Invited to create an exhibition as visiting professor of the 16th edition of CSAV - Artists’ research Laboratory, Hans Haacke studies an artwork in close dialogue with the former Church of San Francesco (Antonio’s Ratti Cultural Space). Inside the empty spaces caused by the deterioration of frescoes in the apse, the artist displays live in Rete 4, Italia 1, Canale 5 tv programs (property of Berlusconi) plus the data of Milan’s stock exchange.

The book Once Upon a Time… accomplishes the documentation of the exhibition (which also featured the artworks Wide White Flow e The population meets St. Francis) with essays dedicated to the figure of San Francesco (text by Amanda Minervini) and to that of Berlusconi (text by Andrea Fumagalli).

The publication shutters with the lecture given by Hans Haacke during the summer course, in which the artist talks about his own career.

Editors: Hans Haacke and Duncan McCorquodale
Designer: Mònica Oliveira
Publisher: Black Dog Publishing Limited, London
2012, Eng., 120 pages, colors