Exhibitions in Oxfordshire, England: American artist Jenny Holzer to feature augmented reality at Blenheim Palace in September 2017
The historic 18th century Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, is continuing its contemporary art series with a solo exhibition by the neo-conceptual American artist
American artist Jenny Holzer is set to work her magic on the Blenheim Palace from September 28 to December 31. Using augmented reality and light installations, Jenny Holzer will address the political and military history of the Blenheim Palace in her works. Holzer is known for her large-scale electronic LED signs and 1970s Truisms text works. She is the fourth contemporary artist to have a show at the palace after Michelangelo Pistoletto last year and Lawrence Weiner in 2015
Art at the Palace
This recently announced three-month exhibition will be the fourth at Blenheim Palace as part of an ongoing contemporary series. Artists previously invited to create a unique exhibition for the palace include conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner, Arte Povera painter Michelangelo Pistoletto and the contemporary artist/activist Ai Weiwei. Weiwei’s exhibition in 2014 was the inaugural show for the launch of the Blenheim Art Foundation, a non-profit organisation that seeks to challenge conventions through contemporary art exhibitions.
Jenny Holzer: large-scale public art
The Ohio-born neo-conceptual artist is famous for her illuminated displays and projections onto large public buildings. Holzer, who in 1989 was selected as the first woman artist to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale, is these days most known for her nighttime poetry projections on city monuments around the world: from Washington and Kraków to Paris and Melbourne.
Holzer at Blenheim
This fall, the Jenny Holzer exhibition at Blenheim Palace will consist of both indoor and outdoor installations, addressing themes such as power, conflict and activism. She explains that “My first visit to Blenheim Palace left me with too many ideas, on the complex past and its relevance to this knife-edge present.”
Holzer will showcase her signature LED signs, as well as debut new pieces. She also plans to use augmented reality “to explore the potential of the virtual space.” The palace’s Formal Gardens will be transformed into a nighttime feature using outdoor lighting, to run alongside a series of as-yet-unannounced evening events.
The Jenny Holzer exhibition at Blenheim Palace, UK, will take place from September 28 to December 31, 2017.
