Museum Exhibition

Encounters: Giacometti x Mona Hatoum at the Barbican

Posted: 2 September 2025

*Hot Spot (stand)*, 2018 by Mona Hatoum
'Encounters Giacometti x Mona Hatoum' Installation view. Photo: Jo Underhill / Barbican

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3 September 2025 – 11 January 2026

London

The Barbican presents ‘Encounters: Giacometti x Mona Hatoum – Divide’ an exhibition of works by Mona Hatoum and Alberto Giacometti, marking the first time the two artists have been exhibited together. The exhibition is the second in the Barbican’s ‘Encounters: Giacometti’ series, in which historic Giacometti sculptures are positioned alongside works by contemporary artists.

In this exhibition, Hatoum presents a selection of existing works alongside a number of new sculptures created specifically for this display. The motif of the cage, as well as themes of violence and hostile environments with a touch of surrealism embedded in sculptural form, are present throughout the exhibition and shared by both artists. In one instance, Hatoum integrates a Giacometti sculpture into one of her cages to a striking effect.

The year-long ‘Encounters: Giacometti’ series launched with an exhibition by Huma Bhabha, and Mona Hatoum’s presentation will be followed by Lynda Benglis in February 2026.

★★★★★

Mona Hatoum Encounters: Giacometti review – a meeting of marvellously macabre minds

Jonathan Jones, The Guardian