On the evening of Thursday 13 June, we opened our latest exhibition: ARTISTS ROOMS Jenny Holzer, in partnership with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. The launched drew in over 200 visitors who were the first to see the installation work in Leicester across all of our galleries.
Born in 1950, American artist Jenny Holzer remains one of the most influential figures in contemporary art. Known for powerful, provocative installations and her creative use of electronic technology, she produces art that is impossible to ignore. Holzer’s work has taken many forms, often appearing in public spaces, on posters, t-shirts, carved stone, signs and large-scale outdoor projections, as well as in museums and galleries across the world.
This exhibition, drawn from the ARTIST ROOMS collection, brings together examples of Holzer’s work from different points in her career. The centrepiece of the exhibition is the towering BLUE PURPLE TILT 2007, consisting of seven double-sided vertical LED displays which is programmed with hundreds of messages from her earlier text series. Placed in Gallery 1 alongside marble seated sculptures and large-scale oil paintings, Gallery 2 features a range of pasted ‘Truisms’ that work to challenge the reader.
With her work Holzer invites us to read and interpret for ourselves, so that people might question the ‘usual baloney they are fed’ in daily life. Confronting current events and topics such as war and sexual violence in her work, Holzer is uncompromising in her search for truth and exposure of systems of power and control.
The launch took place throughout the centre, opened by speeches from Attenborough Art Centre’s Director Andrew Fletcher and Senior Curator for ARTIST ROOMS Ceri Lewis. The exhibition works to make high-quality art accessible to more communities and was received well by visitors at the opening.
ARTIST ROOMS Jenny Holzer will be open 14 June – 29 September 2024, free for all and open from 12pm every day. Please note that the exhibition feature strobing lighting that may be uncomfortable for some viewers.
ARTIST ROOMS presents the work of international artists in solo exhibitions drawn from a national touring collection jointly owned by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Its programme reaches audiences across the UK and is developed through local partnerships. ARTIST ROOMS gives young people across the UK the chance to get involved in creative projects, discover more about art and artists, and learn new skills.
Find out more: