Hans Haacke facts for kids

Hans Haacke (born August 12, 1936) is a famous artist from Germany. He now lives and works in New York City. Haacke is known for a type of art called "Institutional Critique." This means his art often looks closely at how museums, businesses, and power work together.

Hans Haacke's Early Life

Haacke was born in Cologne, Germany. He studied art at the Staatliche Werkakademie in Kassel, Germany, from 1956 to 1960. In 1959, he helped with a big art show called the "second documenta." He worked as a guard and tour guide there.

Haacke also learned from Stanley William Hayter, a well-known English artist. From 1961 to 1962, Haacke studied in Philadelphia at the Tyler School of Art. Later, from 1967 to 2002, he taught art at the Cooper Union in New York City.

Condensation Cube, (1963-1965); a clear box with water inside.

When he was younger in Germany, Haacke was part of a group called Zero. This was an international group of artists active from about 1957 to 1966. They wanted to connect people and nature again through art. They also wanted to make art that felt new and different.

The Zero group used unusual materials like industrial items, fire, water, and light. They also liked art that moved or changed. Haacke's early art shows this influence. His first artworks often focused on natural systems and processes.

For example, his piece Condensation Cube (1963–65) shows how water condenses in real time. It's a clear box with water inside, and you can see the water cycle happening. Other early works explored how physical and biological systems interact. They often used living animals, plants, and natural elements like water and wind. By the late 1960s, Haacke's art began to focus on specific social topics.

Art About Systems (1970–Present)

Haacke's interest in how natural systems work led him to look at social and political systems. In most of his art after the late 1960s, Haacke focused on the art world itself. He explored how museums, businesses, and their leaders are connected. He often showed these connections in his art.

Haacke has always spoken openly about the links between museums and businesses. He believes that when companies support art, it helps their public image. This good image can be very useful for their business. Haacke wants viewers to understand this exchange.

Art and Public Opinion

In 1970, Hans Haacke created a work for an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This piece was called MoMA Poll. Visitors were asked to vote on a current social issue. Haacke's question was about a major museum donor and board member, Nelson Rockefeller. It asked if his actions would affect people's votes.

Visitors put their answers into two clear boxes. By the end of the show, there were twice as many "Yes" votes as "No" votes. This artwork was an early example of "institutional critique." It showed how art could question powerful institutions.

Exposing Real Estate Deals

One of Haacke's most famous works is Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, A Real Time Social System, as of May 1, 1971. In this piece, Haacke showed the questionable real estate deals of a big landlord in New York City. He used detailed documents and photos to reveal how Harry Shapolsky's business worked from 1951 to 1971.

This artwork was supposed to be in Haacke's solo show at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. However, the museum's director canceled the show. The director said the art was not appropriate. After this, Haacke showed his work in other galleries, especially in Europe. Ten years later, the Shapolsky work was shown in New York.

Understanding Gallery Visitors

In 1972, Haacke did a study at the John Weber gallery in New York. He asked visitors to fill out a questionnaire with 20 questions. These questions were about their backgrounds and their opinions on social and political topics.

Later, the results were shown as pie charts and bar graphs. They revealed that most visitors worked in art-related jobs. They also showed that most visitors had liberal political views.

Art and History

In 1974, Haacke proposed an artwork for a museum in Cologne. This work would show the history of a painting by Manet called Bunch of Asparagus. It would also reveal details about one of its past owners. The museum rejected the idea. However, the work was later shown in another gallery.

In 1975, Haacke made a similar piece about Seurat's painting Models. This artwork showed how the painting's value increased as it was sold from one owner to another.

Quotes on Art and Business

Also in 1975, Haacke created On Social Grease. This artwork featured quotes from business leaders and important art figures. These quotes talked about the connection between museums and businesses. They showed how art can be important for business practices.

Criticizing Companies

In 1978, Haacke had a show in Oxford, England. It included a new work called A Breed Apart. This piece openly criticized British Leyland, a state-owned car company. It showed that the company was selling vehicles for police and military use to South Africa during apartheid.

In 1979, Haacke's exhibition in Chicago featured paintings that changed print ads from big companies like Mobil.

Art in the 1980s

Throughout the 1980s, Haacke continued to focus on corporations and museums in his art. In 1982, at a big art show called documenta 7, Haacke showed a large artwork. It included oil portraits of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Facing them was a huge photograph of a protest against nuclear weapons. Haacke suggested that these leaders wanted to return their countries to older, less fair ways of governing.

In 1988, Haacke had an exhibition at the Tate Gallery in London. He showed a portrait of Margaret Thatcher. This painting included references to Maurice and Charles Saatchi. The Saatchis were famous art collectors and also managed Thatcher's political campaigns.

Art in the 1990s

Haacke's 1990 painting Cowboy with Cigarette changed Picasso's Man with a Hat into a cigarette ad. This work was a response to a tobacco company sponsoring an art exhibition.

Haacke has had solo exhibitions at major museums like the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

In 1993, Haacke won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale art show. His artwork Germania referred to the German pavilion's history during Nazi Germany. Haacke tore up the floor of the pavilion, like Hitler had once done. The artwork showed the word "Germania" on the wall, which was Hitler's name for Nazi Berlin.

Blue Sail, a photo taken at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Art in the 2000s

At the 2000 Whitney Biennial in New York, Haacke created a piece about art censorship. The artwork, called Sanitation, showed quotes from US political figures who were against certain art. These quotes were written in a style of lettering once used by Hitler. On the floor was a part of the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech. Haacke said the artwork was about "freedom of expression."

Public Art Projects

In 2000, Haacke created a permanent artwork called DER BEVÖLKERUNG (To the Population). It was placed in the Reichstag building, which is the German Parliament building in Berlin. In 2006, he finished a public artwork honoring Rosa Luxemburg in Berlin.

In 2014, it was announced that Haacke would create a work for the annual Fourth Plinth commission in London. His winning idea was a bronze sculpture of a horse's skeleton called Gift Horse. It has an electronic ribbon on its leg that shows live prices from the London Stock Exchange.

Using Law in Art

Hans Haacke, along with other artists, uses a special contract for his artworks. This contract helps him control how his art is shared, displayed, and owned.

Writing and Ideas

Haacke says that being called a "political artist" can be difficult. He feels that all art has a political side, whether the artist means for it to or not. Some experts believe Haacke's art became more political after he saw the protests against the Vietnam War in the US.

Haacke has also written books about his art and ideas. His book Framing and Being Framed explains the concepts behind his work. In 1995, he published Free Exchange, which is a conversation between Haacke and another thinker, Pierre Bourdieu. They found they had many ideas in common.

Famous Artworks in Public Collections

• Condensation Cube (1963), in Vienna, Washington, DC, and London
• Blue Sail (1964-1965), at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
• Condensation Wall (1963/1966), in Washington, DC
• Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, a Real-Time Social System, as of May 1, 1971 (1971), in Paris and New York City
• Sol Goldman and Alex DiLorenzo Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, A Real-Time Social System, as of May 1, 1971 (1971), in New York City and London
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Board of Trustees (1974), in New York City
• A Breed Apart (1978), in London
• Thank You, Paine Webber (1979), in New York City
• Oil Painting: Homage to Marcel Broodthaers (1982), in Los Angeles
• MetroMobiltan (1985), in Paris
• The Saatchi Collection (Simulations) (1987), in Los Angeles
• Mission Accomplished (2004-2005), in Washington, DC
• News (1969/2008), at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

See also

In Spanish: Hans Haacke para niños

• Autonomy Cube, an art project inspired by Haacke's Condensation Cube
• Systems art