Art in Review

Galerie Max Hetzler
28.4 - 3.6.2006
(photo taken with permission of gallery)

Hatoum hits her mark on several levels with Hot Spot, her first solo show in Berlin. One work is a large red neon globe of earth. The intense light radiates like the red hot grill of an electric stove and the sound buzzing from the lights is like a bug zapper. All of these sensations add to the feeling that our planet has of late become a very hostile and volatile place. The Red Alert neon borders pulse with the same electricity that also power electric fences and electric shock torture devices used by U.S. Soldiers on prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp, and the same electricity that triggers devices the belts of suicide bombers, or pulses through T.V. screens that bring us images of our war bent government leaders promising hope and freedom[TM], but delivering instablity, paranoia, and the constant fear of surprise attacks from terrorists that, like in George Orwell's 1984, could be hiding around any corner.

The light of this piece fills the room and is reflected off the glass of the only other piece in the show. The second piece is paper that has been delicately torn with a razorblade to form a map of the Earth. With all the land being "torn-out" and essentially becoming uninhabitable holes for us to live in. If the governent leaders of the world don't see the folly of a future that presses the world to perpetual war than at least Hatoum does.

Another added sensation of showing the work here in the S-Bahnbogen, is the occasion ominous rumbling of trains overhead, which adds to an uneasy feeling of a world being pushed to the brink like a runaway train, which almost makes me think that the choice of location was intentional or at least an advantageous coincidence.

*credit to Wikipedia for filling in the blanks for this post.

# posted by Ryan : 5/10/2006 11:37:00 AM