Utopia, Utopia = One World, One War, One Army, One Dress, 2003

The picture above is taken from another influential installation exhibition by Thomas Hirschhorn., titled: “Utopia, Utopia = One World, One War, One Army, One Dress.” In this specific installation Hirschhorn displays the radical and complex relationship of war and society. More specifically, exploring military conflicts and world violence through an installation composed of uniforms from around the world, music videos containing war propaganda, documentaries of violence and war, fashion photos of soldiers in camouflage, toys of war, books on war covered in camouflage tape, forty foot bullet shaped objects made of cardboard, and various other camouflage or war related materials. All these items were in very close proximity to one another. The installation was very large to scale, taking up three full galleries. The installation proved attractive to art enthusiasts because of the diversity of art it possessed. Within the installation there was sculpture, film, photography, vitrines, maquettes, wall graphics, signage, and other interpretive material.

Through this installation it is obvious that Thomas Hirschhorn wants the viewer to make an observation pertaining to the relationship between society and war. The abundant use of camoflauge within the compostition of the installation suggests that there is a message to the viewer in the camouflage itself. Specifically, Camouflage can be looked at fashionably by society as something to wear that looks appealing to the eye when worn. However, camouflage is a symbol of war and violence, a material designed to blend various objects together to hide from the human eye. Once the observer identifies this, Hirschhorn wants the viewer to ask themself, “What does it mean when a costume of war becomes a look or style?” I mentioned earlier that equality among human beings has been a theme that Mr. Hirschhorn uses often. In this installation equality is relevant in Hirschhorns efforts to create a utopia (the installation representing the world) or world of equality in which everyone on earth wears military clothing. Thus turning the meaning of camouflage into a state of meaningless.

This specific installation by Thomas Hirschhorn reminds me of various works created by Anselm Kiefer. Only in subject matter do I see resemblence. There is obviously little to compare in the style of how the art or message is made. Anselm Kiefer did several works pertaining to war and violence through his paintings and sculptures. Referencing back to the article written in the New York Times by Michael Rush, I found that Mr Hirschhorn considers Joseph Beuys so influential to him, he speaks of him as one of his “professors.” In the article Hirschhorn said, “Beuys introduced a new energy to art, opening the possibility of art for everybody.” Hirschhorn shows examples of that same energy in this installation and in many others. Another similarity compared to works of Joseph beuys is the relation of using common, familiar, and simple objects to express ideas that may not be so common, familiar, and simple.

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Riding, Alan. “Dissecting Democracy, Swiss Artist Stirs Debate.” The New York Times Dec. 27, 2004



Kuenster, Emily. “Political Art, Distracted” San Francisco Art Institute, CA



Rush, Michael. “Art that Gives Meaning To Bits of This and That”. The New York Times. Oct. 27, 2002.



Rian, Jeff.. “Swiss Diss, Jeff Rian on Thomas Hirschhorn’s Swiss-Swiss Democracy” Art Forum International Magazine. 2005. .



CCA Wattis Institute Presents Thomas Hirschhorn, "Utopia, Utopia = One World, One War, One Army, One Dress". http://www.cca.edu/about/press/2006/hirschhornsfpr2.