Blue Sail is one of Hans Haacke’s earlier pieces of work, made in 1964-65. At this point in his career, Haacke was primarily interested in systems and processes, examining the way water, wind and other biological or physical processes manifest themselves. One of the most famous examples of this is his Condensation Cube, where the audience watched a small scale of the water cycle conducting itself in real time. In the early 1970s, Haacke’s work began to take on a more overtly political feeling as his interest in systems began to manifest into an exploration of the political systems which underpin the art world and society at large. In 1971, Haacke’s exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum was cancelled after it was discovered that one of his installations was a direction criticism of museum trustees (Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, A Real Time Social System, as of May 1, 1971). Ironically, this piece of work has gone on to become internationally famous precisely due to the fact that his show was cancelled and his voice silenced.
Click through on the image for a link to Haacke’s page on the Tate Collection website.
