Anne and Patrick Poirier’s work first became known in the early ’70s as “preservation of evidence.” This retrospective, some twenty years later, was well-situated for two reasons: Vienna is a “historical” city, reflecting the glitter and decline of a previous era; secondly, the Palais Liechtenstein, where the museum is housed, is a very difficult space in which to present contemporary art. Ostia Antica, 1971–72, was presented at the opening exhibition of the museum, and in this show it received special placement. It stood alone in a large banquet hall whose ceiling is decorated with a fresco by