The Light at the End

1989
Hatoum, Mona
This installation occupies a triangular space in the gallery. The space is painted the colour of dried blood and is empty, save for a grill fixed to the walls in the furthest corner. This eerie space is illuminated by a single light bulb; its orange glow draws the viewer in. As progress into the tunnel is made, the temperature rises until the heat becomes oppressive: it becomes clear that the grill glows with a dangerous heat that would burn the skin if touched. The title of this work suggests optimism - a pathway through the tunnel of despair - yet the installation cruelly shuts off this possibility and instead leads the viewer into a confined and oppressive space. Hatoum has described how the work concerns 'the idea of imprisonment, of torture, but it is also a seductive image. Once people have adjusted to the dark and watched the bars glow... then they begin to see them as beautiful bands of light. I was interested to explore this feeling of being attracted and repulsed.' Lizzie Wright
  • Artwork Details: variable
  • Edition: 3/3
  • Material description: iron, steel, brass, glass, aluminium and electrical elements
  • Credit line: © the artist
  • Theme: Abstract
  • Medium: Installation
  • Accession number: ACC2/1990

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The Arts Council Collection is the UK's most widely seen collection of modern and contemporary art.

With more than 8,000 works by over 2,000 artists, it can be seen in exhibitions and public displays across the country and beyond. This website offers unprecedented access to the Collection, and information about each work can be found on this site.