ARTIST ROOMS Jenny Holzer: The Words We’re Blind To
As the summer holidays come to an end, don’t miss the month-long opening of Jenny Holzer’s exhibition to experience the vibrancy of contemporary art. Jenny Holzer is known for her distinctive word art and provocative installations that are not only visually stunning, but also thought-provoking. The works on display at Attenborough Arts Centre are from the ARTIST ROOMS Series, featuring works from Holzer’s early text-based series, as well as paintings, granite benches, and LED displays, as she seeks to break down the boundaries between traditional art and the public through a variety of art forms.
In 1977, Holzer began work on her iconic Truisms, which was presented directly in the form of posters on the streets of New York and various public places. The posters featured hundreds of insights distilled from her readings, inviting the viewer to interpret the meaning of the words for themselves. The content of her work ranges from feminist radical ideas at the beginning, to neutrality, encouraging people to participate in public discourse, to politics. Keenly aware of the impact her work has on both intentional and unintentional passers-by, Holzer uses the written form as a medium to awaken us to a renewed awareness of mainstream information, private privacy, and public spaces, leading to her reflection on written language symbols advertising campaigns and other forms.
We tend to know ourselves because we read, learn about world events through the news, and learn about our own lives, backgrounds, and cultural inspirations from history. Despite our thoughts, there is no guarantee that this is not artificially manipulated. In her work, Holzer seeks to exaggerate and emphasise cultures and texts that we are used to ‘turning a blind eye’ to, to make her work shocking, authentic and believable. Her artwork often addresses issues of politics, power and social justice. She critically explores issues of power abuse, sexism, war and oppression. By displaying text in public spaces, she attempts to stimulate the viewer’s thinking, provoking reflection on social issues and questioning power structures.
‘I like to put textual content anywhere people will see it, either at the bottom of a cup, on a shirt or a hat, or I can drop it on a river or an entire building.’ Holzer has said in an interview.
Whether you are an art lover, or a student interested in social issues, this exhibition is not to be missed. Leicester students are especially encouraged to visit and engage in an in-depth dialogue with Holzer’s art through this exhibition.
The exhibition opened on 14 June and will run until 29 September. For more details, please visit Attenborough Arts Centre’s official website or follow us on our social media platforms.