement of a rosary or “worry beads” where the beads have been scaled up to the size of cannon balls. As well as these new works, Hatoum will be making a number of interventions in the museum collection using the furniture as the container or frame for some new ideas and some existing works which, when placed in this historic setting, generate different meanings.” (excerpt from the press release).

Mona Hatoum: Interior Landscape at Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Venice / Italy. Opening reception, June 3, 2009.

> Right-click (Mac: ctrl-click) this link to download Quicktime video file.


Posted in: art, best of, La Biennale di Venezia, no comment, Venice, VernissageTV