┐ Jenny Holzer, You Must Disagree With Authority Figures* └

© Jenny Holzer, Truism Projection, Venice 1999

© Jenny Holzer, Truism Projection, Buenos Aires, 2000

© Jenny Holzer, Truism Projection, New York

© Jenny Holzer, in collaboration with Tibor Kalman, Lustmord, 1993-94
Photographs of handwriting in ink on skin

“In many of her works Jenny Holzer explores political themes, in particular abuses of power and atrocities of war. In her series ‘Lustmord’ (1993-94) – meaning rape murder in German – Holzer created a number of works addressing war crimes in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990’s, in particular the violent physical abuse, rape and murder of women that occurred. In this series Holzer displays photographs of text on human skin, some of which includes women’s blood mixed with ink.

Holzer often creates tension by conveying bold statements and the use of contradictory terms and viewpoints. She deals with the public and the private, fact and fiction, the universal and the particular, and the body, including body politics. In ‘PROTECT PROTECT’, for example, Lustmord Table (1994) also references torture and bodily harm. In this work Holzer displays human bones with silver bands impressed with words by rape victims, perpetrators and witnesses. (…)

Many of Holzers work focus on unnecessary cruelty. She wants people to react and recoil. Holzer would like there to be less fear and cruelty in the world and her work is an expression of her empathy with human suffering and injustice. She is also exploring human fallibility, situational ethics and self-reflection, whilst often focusing on universal questions.” via acca education

© Jenny Holzer, Lustmord Table, 1994

* One of Jenny Holzer’s Truisms (1978-1983). Other truisms can be seen here and projections here