Press Release

Works by contemporary artist Mona Hatoum and 20th century sculptor Alberto Giacometti are seen together for the first time in this ground-breaking exhibition, part of Encounters: Giacometti.

Mona Hatoum presents a mix of pre-existing and new artworks alongside her own selection of Alberto Giacometti’s sculptures, opening up connections and dialogues across generations. Integrating historic works by Giacometti within her own installations, Hatoum responds to Giacometti’s work, with a focus on the motif of the cage, themes of domestic and hostile environments, and how these spaces affect the viewer of the artworks.

Hatoum’s work often looks at issues of displacement, marginalisation, exclusion, and systems of social and political control. Alberto Giacometti is one of the most significant European sculptors of the 20th century, known for his distinctive, elongated sculptures which experiment with the human form.

This is the second of three exhibitions as part of Encounters: Giacometti, a series that brings together the practices of three contemporary artists known for their originality and ingenuity alongside historic works by the Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966). Co-organised by the Barbican and the Fondation Giacometti In partnership with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi. The Encounters: Giacometti series is generously supported by Blanca and Sunil Hirani, Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund held at The Prism Charitable Trust, and Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne, with additional support from the Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation.

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About the Artist

Mona Hatoum is a British Palestinian artist acclaimed for her poetic, politically charged installations, sculptures, and interdisciplinary practice that examines issues of displacement, the body, and power.

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Also Exhibiting at Barbican

About the Gallery

The Barbican is a world-renowned arts and learning hub in the City of London, celebrated for its striking Brutalist architecture and multidisciplinary programming. Opened in 1982 as part of the larger Barbican Estate, it has become a cultural landmark, bringing together visual arts, music, theatre, dance, film, and education under one roof.

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London Barbican Centre, Silk Street
Barbican
Silk Street, London, United Kingdom

Opening hours
Monday – Sunday, 9.30am – 11pm
Bank Holidays, 12 – 11pm
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