© Hans Haacke/Bildupphovsrätt 2025
The Road to Profits is Paved with Culture
by Hans Haacke
Artist
Hans Haacke
(Tyskland, född 1936)
Alternate Title
- Vägen till vinst är kantad av kultur
Date1976
MediumSilkscreen on acrylic plastic
DimensionsYttermått: 132,8 × 121,5 × 2,9 cm
ClassificationGraphic art
Credit LinePurchase 2020 funded by The Anna-Stina Malmborg and Gunnar Höglund Foundation
Countries
On view
StockholmRoomGallery 01:8
Object NumberMOM/2020/88
About the artworkJust think of the impact that big companies have on culture! Or do they? Hans Haacke's work exposes the double standards of the American company Allied Chemicals. He lets the facts speak for themselves, allowing the company to fall on its own sword. The left-hand panel illustrates how successful companies can foster cultural growth in the United States, suggesting that greater profits allow for increased investment in culture. However, the right-hand panel reveals that Allied Chemicals allocates only a small portion of its profits to cultural initiatives, while knowingly releasing carcinogenic toxins into the environment and allocating far more funds to advertising campaigns than to cultural endeavours. The work, which is typical of Haacke's institutionally critical approach, dates from 1976, yet it remains painfully relevant today.
Signatures, inscriptions and marks Osignerad, 2/6
Signatures, inscriptions and marks Osignerad, 2/6