Designed Geographies: Mona Hatoum

Abstract

Known for her conceptual art, performances, and sculptures, Mona Hatoum is a Palestinian artist whose work since the 1980s has focused on the concept of homeland. Through metaphorical and tangible means, Hatoum explores identity, home, and homeland, touching on past, present, exile, and belonging. Through the prism of migration and aesthetics, Hatoum critically assesses and transforms the pain of physical and mental exile from multiple angles. Her works decode mental and physical migration, geography, identity, and the 'other' with a discerning eye. Exploring the meaning of settlement in the globalized era, Hatoum roots her search for the meaning of existence in her geographical origins. In her art, borders symbolize more than physical enclosures; they embody concepts of permission, annexation, prohibition, transit, and residence. Hatoum's concerns extend beyond personal struggles to broader societal and governmental issues. This article analyses Hatoum's cartographic works, such as "Present Tense", "Map" and "3D Cities", exploring their visual, contextual, metaphorical, and historical dimensions while examining the artist's experience of the challenges of migration.