Between monster, human and animal: Huma Bhabha's sculptures are coming to M

The internationally renowned artist Huma Bhabha has her first Belgian museum exhibition at M Leuven

May 9, 2023

'LIVIN' THINGS' will open at M on 9 June. It is Pakistani-American artist Huma Bhabha's first solo museum exhibition in Belgium. In monumental sculptures and expressive drawings of androgynous creatures hovering between the recognisable, alien, human or animal, she explores themes of colonialism, war, displacement and memories. Whilst balancing between figuration and abstraction, Huma Bhabha rethinks traditional sculpture.

"M aims to present big names of the international art world to a wide audience," says Bert Cornillie, alderman for culture and chair of M's board of directors. "Huma Bhabha's exhibition is a perfect example of that. Her impressive and sometimes confrontational oeuvre captivates audiences worldwide and is sure to fascinate visitors to M. We are very happy to show the work of an artist of this calibre in Leuven."

"Within contemporary visual art, Huma Bhabha counts as an international reference" curator Eva Wittocx adds. "M gives her unique body of work, that contains a wealth of influences from antiquity to science fiction, a space in a museum in Belgium for the first time. Her work makes us think about how we look at the tradition of images in different cultures."

Huma Bhabha

The exhibition at M follows impressive exhibitions at the Venice Biennale (2015), MoMA PS1 (2012) and a first European solo exhibition at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art (2020), among others. In 2018, Huma Bhabha stunned New York, and by extension the rest of the world, with 'We Come in Peace', her installation of two colossal bronze creatures atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art's rooftop garden. M shows a selection from her oeuvre, including her well-known androgynous totem figures, powerful busts and her layered works on paper. The exhibition is a collaboration with MO.CO.Montpellier Contemporain, where Huma Bhabha's work will be on display from 17 November 2023. In collaboration with M Leuven, MO.CO. is publishing a publication on Huma Bhabha's work.

Press preview

The press preview will take place on Friday 9 June 2023 in the presence of general director of M Leuven Peter Bary, curator Eva Wittocx and Huma Bhabha. Please confirm your attendance via persm@mleuven.be.

Start: 9:45 am

The artist will be present at M from 5 to 9 June and available for interviews, on request via persm@mleuven.be.

Artist talk

Huma Bhabha will inaugurate the opening of the exhibition on Friday 9 June 2023 with an artist talk, where the artist will give a unique insight into her work. Admission is free, but for the artist talk you need to reserve a spot online.

Start: 7 pm

Celebratory opening

M opens the exhibition on Friday 9 June 2023. Admission is free and there is no need to register.

Start: 8 pm

Practical info

The exhibition runs from Saturday 10 June 2023 to Sunday 29 October 2023. More information and tickets at https://www.mleuven.be/en/programme/huma-bhabha