Promotional Information

Every sentence Thomas Hirschhorn produces explodes the category of artists' writings. 'Energy = Yes! Quality = No!' is one of his principles. Reading this book takes us straight to the core of what it is that distinguishes our role as thinking beings. An overwhelming simplicity and clarity marks the way in which Hirschhorn elaborates his thoughts and reflections by specifically discussing his actions within the context of the world around him. The fact that form and its creation figure prominently in such unconventional ruminations is typically impish, unexpected and jolting. -- Bice Curiger, editor and co-founder of Parkett; curator of the 2011 Venice Biennale One comes to Thomas Hirschhorn's work with the sense that he is averse to those artistic strategies that often cloak an artist's work, and its intentions, in a veil of studied ambiguity. Against this tendency of dutiful obfuscation and systematization, his work is characterized by a directness of address, by a commitment to thought, and by the necessity to render a clear account of his passionate interest in the world. Critical Laboratory is a remarkable document of analytical precision that demonstrates thought in action. Hirschhorn's passionate voice and unvarnished insight ring true and clear. This book is destined to be a landmark; a primer for how an artist must act and create in the world, it will be a reference work for all future artists who see it as their duty to create dangerously in difficult times. -- Okwui Enwezor, Director, Haus der Kunst, Munich

About the Author

Thomas Hirschhorn (b. 1957) is a Swiss artist known for large sculptures and ambitious projects, often constructed of everyday, makeshift materials. Lisa Lee is Assistant Professor of Art History at Emory University. She is coeditor (with Hal Foster) of Critical Laboratory: The Writings of Thomas Hirschhorn (MIT Press, 2013). Hal Foster is Townsend Martin '17 Professor of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University and the author of Prosthetic Gods (MIT Press) and other books.

Reviews

In this book, art historians Lee and Foster offer an expertly chosen collection of these disparate texts, many of which appear in English for the first time…His writings are not only engaging but often highly illuminating. For instance, an homage to Andy Warhol offers great insight into Hirschhorn's provocative use of violent war imagery. VERDICT Highly recommended to readers interested in Hirschhorn's work or artist writings more generally.—Library Journal