Writings by Thomas Hirschhorn, collected for the first time, trace the
development of the artist's ideas and artistic strategies.
For the artist Thomas Hirschhorn, writing is a crucial tool at every
stage of his artistic practice. From the first sketch of an idea to
appeals to potential collaborators, from detailed documentation of
projects to post-disassembly analysis, Hirschhorn's writings mark the
trajectories of his work. This volume collects Hirschhorn's widely
scattered texts, presenting many in English for the first time.
In these writings, Hirschhorn discusses the full range of his art, from
works on paper to the massive Presence and Production projects in
public spaces. "Statements and Letters" address broad themes of
aesthetic philosophy, politics, and art historical commitments.
"Projects" consider specific artworks or exhibitions. "Interviews"
capture the artist in dialogue with Benjamin Buchloh, Jacques Rancière,
and others. Throughout, certain continuities emerge: Hirschhorn's
commitment to quotidian materials; the centrality of political and
economic thinking in his work; and his commitment to art in the public
sphere. Taken together, the texts serve to trace the artist's ideas and
artistic strategies over the past two decades. Critical Laboratory
also reproduces, in color, 33 Ausstellungen im öffentlichen Raum
1998-1989, an out-of-print catalog of Hirschhorn's earliest works in
public space.