From November 8, 2024, the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt will present a comprehensive retrospective of the German-American artist Hans Haacke. The exhibition shows works from the last six decades and offers a deep insight into the work of one of the most influential personalities in contemporary art, which will be on display until February 9, 2025. With around 70 exhibits - including paintings, photographs, installations and films - the show highlights the key themes that have always run through Haacke's work: Institutional critique, ecological contexts and democracy.
Haacke, born in Cologne in 1936 and based in New York since 1965, has made a name for himself worldwide as a pioneer of political conceptual art. In his works, he examines social and ecological systems, questions institutional structures and invites viewers
to reflect critically. From early kinetic and biological works, inspired by his friendship with Otto Piene and the influences of the ZERO group, to his politically charged installations, Haacke adopts a multi-layered perspective on social contexts at the Schirn. He is particularly well known for his so-called "Real Time Systems", in which he documents physical, biological and social processes in real time, thereby demonstrating the complexity and fragility of systems.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is Haacke's iconic work Gift Horse (2014), which was originally created for Trafalgar Square in London. The imposing, 4.5-metre-high sculpture of a horse skeleton takes up the motif of the imperial monument and at the same time serves as a commentary on the dominance of economic interests and class-based social structures. A live display of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on the work underlines the reference to the market economy and symbolizes the influence of the financial markets.
Director Sebastian Baden emphasizes the topicality of the exhibition: "Hans Haacke is a legend of political conceptual art. His themes such as democracy and ecology are highly topical and invite us to reflect on the challenges of our time. Haacke's work has a major influence on today's art scene and inspires artists
worldwide." Curator Ingrid Pfeiffer also emphasizes Haacke's diverse artistic methods: "He combines different materials and techniques and creates structures that are poetic, humorous and often provocative. Haacke always remains true to his convictions and consistently stands up for democracy and freedom of opinion."
Haacke's critical work has led to conflicts with institutions on several occasions. For example, his exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in 1971 was canceled after his work Shapolsky et al. exposed the dubious real estate transactions of a New York group. The installation Manet-PROJEKT '74 was banned from an anniversary exhibition at the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne because it revealed the involvement of former owners of a Manet work in National Socialism.
In addition to the critical, politically charged installations, the Schirn is also showing participatory works, including MoMA Poll (1970), with which Haacke surveyed the political attitudes of visitors to the Museum of Modern Art. A current public poll will also take place in Frankfurt and emphasize the interactive element of Haacke's work.
The retrospective includes works from prominent collections such as the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, the TATE in London and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. It was funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
The exhibition offers an opportunity to experience Haacke's work and his critical perspective on the world - an invitation to engage with the role of art in times of global challenges.
