Art Works | REEM HASSAN

Art works since 1990

The Structure of Disintegration -1997

This installation explores the conceptual transformations of human identity in the contemporary world, where notions of deconstruction, dominance, and erasure of self intertwine. Glass, metal, and sound-based elements are arranged within an architectural structure that resembles institutional grids or urban matrices—simulating a totalitarian system that entraps the self and reproduces it within hollow molds.
The dark blocks and repeated voids symbolize the gradual erosion of human presence under fragmented modernity. Layered materials evoke the depth of erased memory, while mirrored and reflective surfaces hint at visual alienation, placing the viewer within the very system being critiqued. This work does not aim to provide answers, but rather opens questions about the possibility of resistance, and the potential to reclaim presence through acts of creation.

Transformations of Matter and Transparency - 1994

Materials Used: Mixed media, transparent glass, pigments, organic and metallic elements
Category: Installation Art – Conceptual Art . This installation explores the complex relationship between matter, transparency, and visual transformation, where the boundaries between solidity and fragility, volume and void, begin to dissolve. The project invites contemplation on the nature of interaction between diverse elements within a quasi-architectural framework—one that suggests containment, yet allows for the potential of continuous change. The compositions employ transparency as a visual medium that redefines spatial perception. Matter is not presented as a fixed reality, but rather as a transitional state, perpetually shaped by light, perspective, and the viewer’s engagement with the work.

The work investigates the paradox of simultaneous fragility and strength. The elements, though seemingly contained within rigid structures, retain their chaotic and ever-changing nature. There is an implicit reference to natural transformation—how matter constantly fluctuates between stability and dissolution, formation and erosion. Are we the ones who define the boundaries of matter, or does matter impose its own rules upon us? This question lies at the heart of the project, challenging the viewer to reconsider their understanding of familiar materials and forms which, upon closer inspection, reveal layers of ambiguity and silent complexity.

Between Stillness and Shadow – 1992

Installation Art – Conceptual Experimental Work

Flexible wires (black and silver), translucent fabric, charcoal powder, artificial light, tiled floor

Artist Statement:

This early installation work was created in 1992 under the mentorship of German artist and professor Friedhelm Klein, as part of a workshop titled "Light and Shadow, Black and White, Stillness and Movement." The piece represents my first venture into installation art, exploring the dynamic tension between opposing forces—not as binary contradictions, but as fluid states of becoming. Suspended in mid-air are two amorphous, floating entities composed of pliable black and silver wires. Their forms, shifting yet restrained, evoke both heaviness and fragility, as if captured in a moment of hesitation between ascent and collapse. The interplay of artificial lighting casts evolving shadows, extending their presence and suggesting perpetual transformation. Beneath them, the floor is covered in a fine layer of charcoal powder, forming a spectral trace reminiscent of a bird in motion—or perhaps the memory of movement itself. This ghostly imprint contrasts the suspended forms, anchoring the work in a dialogue between grounded memory and ephemeral presence. The installation meditates on the state of in-betweenness: between stillness and flight, form and dissolution, presence and absence. It invites the viewer into a contemplative space where material and void, darkness and transparency, engage in a quiet, unresolved conversation.

Context:

Created in 1992, this work marked a foundational moment in my artistic practice. It laid the groundwork for my continued exploration of materiality, spatial tension, and the metaphysics of form—core themes that have persisted throughout my later installations and visual experiments.