Lulu MacDonald
(Un)Latch, 2021
Lulu MacDonald, (Un)Latch, 2021, Kunsthaus Hamburg 2021, Courtesy the artist and Å+, Berlin, Photo: Hayo Heye
In her artistic practice, Lulu MacDonald (*1991, Norwich, UK) draws on everyday occurrences to construct moments that appear personal in nature but are actually collective. In this respect, she assumes that perceptions of the hyper-real and the hyper-painful – nature, love and loss, for example – allow us to experience the world through our senses.
In her work (Un)Latch, originally conceived for the Kunsthaus Hamburg against the backdrop of the global coronavirus pandemic, the artist also addresses these kinds of emotional states. The metal gate, adapted specifically to the location, shows two people who get separated when the exhibition door is opened; it is only when the room is closed that they are reunited in an intimate embrace. Separation and loneliness are just as inherent in the work as is the promise of imminent reunion.