About the exhibition
The Lebanese artist Huguette Caland (1931-2019) consistently defied the social and aesthetic expectations of her time during her almost fifty-year career. Her multifaceted life's work from three continents is the focus of the exhibition realized in cooperation with the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.
With around 300 works, the show A LIFE IN A FEW LINES at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg from 24 October 2025 to 26 April 2026 opens up a new perspective on Caland's work. It focuses on her resistance to social and sexual norms and her approach to life between different cultures and places.
»The medium I use for my art is largely my own life. Every single exchange, a glance, a smile, a brief encounter«
Huguette Caland
Huguette Caland
Born in Beirut in 1931 as the daughter of Bechara El-Khoury, the first president of Lebanon, Huguette Caland grew up in an elite political family, but decided early on to defy social expectations. Caland decided to marry Paul Caland, the nephew of one of her father's political rivals. During her marriage, she had a lover who frequently appears in her works. In 1964, Caland enrolled at the American University in Beirut to study fine arts. In 1970, she decided to move to Paris, leaving her family and her lover behind to devote herself entirely to her art. She later settled in Venice, California. In 2013, she returned to Beirut, where she remained until her death.
Panel-Talk
The Artistic Journey of Huguette Caland
Thursday, 23 April 2026 6 p.m.
Hall for Contemporary Art
With Hannah Feldman, art historian and curator of the exhibition, Omar Kholeif, art historian and author, Hoda Tawakol, artist.
Moderator: Siri Keil, cultural journalist and author
Exhibition film
Audioguide in German
The free audio guide to the exhibition provides insights into the work of Huguette Caland and introduces the individual exhibition chapters in more detail. The audio guide is available in the exhibition via QR codes for smartphones. We recommend bringing your own headphones. Please note that the audioguide is available in German only.
Catalog
A catalogue accompanying the exhibition has been published by Distanz Verlag, produced by the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in collaboration with the Deichtorhallen Hamburg. With texts by Hannah Feldman, Alessandra Armin, Alex Aubry, Maite Borjabad López-Pastor, Brigitte Caland, Rachel Haidu, Aram Moshayedi, Kaelen Wilson-Goldie and the artist. Softcover, 20.5 x 26 cm, 288 pages with 200 illustrations, in English, retail price: 45 €
Expected to be available again from March 24.
Order here
LAB
The LAB is the new experimental educational space in the exhibition HUGUETTE CALAND – A LIFE IN A FEW LINES. Located directly in the exhibition space, it invites visitors of all ages to get involved, find moments of calm, and engage creatively and intellectually with Huguette Caland's visual worlds. It offers space for drawing, writing, designing, leaving your own thoughts, and immersing yourself in a reading corner. Accompanying workshops, discussion formats, and events are held regularly in cooperation with artists and independent initiatives.
The LAB can be visited free of charge during the regular opening hours of the exhibition.
