Lawrence Abu Hamdan
Green Coconuts and Other Inadmissible Evidence
8/12/2020 — 14/03/2021
In both his art and his audio investigations, Lawrence Abu Hamdan grapples with sound, speech, memory, and the quest for truth in the context of today’s legal and humanitarian crises. A central concern that is woven through many of his works, including sound and video installations, objects, and research-based documentaries, is his engagement with questions around the relevance and critique of acoustic clues and the reports of earwitnesses as part of the gathering of evidence in legal proceedings. In his exhibition at the Secession, the artist takes these concerns a step further. He presents altogether four works from two series that probe questions related to the witness testimony. The display takes a stand for other forms of witnessing that break the juridical framework for eye- and earwitnesses’ statements and perhaps pose a more general challenge to our notions of law and justice, of truth and how it is established.
Vereinigung bildender KünstlerInnen Wiener Secession
In spirit of their motto “Die Zeit ihre Kunst. Der Kunst ihre Freiheit”, the Secession presents relevant contemporary forms of artistic expression in internationally oriented solo and thematic exhibitions. The Association of Visual Artists of the Vienna Secession is the world’s oldest independent exhibition house dedicated to contemporary art and has always been run by artists.
