fORUM: Lawrence Abu Hamdan with Tina Sherwell
Lawrence Abu Hamdan joins art historian Tina Sherwell for a conversation engaging the film and exhibition 45th Parallel (2022) to discuss the challenge and opportunity of creating work across borders. Presented by Mercer Union in partnership with the Toronto Biennial of Art.
Register to attend at mercerunion.org
Lawrence Abu Hamdan (born in 1985, Amman, Jordan) is a “Private Ear.” His interest in sound and politics originates from his background as a touring musician and facilitator of DIY music. The artist’s audio investigations have been used as evidence at the UK Asylum and Immigration Tribunal and as advocacy for organizations such as Amnesty International. Lawrence has exhibited at the 58th Venice Biennale (2019); the 13th and 14th Sharjah Biennial (2017 and 2019); the 11th Gwangju Biennale (2016); and Tate Modern, London, UK. As part of a temporary collective with nominated artists Helen Cammock, Oscar Murillo and Tai Shani, he was awarded the 2019 Turner Prize.
Tina Sherwell is Visiting Professor of Art and Art History at NYU Abu Dhabi. From 2017–2021, she was Head of Contemporary Visual Art at Birzeit University, prior to which she was Director of the International Academy of Art, Palestine (2007–2012, & 2013–2017). She has authored various texts on contemporary Palestinian art and in 2019 curated the major exhibition, Intimate Terrains: Representations of a Disappearing Landscape at The Palestinian Museum, Birzeit.
fORUM is Mercer Union’s ongoing series of talks, lectures, interviews, screenings and performances. Admission to our public programming is free and all are welcome. Live captioning will be provided.
45th Parallel is curated by Julia Paoli, Director & Curator, Mercer Union; and Tairone Bastien, Curator, Toronto Biennial of Art, and is a collaboration between Mercer Union and the Toronto Biennial of Art. It is commissioned by Mercer Union, Toronto; Toronto Biennial of Art; Spike Island, Bristol; and Western Front, Vancouver. The film is produced by LONO Studio and made possible with the generous support of Arts Council England, Canada Council for the Arts, the Ford Foundation and mor charpentier. Presented in partnership with CONTACT.
Lawrence Abu Hamdan (b. 1985, Amman) is a “Private Ear.” His interest in sound and politics originates from his background as a touring musician and facilitator of DIY music. The artist’s audio investigations have been used as evidence at the UK Asylum and Immigration Tribunal and as advocacy for organizations such as Amnesty International. Lawrence has exhibited at the 58th Venice Biennale (2019); the 13th and 14th Sharjah Biennial (2017 and 2019); the 11th Gwangju Biennale (2016); and Tate Modern, London, UK. As part of a temporary collective with nominated artists Helen Cammock, Oscar Murillo and Tai Shani, he was awarded the 2019 Turner Prize.