Condensation Wall c. 1963 - 2016

This is Condensation Wall by Hans Haacke, and it’s a wall made of condensation, which sounds like a zen koan, right? But it’s real! It’s about how artworks can construct different ways of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world, and for me, it’s very exciting. It’s a transparent box, so the material aspect here is the way the water gathers, drips, and streams down the sides, like tears on a windowpane. Up close, you notice the way the drips aren’t uniform, they form unique paths down the surface. Haacke isn't just making an object; he's setting the stage for a process, a mini-weather system in a box. It makes me think about other artists who work with chance and process. Think of Robert Smithson, or maybe even Eva Hesse. It's about embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations, which is what art is all about, right?