US artist Jenny Holzer has been selected to stage an exhibition of new works at the UK’s historic Blenheim Palace, the Blenheim Art Foundation announced today.
She is only the fourth artist—and first female artist—to be chosen to fill the 18th-century Palace with contemporary art, following in the footsteps of Ai Weiwei, Lawrence Weiner, and Michelangelo Pistoletto.
Scheduled to run from September 28 – December 31, 2017, the exhibition—simply titled “Jenny Holzer at Blenheim Palace,” and composed of site-specific works—will seek to address the Palace’s military and political history through Holzer’s own practice that takes on such themes as power, conflict, and activism.
Of her involvement with the project, Holzer said, “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’s work with LED signs, for which she is best known, will be paired with large-scale light projections that will illuminate the Palace grounds after dark. In addition to this, engraved stonework and new installations using black mondo grass will also be on display.
“Jenny has been one of art’s strongest and most unique voices since the 1980s, and it is an honor to work alongside her on this new chapter in her work, and to continue to showcase ground-breaking contemporary art at Blenheim Palace,” said Michael Frahm, Director of Blenheim Art Foundation, in a statement.
Blenheim Palace is the home of the 12th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Situated in Oxfordshire, the historic house and gardens are a world heritage site.