Born in Beirut to a Palestinian family, Mona Hatoum combines political and domestic spheres in her work. For Galleria Continua's expansive San Gimignano space, Hatoum creates a series of installations in which familiarity cloaks unseen, unsettling danger. The domestic is apparent in small weavings of human hair that reference folk art and craft traditions, while strings of oversize beads lie on the gallery floor like a giant child's neglected dress-up outfit. However, a cage offering no escape and a stunning spider's web made of assorted crystal balls suspended by cables from the building's atrium suggest capture and a grisly end. Hatoum's work is all-encompassing and thought-provoking, and like the glittering, glistening web, its beauty cannot be underestimated.

-JCC