Hans Haacke's State of the Union at Paula Cooper Gallery

At Paula Cooper Gallery in New York from November 5 to December 23, 2005, Hans Haacke presented 'State of the Union,' an exhibition addressing post-9/11 American politics. The centerpiece is a large banner resembling the U.S. flag, torn in half with one part crumpled on the floor, symbolizing a divided nation. Other works include 'Stuff Happens,' showing stars falling from a blue field; 'Ripped,' a torn flag; and 'Star Gazing,' featuring a hood made from flag fabric reminiscent of Abu Ghraib. Haacke also displayed photographs from a Creative Time project marking the six-month anniversary of 9/11, showing negative cutouts of the Twin Towers on street advertisements. Two installations use broken office furniture referencing attack debris. A proposal for a World Trade Center memorial leaves the towers' footprints as non-constructible spaces: one for visitor-placed stones, the other for a garden with soil from victims' families. Critic Eleanor Heartney finds the exhibition passionate but superficial, questioning whether contemporary art can address 21st-century American issues.