Fossil Folly (2023)

Overview

Mona Hatoum strips themes of conflict, exile, barriers and state control from the purely conceptual realm, presenting them instead in their manifestations as lived experiences. Quarters (2017) is comprised of 13 steel bunk bed frames, five levels high. Hard- edged and oppressive, the setup echoes highly regulated institutional lodgings such as army or prison quarters, where inmates are subjected to constant surveillance. Untitled (Pressure) (2023) consists of remnants of mattress coils and bed frames that have been compressed into cubes, echoing an imagined cityscape. Fossil Folly (2023) features 15 bent and disused steel oil barrels and the silhouettes of desert plants emerging as ghosts from their dormant fossilised state.