Mia san mia. Hans Haacke

In his first exhibition in Vienna which took place at the Generali Foundation (7 September– 20 December 2001), Hans Haacke (1936 Cologne, DE–since 1965 New York, US) focuses on “a single problem area: how the country deals with its history and national identity. More than I care for, these questions stir up emotions both in Austria and Germany.” To his mind, the works he produced for Graz in 1988 and 1996 have, unfortunately, lost none of their relevance. Issues relating to the construction of identity are also evident in his project for the Reichstag building in Berlin, 1999. In the new installation, Mia san mia (We are who we are), developed especially for this exhibition, he takes up this theme from another topical perspective.

These projects, as well as selected historical works, are presented in the publication in the form of texts and photographs. Two essays discuss the works in a wider context. The book thus contributes to the current discourse (“culture of memory.”) Numerous writings from Haacke will be made available in English and German for the first time.