![]() TM: I understand that you conceived of the work’s stock ticker component before you settled upon using the skeleton of a horse. I cannot believe that in New York, given the power of Wall Street - no matter who happens to be the mayor - my “Gift Horse” would have a chance to occupy a space as prominent as the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. After all, the Fourth Plinth is administered by the London mayor’s office, and the municipality pays a good portion of the cost of the commissioned work. Hans Haacke: I was projecting onto London what I assumed the response would have been in New York. Tiernan Morgan: I read in the Guardian that you were “ absolutely flabbergasted ” when “Gift Horse” was awarded the tenth Fourth Plinth commission. The transcript has been edited for clarity and comments have been added at the request of the artist. The following interview was conducted at the offices of the Paula Cooper Gallery. ![]() The contract also reserves him the right to veto a work’s inclusion in a public exhibition. Haacke is one of the most high-profile artists to have adopted the “ Artist’s Reserved Rights Transfer and Sale Agreement,” a contract that requires his collectors to pay a 15% royalty on profits each time his art work is subsequently resold. Haacke is currently a member of Gulf Labor, a coalition of artists and activists campaigning for the protection of worker’s rights during the construction of museums and institutions on Saadiyat Island (‘happiness’ island) in Abu Dhabi. His subjects have included Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Rudolph Giuliani, Peter Ludwig, Mobil, Phillip Morris, Deutsche Bank, Daimler Benz, and British Leyland. Haacke’s work continues to shine a spotlight on the business dealings of politicians, collectors, and corporations. The museum was subsequently subject to a number of demonstrations by the Art Workers Coalition (AWC), an activist group of which Haacke was a member. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, A Real-Time Social System, as of May 1971” (1971) an installation of documents charting the business transactions of New York City slumlord Harry Shapolsky. The decision largely centered on “Shapolsky et al. In 1971, the Guggenheim Museum cancelled a solo show of Haacke’s work. ![]() ![]() Hans Haacke, “Gift Horse, Proposal for Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square, London” (© Hans Haacke / Artists Rights Society, New York, courtesy the artist and Paula Cooper Gallery, New York) (click to enlarge) A survey exhibition of Haacke’s work, which includes a number of the artist’s gallery and museum polls (including “MoMA Poll”), is currently on display as part of the 56th Venice Biennale. Following the display of this work at MoMA, Haacke’s work was not exhibited at the museum again until the late ‘80s. “MoMA Poll” (1970), the artist’s contribution to the Museum of Modern Art’s Information exhibition, took the form of a ballot in which he asked visitors “would the fact that Governor Rockefeller has not denounced President Nixon’s Indochina Policy be a reason for your not voting for him in November?” Nelson Rockefeller had previously served as the museum’s president and his brother David was the chairman of MoMA’s board at the time. The tumultuous events of the late ‘60s prompted Haacke to broaden his attention to socio-political systems. During the unveiling, both Johnson and Haacke evaded questions about the work’s meaning Johnson acutely aware of the sculpture’s import during a period of harsh economic austerity, and Haacke preferring to leave the interpretation of his work to viewers.ĭuring the 1960s, Haacke produced works concerned with physical systems and processes, an exemplar being “Condensation Cube” (1963–65), a clear acrylic cube partially filled with water. ![]() Described on the Greater London Authority’s website as a rumination on the “link between power, money, and history,” “Gift Horse” consists of a bronze horse skeleton and a live electronic ticker of the London Stock Exchange. Hans Haacke, “Gift Horse” (2014), horse: bronze with black patina and wax finish stainless steel fasteners and supports, bow: 5mm flexible LED display stainless steel armature polycarbonate face, 15 ft 3 inches x 14 ft 1 inch x 5 ft 5 inches (© Hans Haacke / Artists Rights Society, New York, photo by Hans Haacke, courtesy the artist and Paula Cooper Gallery, New York)Įarly last March, London’s Conservative mayor Boris Johnson unveiled Hans Haacke’s “Gift Horse,” the tenth commission installed on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |