LETTER, APRIL 1968
HANS HAACKE

Extract from letter to Jack Burnham
in Kaspar Koenig (ed.), Hans Haacke-
Framing and Being Framed-
7 Works 1970-1975, The Press of
Nova Scotia College of Art and
Design, Halifax; New York University
Press, New York, 1975.


Last Week's murder of Dr. King came as a great shock. Linda and I were gloomy for days and have still not quite recovered. The event pressed something into focus that I have known for long but never realized so bitterly and helplessly, namely, that what we are doing, the production and the talk about sculpture, has no relation to the urgent problems of our society. Whoever believes that art can make life more humane is utterly naive. Mondrian was one of those naive saints... Nothing, but really absolutely nothing is changed by whatever type of painting or sculpture or happening you produce on the level where it counts, the political level. Not a single napalm bomb will not be dropped by all the shows of 'Angry Arts'. Art is utterly unsuited as a political tool. No cop will be kept from shooting a black by all the light-environments in the world. As I've said, I've known that for a number of years and I was never really bothered by it. All of a sudden it bugs me. I am also asking myself, why the hell and I working in this field at all. Again an answer is never at hand that is credible, but it did not particularly disturb me. I still have no answer, but I am no longer comfortable.