Theology of collapse ( Fragment XI), 2025

The fragmented installation—composed of individually spice-painted and laser-cut iron panels—hangs suspended above the viewer, slanting at a precarious angle as though on the verge of collapse. This looming arrangement evokes the generational trauma and mourning that shape Ben Hamouda’s practice. Collectively, the panels trace an architectural form that merges elements of mosque structures with those of mausoleums, creating a space that feels both sacred and sepulchral.

The series was first conceived for the MAXXI BVLGARI PRIZE Exhibition 2024, which the artist ultimately won. Her presentation consisted of ten suspended panels installed in the Gianferrari Gallery at MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts, in the building designed by Zaha Hadid. The work was conceived as a site-specific intervention, responding directly to the gallery’s architecture.