Lawrence Abu Hamdan

Lawrence Abu Hamdan
لورانس أبو حمدان
Born1985 (age 38–39)
Amman, Jordan
Alma materGoldsmiths, University of London
Known foraudio, listening
WebsiteLawrenceAbuHamdan.com

Lawrence Abu Hamdan (born 1985, Amman) is a contemporary artist based in Beirut. His work looks into the political effects of listening, using various kinds of audio to explore its effects on human rights and law. Because of his work with sound, Abu Hamdan has testified as an expert witness in asylum hearings in the United Kingdom.[1]

His work has been featured in major group exhibitions, as well as solo exhibitions at Tate Modern, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art or The Showroom, and is included in the collection of several major institutions.

He jointly won, with Tai Shani, Oscar Murillo and Helen Cammock, the 2019 Turner Prize for his work based on interviews with former detainees at a Syrian prison.[2][3][4] In September 2023, he plans to open Earshot, "the first agency for sound and acoustic analysis dedicated to open-source investigators and the field of human rights."[5]

  1. ^ "Legal Hearing: The Politicized Sound Art of Lawrence Abu Hamdan". Artspace. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Syrian Prison Installation is Put Forward for a Top Art Prize". Al Bawaba. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Turner Prize 2019 shortlist is announced". BBC News. 1 May 2019.
  4. ^ Holland, Oscar (4 December 2019). "Turner Prize won by all four nominees in appeal for 'solidarity'". CNN Style. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  5. ^ Fenstermaker, Will (June 2023). "Lawrence Abu Hamdan with Will Fenstermaker". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 21 July 2023.