Hamad Butt's first survey exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery showcases dangerous installations and early works
From June 4 to September 7, 2025, the Whitechapel Gallery in London will host "Hamad Butt: Apprehensions," marking the first extensive exhibition of the British Pakistani queer artist's oeuvre. Collaboratively organized with the Irish Museum of Modern Art, this showcase includes Butt's two series of installations, along with early drawings and graphic pieces. The exhibition opens with Familiars (1992), which consists of three parts: Familiars 1: Substance Sublimation, Familiars 2: Hypostasis, and Familiars 3: Cradle. Created amidst the AIDS crisis, this series employs toxic halogens to convey themes of longing and fear. The display concludes with Butt's MFA installation, Transmission (1990). Butt passed away in 1994 at the age of 32, leaving behind a brief yet impactful legacy filled with alchemical wonder and complex esotericism.
Key facts
- Hamad Butt's first survey exhibition runs June 4–September 7, 2025 at Whitechapel Gallery in London
- The exhibition features Butt's two installation series: Familiars (1992) and Transmission (1990)
- Familiars includes three works using toxic halogens like iodine, bromine, and chlorine
- Butt was a British Pakistani queer artist who died in 1994 at age 32
- The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Irish Museum of Modern Art
- Butt studied at Goldsmiths in 1987 but diverged from YBA contemporaries
- Transmission includes nine perspex books etched with Triffids visible only under UV light
- A reconstructed "fly-piece" vitrine contains flies feeding on sugar paper with Butt's HIV/AIDS response
Entities
Artists
- Hamad Butt
- Damien Hirst
- Lan Chang
Institutions
- Whitechapel Gallery
- Irish Museum of Modern Art
- Goldsmiths
- ArtAsiaPacific
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Hong Kong