Page 43 - Studio International - July August 1971

-although at the time he seemed particularly easily presented within a museum context. come up, too; Haacke indicated that he wanted
intrigued by what he called the ecological to document in some detail workings of New
parallels between Haacke's art and growing I then began having preliminary talks with York real estate holdings as a social system,
social concerns. In the spring of 1970 I got it Haacke about the character of the exhibition. but he did not yet have a decision of exactly
from informal conversation with Messer that He came several times in the spring to look at how to present it. Mr Messer did not raise the
he was interested in pursuing the idea of having the physical space in which he was to have the question of its legal implications at the time.
a Haacke exhibition. I prepared a written brief opportunity to do his work, and we talked at As I recall, he was more concerned with the
for the exhibition. Messer took this brief to the greater length in July at the Fondation Maeght visitors' questionnaire, because he seemed to
trustees around May of 1970, at which time it in France. By the end of the autumn I had had have been very taken aback by Haacke's poll at
was approved. sufficient discussions with Haacke to begin the 'Information' show at the Museum of
drawing up a preliminary list of works for the Modern Art the previous summer. He asked to
THE BRIEF (IN FULL) : exhibition: a list that Haacke was able to help be kept informed of further developments, and
Exhibition Proposal- Edward F. Fry complete by December of 1970, and which I we all agreed to be in touch with each other.
Hans Haacke: Systems 1963-70 discussed in detail with Mr Messer in the first
Scope & media: A small (1½ to 2 ramp) days of January 1971. It being my habitual THOMAS M. MESSER: The luncheon discussion
exhibition of 20-30 works in all media, understanding that the director likes to be kept followed Haacke's own outline, which by that
primarily three-dimensional. closely informed about the progress of time was clear to me, so we took it up in that
Sources: the artist, private collections in the exhibitions, I did not deviate in this case. There sequence of physical, biological, and social
New York metropolitan area. were some sixteen or seventeen items; these sub-categories. The physical things alone were
Circulation: the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, seemed to raise no particular problems. One at least unusual-with water coming down from
D.C. that did raise considerable concern in my mind the top ramps, and our maintenance staff felt
Haacke's work concerns systems, not in the was Haacke's idea to include the actual physical somewhat in an uproar over this -so there was a
static sense of Alloway's 'systemic' but rather presence of some of the Young Lords -this great deal to talk about from that point of view
the dynamic and changing relationships between Puerto Rican social group in New York-during alone. We discussed the biological things and
elements, forces and natural processes. His the exhibition hours as the demonstration of a the introduction of the bird and who was to
current activity, reflecting a cumulative real-time social system. My misgivings about care for him and such-these are not routine
development beginning in the early 196os, the inclusion of this were not on political or museum situations and it was quite natural that
divides into several discrete groups : idealogical grounds so much as simply on we should codify them to some extent. The
I. Inorganic systems practical grounds; I immediately saw that this social systems were already my primary concern
A. Processes based on heat and cold would be a difficult problem in the human and because when Edward urged me to involve
1. Condensation chambers technical factors of how to cope with people of myself in this, his main concern, I think, was
2. Freezing and evaporation systems this character during the exhibition. one Haacke proposal to include the Young
B. Processes involving physical forces Lords as a work and another proposal involving
I. Wave motions and flow THOMAS M. MESSER: In the most typical instance public expression of the political position taken
2. Wind, rain and mist of procedures with exhibitions, the trustees have by Governor Rockefeller, all of which worried
H. Organic systems no further interest until the show is up. I have me a great deal. We discussed this; I indicated
A. Growth processes interest in seeing to it that along the various that neither of these two things would be within
1. The hatching of chickens stages the original assumptions, such as they our understanding of what an art museum
2. The growth of grass under specific conditions were, are carried through by the curator. should or could do. And it was my understanding
B. Interactions between organisms Normally this doesn't refer to content at all, it that both Edward and Haacke saw the point
1. Ant colonies does often refer to finances and logistics and and would not insist. The real estate survey was
III. Interactions between human organisms public relations with lenders and whatnot. brought up, but it was not clear to me at that
A. Information processing and communications But if everything seems to be going pretty time how this would be implemented, or that it
1. Newspaper wire services much as envisaged, the exhibition would be meant the exposure of individuals by groups or
2. Election returns handled by the curator. name.
3. Statistical analyses of controlled events. I became re-involved with the specific
Comment: Haacke's art, if it may be so called, character of the Haacke exhibition shortly EDWARD FRY: When Haacke devised a working
marks a radical change in cultural consciousness, before the January meeting between Haacke and method for his presentation of his real estate
not only within the humanistic-aesthetic Edward and myself, when Edward came to me systems, he and I went over it-as well as the
sphere but in the society that it reflects. and indicated that he had difficulties controlling documentation for the monography-in
Haacke's purpose is not primarily aesthetic, the content of the exhibition-that he foresaw January and February. With this full picture of
despite the often very great elegance of his difficulties and trouble-and urged me to Haacke's approach, I drew up a many-paged
works. Instead, his intentions are, apparently, involve myself directly with Haacke, implying memorandum going into great detail on every
based on an apprehension of the poetry within that he had gone as far as he could to keep the work in the exhibition, which was circulated on
the phenomena of the real world and its exhibition within bounds that he considered 25 February to all parties concerned with the
functioning; and ultimately the effect of his appropriate at the time. exhibition in the museum. I did not circulate it
work is moral, directed toward increasing the to any members of the Board of Trustees
general awareness of the conditions necessary EDWARD FRY: It seemed right that if Messer because it has been Mr Messer's stated feelings
for human life and of the threat to those had the final authority, he should also have the over some time that no members of his
conditions. final responsibility, so he just had to meet professional staff are to have any direct
Special features : As an exhibition, it will Haacke directly. So on 8 January we had lunch professional contact with the trustees.
require solutions of many technical problems and went through this list together. Haacke
during installation. With the artist's presence explained the works and the particular artistic DESCRIPTION OF REAL ESTATE PIECES, pp 6 AND 7
and assistance, however, these should be and intellectual viewpoint underlying his work OF FEBRUARY 25 MEMO, (IN FULL):
surmountable, since it is not contemplated that as a whole. The question of the Young Lords 13. Real Estate Piece Number One
the Museum should undertake 'impossible' came up and we all three agreed to exclude this. A set of approximately 720 2 X 2 in. colour slides
projects. Most of Haacke's ideas are, in fact, The presentation of a real estate system did (supplied by the artist) illustrating New York
31