Lawrence Abu Hamdan
Lawrence Abu Hamdan (born 1985, in Amman) is a contemporary artist based in Beirut. His work looks into the political effects of listening, using various kinds of audio to explore its effects on human rights and law. Because of his work with sound, Abu Hamdan has testified as an expert witness in asylum hearings in the United Kingdom.[1]
His work has been featured in major group exhibitions including the British Art Show 8 (2015–17),[2] the Liverpool Biennial (2016),[3] and third New Museum Triennial (2015).[4] Solo exhibitions of the artists work have been presented at the Chisenhale Gallery (2018);[5] The Showroom, London (2012);[6] Kunsthalle Sankt Gallen (2015);[7] and Portikus, Frankfurt (2016).[6] His work is included in the collections of the Arts Council England[8] and The Museum of Modern Art, New York.[9].
He was nominated for - and jointly won - the 2019 Turner Prize for his work based on interviews with former detainees at a Syrian prison.[10] [11][12]
Career and artwork
Abu Hamdan received his Ph.D from Goldsmiths through the Center for Research Architecture in 2016.[13]
The artist has a background in music production and describes his work as concerned with the "politics of listening."[14] His work confronts specific instances and examples of listening and the voice as they related to legal and political contexts. In his 2012 radio documentary The Whole Truth, he explored new technologies that were attempting to act as lie-detectors for voices.[15] In a 2015 commission for The Armory Show in New York, the artist distributed bags of potato chips in foil wrappers. The work builds on research undertaken by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in which they were able to turn common objects into listening devices by capturing vibrations recorded on physical objects and transferring them back into speech.[16][17]
In 2016, Sternberg press published a monograph on the artist ISBN 9783956792410.[18]
Awards and fellowships
Exhibitions
- Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Beirut (2019)
References
- "Legal Hearing: The Politicized Sound Art of Lawrence Abu Hamdan". Artspace. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- "British Art Show 8". British Art Show 8. Archived from the original on 2016-03-18. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved 2017-01-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "2015 Triennial: Surround Audience". Newmuseum.org.
- "Lawrence Abu Hamdan". Chisenhale Gallery. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
- "#199 Lawrence Abu Hamdan: Earshot - Portikus Frankfurt". Portikus.de.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved 2017-01-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Lawrence Abu Hamdan - MoMA". Moma.org.
- "Syrian Prison Installation is Put Forward for a Top Art Prize". Al Bawaba. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
- "Turner Prize 2019 shortlist is announced". 1 May 2019.
- Holland, Oscar (2019-12-04). "Turner Prize won by all four nominees in appeal for 'solidarity'". CNN Style. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
- "Maureen Paley - Lawrence Abu Hamdan". Maureenpaley.com.
- "Artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan Demands the Right to Stay Silent". Vice.com. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- "Lawrence Abu Hamdan". Frieze.com. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- "Lawrence Abu Hamdan Turns Snacks into Surveillance at Armory Special Projects". Observer.com. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- "Equivocally Yours: A Conversation with Lawrence Abu Hamdan • 39 - Summer 2015 • Afterall". Afterall.org. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- "Sternberg Press - Lawrence Abu Hamdan". Sternberg-press.com.
- "Berliner Künstlerprogramm". Berliner-kuenstlerprogramm.de.
- "2016 Nam June Paik Award Goes to Lawrence Abu Hamdan - artnet News". News.artnet.com. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- "The Vera List Center for Arts and Politics - Lawrence Abu Hamdan". Veralistcenter.org.