Mona Hatoum, Current Disturbance 1996. Tate. © Mona Hatoum; Keeping it Real: An Exhibition of Four Acts: Act 3: Mona Hatoum: Current Disturbance (installation view) Courtesy White Cube, London and Alexander and Bonin, New York. Photo: Patrick Lears .
13 rooms in Modern and Contemporary British Art
Current Disturbance explores systems of control, political tension and the human body under surveillance
The installation consists of a wood and wire mesh structure of 240 stacked cages with a single household light bulb lying inside each cage. The title refers to the fluctuation of the electric current which makes the light bulbs fade up and down in a random fashion. The sound of the current coursing through the different wires is also amplified, creating a cacophony of crackling, humming and sometimes piercing sounds, which contribute to a feeling of unease.
Mona Hatoum’s work explores the tensions between the individual and systems of social control. She often uses the grid and the language of minimalism to challenge these systems, particularly, she states, ‘the regimentation of individuals, fixing them in space and putting them under surveillance’. Referencing restrictions on freedom and the power of the state, the structure evokes a tenement block or even prison quarters where the tenants are voicing their discontent.
Hatoum was born in Beirut to Palestinian parents. She settled in London in 1975 after the Lebanese Civil War broke out while she was on a short visit to Britain.
Mona Hatoum, Current Disturbance 1996
Referencing both the human body and rigid systems of abstraction, the installation Current Disturbance 1996 is made from an immense grid of over 200 cages, light bulbs and the amplified sound of electric currents. As the bulbs light up and fade out at irregular intervals, they sporadically illuminate the surrounding gallery. Inside each of the cages rests a single lightbulb, all interconnected via a central convergence. Another single bulb is suspended inside the structure, illuminating the junction box at the centre. The grid of metal cages sets up a contrast between the sense of systematization and the chaos of randomised flashing lights and the mess of wiring covering the floor. The tension arising from this juxtaposition of elements serves to intensify the feeling of suspended energy and instability, inspiring a certain discomfort in the viewer.
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artworks in Mona Hatoum: Current Disturbance
Art in this room
Mona Hatoum
Current Disturbance
1996