Lawrence Abu Hamdan
Russell & Robert speak with Lawrence Abu Hamdan, an artist, audio investigator and recent Turner Prize joint-winner. Lawrence's work explores ‘the politics of listening’ and the role of sound and voice within the law and human rights. He creates audiovisual installations, lecture performances, audio archives, photography and text, translating in-depth research and investigative work into affective, spatial experiences. Abu Hamdan works with human rights organisations, such as Amnesty International and Defense for Children International, and with international prosecutors to help obtain aural testimonies for legal and historical investigations. He is a member of Forensic Architecture at Goldsmiths London where he received his PhD in 2017. We discuss linguistic "code-switching", making art that's accessible for everyone, the experience of being nominated for the Turner Prize (2019), why he created the work 'Earwitness Inventory' (2018) for Chisenhale, his admiration for the sound installations of Alvin Lucier, the influence of experimental DIY music scene in Leeds and what it was like growing up between Yorkshire and Jordan. Visit @TalkArt on Instagram for images of all artworks discussed in this episode, and follow @LawrenceAbuHamdan. This special episode was recorded by phone with the artist at home in Beirut and us in London. If you've enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or email talkartpodcast@gmail.com as we love hearing your feedback! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.