Mona Hatoum, Palestinian artist, awarded 10th Hiroshima Art Prize
Oct. 22, 2015
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
On October 15, the City of Hiroshima announced that Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum, 63, has been awarded the 10th Hiroshima Art Prize. This prize is given to artists who have contributed to peace in the world through their art. Ms. Hatoum creates installations and visual works to express the pain of human beings who have suffered from political oppression and isolation. Her unique artistic activities were praised highly in the decision to award her with this prize.
Ms. Hatoum was born in Beirut, Lebanon. While traveling to the United Kingdom, she was unable to return home when civil war broke out in Lebanon, and so remained in the U.K. Her works reflect the emotions she has felt as a stranger in a foreign land, gender issues, and political concerns in the world. She now creates her art while based in London, England and Berlin, Germany. Her works have been exhibited in art museums all over the world.
Through the City of Hiroshima, Ms. Hatoum commented, “I am greatly honored and humbled to be associated with the ideals of world peace for all humanity that the ‘Spirit of Hiroshima’ stands for.” In 2017, the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art will hold an exhibition of Ms. Hatoum’s work to commemorate her winning this prize. New work featuring Hiroshima will also be displayed at the exhibition.
The Hiroshima Art Prize was established by the City of Hiroshima in 1989, and has been awarded every three years with the winner determined by a panel from the art world. Up until the last prize was given in 2013, the Hiroshima Art Prize has been awarded to ten people (two artists claimed the third prize), including Yoko Ono, a Japanese artist living in the United States. To date, the exhibition commemorating the awarding of the prize has been held in the year following the announcement of the winner. However, the selection of the latest winner was made one year earlier so that the artist will have sufficient time to create new work for the exhibition.
(Originally published on October 16, 2015)
On October 15, the City of Hiroshima announced that Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum, 63, has been awarded the 10th Hiroshima Art Prize. This prize is given to artists who have contributed to peace in the world through their art. Ms. Hatoum creates installations and visual works to express the pain of human beings who have suffered from political oppression and isolation. Her unique artistic activities were praised highly in the decision to award her with this prize.
Ms. Hatoum was born in Beirut, Lebanon. While traveling to the United Kingdom, she was unable to return home when civil war broke out in Lebanon, and so remained in the U.K. Her works reflect the emotions she has felt as a stranger in a foreign land, gender issues, and political concerns in the world. She now creates her art while based in London, England and Berlin, Germany. Her works have been exhibited in art museums all over the world.
Through the City of Hiroshima, Ms. Hatoum commented, “I am greatly honored and humbled to be associated with the ideals of world peace for all humanity that the ‘Spirit of Hiroshima’ stands for.” In 2017, the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art will hold an exhibition of Ms. Hatoum’s work to commemorate her winning this prize. New work featuring Hiroshima will also be displayed at the exhibition.
The Hiroshima Art Prize was established by the City of Hiroshima in 1989, and has been awarded every three years with the winner determined by a panel from the art world. Up until the last prize was given in 2013, the Hiroshima Art Prize has been awarded to ten people (two artists claimed the third prize), including Yoko Ono, a Japanese artist living in the United States. To date, the exhibition commemorating the awarding of the prize has been held in the year following the announcement of the winner. However, the selection of the latest winner was made one year earlier so that the artist will have sufficient time to create new work for the exhibition.
(Originally published on October 16, 2015)
