About Jenny Holzer
Jenny Holzer (born 1950, Gallipolis, Ohio) is a leading figure in contemporary art, best known for her text-based artworks that merge public art, political critique, and activism. Using media such as LED displays, projections, prints, and paintings, Holzer examines how language shapes power, perception, and control. Influenced by the persuasive force of advertising, she places provocative statements directly into public space, blending seamlessly into urban environments while challenging viewers to pause and reflect.
Central to Jenny Holzer’s practice are her public installations, which occupy architectural and commercial settings with concise, confrontational phrases addressing themes of authority, consumerism, and vulnerability. Iconic works such as Protect Me From What I Want and Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise distill complex social and political ideas into accessible language, encouraging broad public engagement beyond the traditional art world.
Alongside these installations, Holzer’s prints and paintings extend her investigation into the visible and hidden power of words. Her work has been widely recognized, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 1990, and exhibited internationally at major institutions such as the Guggenheim, Whitney Museum of American Art, Tate, and the Barbican Centre.
