Remains of the Day 2018

Mona Hatoum's installation, which might be called 'Remains of the Day,' feels like a scene from a dark fairytale, rendered in ghostly blacks and grays. Imagine Hatoum in her studio, patiently bending and welding wire mesh. The way she transforms these mundane objects, like tables and chairs, into something so delicate and menacing is pretty special. The forms appear to dissolve, their surfaces eaten away as if by acid or time. I see a gesture of controlled chaos, a kind of organized entropy. Hatoum might have been thinking about the fragility of domesticity, how easily comfort can turn into unease. The way the light filters through the wire creates eerie shadows. It reminds me a little of Goya, who wasn't afraid of depicting the dark side of life. Artists are always in conversation with each other, aren't they? And with us, hopefully sparking something new each time.