Turbulence (black) 2014

Mona Hatoum created "Turbulence (black)," a mesmerizing floor installation comprised of thousands of black glass marbles. Hatoum, born in Beirut to Palestinian parents, often explores themes of displacement, identity, and sociopolitical conflict in her work. Consider the tension between the artwork’s alluring surface and its precarious composition. While the smooth, dark marbles invite touch, their collective instability suggests vulnerability. The uniform arrangement of the marbles perhaps hints at broader issues of social order. It is a visual metaphor that reflects how individual elements contribute to a larger structure. Hatoum has said, "I am interested in the potential of simple, everyday objects to evoke complex and contradictory feelings." "Turbulence (black)" serves as a metaphor for the fragile nature of existence, and speaks to the experience of those living in states of displacement, who are in constant states of uncertainty.