Jenny Holzer: Line of Light, art as a universal language

By Elisa Zuliani

Jenny Holzer is one of the most influential figures in contemporary art, known for revolutionizing visual language as an expressive tool. Since the 1970s, she has transformed simple, direct phrases into powerful works of art that stimulate critical reflection on themes such as power, violence, and human rights.

Her famous Truisms, created between 1977 and 1979, are short maxims that challenge social and political conventions. Initially distributed through anonymous posters on the streets of New York, these messages later evolved into LED installations, light projections, and stone engravings, making art an integral part of urban life. Phrases such as “Abuse of Power comes as no surprise” and “Protect me from what I want” leave room for open interpretation, giving the audience the opportunity to reconsider their beliefs.

With her Survival Series, Holzer used art to denounce the indifference towards the victims of the AIDS crisis, while with Inflammatory Essays, she made government documents public, revealing hidden truths about war and torture.

In 1989-90, she debuted with a retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. More than thirty years later, Holzer returned to the same museum with Line of Light, an exhibition open from May 17 to September 29, 2024, which I had the opportunity to visit in person. This exhibition showcased her unique way of combining words and technology to create engaging installations. To fully convey this experience and allow readers to visually immerse themselves in Holzer’s work, I created a dedicated video of the exhibition, available at the following link.

Holzer’s art is deeply connected to activism: which is evident in her ability to bring art beyond traditional boundaries, reaching a wide and diverse audience. Through her work, the artist invites us to question the society we live in, reminding us that art is not only something to look at, but above all, a message to listen to.