Past Disquiet is a documentary and archival exhibition based on research conducted by the curators for over a decade around four seed collections of art that were intended to be “museums in solidarity” or “museums in exile”, that incarnated the engagement of artists with a particular political cause. It is an exhibition of stories, told with documents, photographs, pamphlets, press clippings, posters, interviews, and videos.

The research began as the two curators explored how the International Art Exhibition for Palestine, which took place in Beirut (Lebanon) in 1978 and was meant to become the nucleus for a museum in solidarity with the Palestinian people’s struggle. Despite the size and scope of the exhibition, yet unprecedented for the region, it seems to have been totally forgotten. The story of that museum was closely connected to other similar collections and initiatives, namely, the International Museum of The Resistance ‘Salvador Allende’, the Artists Contre/Against Apartheid, and Art for the People of Nicaragua. Their reconstructed stories trace complex and intersecting networks, and rarely explored history of politically engaged artists mobilized in different modes around the causes inscribed in the tri-continental international anti-imperialist solidarity movement of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, such as the opposition to the Vietnam War, the rejection of the Pinochet dictatorship and of the Apartheid regime in South Africa, and in support of the Palestinian struggle.

Much like detectives, the curators followed threads from Beirut, Paris, Rome, Rabat, Baghdad, Tokyo, Venice, Santiago, Managua, and Cape Town, back and forth, tracking one thousand and one stories of artists and militants: visionaries and dreamers who organized exhibitions, intervened in public spaces, and created a very particular form of museum to incarnate the causes they were fighting for: museums of solidarity, without walls and museums that were in exile. Eventually, the research refracted an unwritten, or scarcely documented, shared history of politically engaged artists and initiatives, that links grassroots artist collectives in Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Gaborone and Cape Town, artist unions in Damascus, Baghdad, and Casablanca, seminal editions of the Venice Biennial of art, as well as the Arab art biennials in Baghdad and Rabat, and museums in Santiago, Chile and Cape Town. Eventually, we came to realize that we were surfacing a counter-history of art practice, of exhibition histories, of museology, and political mobilization through art worldwide.

The first edition of the exhibition was produced by the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) in 2015; the second edition by the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin in 2016; the third was produced by the Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende (MSSA) and the last was produced by the Sursock Museum in Beirut, both in 2018. This new edition, produced by the Zeitz MOCAA, brings home stories of international solidarity in the arts with struggle against Apartheid and has provided the opportunity to access local archives and to engage with militants, historians, and scholars, and create an additional chapter that foregrounds the vibrant resonance of local militant artistic practice from the 1970s and 1980s with kin practices worldwide. 

Research for Past Disquiet was made possible thanks to the support of Rana Sadik and Samer Younis, the Sharjah Art Foundation, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), ZedGrant, the A. M. Qattan Foundation, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende (MSSA), Tensta Konsthall, Muzeum Sztuki Nowoczesnej Warszawie, tranzit.hu, and the Institut national de l’histoire de l’art.

Zeitz MOCAA’s curatorial and educational programming is generously supported by Gucci and the Mellon Foundation.

Past Disquiet

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Mind's Eye

Continuità

Esperienza sonora

Learn more about the origins of the exhibition from curator Lauren Hinkson.

Transcript
Lauren Hinkson: Welcome to the exhibition "Jenny Holzer: Light Line." I’m Lauren Hinkson, the Associate Curator for Collections here at the Guggenheim. 

For more than forty years, American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer has presented her astringent ideas, arguments, and sorrows in public places and international exhibitions. Her medium is language. Whether inscribed on a plaque, poster, or condom, Holzer’s incisive text-based practice draws on the explosive power of the written word. The work tackles some of the most pressing issues and themes of our time—from climate justice to women’s rights, from war to corruption. Holzer is a vital voice in both art and activism. 

Starting in the 1970s with a series of posters around New York City and continuing through her recent light projections on landscape and architecture, Holzer’s practice has rivaled ignorance and violence with humor, kindness, and courage. For "Light Line," Holzer has conceived of the installation of work from throughout her career as a singular conceptual project—a holistic installation that builds on and refracts concerns about society, politics, and the work of living that have been an undercurrent in her practice. 

As you move through the museum, you will see and be absorbed by the monumental LED display climbing all six ramps of the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed rotunda to the building’s apex. This work is titled "Installation for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum." It is a collection work owned by the Guggenheim. The work is a reimagining of Holzer’s 1989 LED sign that was shown here some thirty-five years ago.  

The new manifestation of Holzer’s electronic sign transforms the building with a display of scrolling texts that Holzer has written over her career. The work is both witty and profound at the same time, with iconic statements from early works, such as “You Are the Victim of the Rules You Live By,” “Private Property Created Crime,” and “Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise.”   

The texts and themes in the LED sign also materialize in other works on view in "Light Line," reinforcing the correspondences in Holzer’s conceptual practice across time and medium. There are also new works incorporating texts by poets, politicians, activists, and literary figures, as well as sources like government dossiers and redacted FBI files. These take new forms in the exhibition, including light projections on the building and gold-leaf paintings. 

These messages are thought-provoking, with the artist hoping that they would sharpen people’s awareness of the political and social connotations urgent to our time. They are meant not only to be read but also heeded.

Exhibition Website

Introduction to Jenny Holzer: Light Line

La curadora Lauren Hinkson comparte sus conocimientos sobre la exposición y la práctica de la artista.

Transcript
Lauren Hinkson: Les damos la bienvenida a la exposición "Jenny Holzer: Línea de luz". Soy Lauren Hinkson, curadora asociada de colecciones aquí en el Guggenheim.

Por más de cuarenta años, la artista conceptual estadounidense Jenny Holzer ha presentado sus ideas ácidas, sus argumentos y sus penas en lugares públicos y exposiciones internacionales. Su medio es el lenguaje. Ya sea sobre una placa, un cartel o un condón, la incisiva práctica de Holzer basada en el texto aprovecha el poder explosivo de la palabra escrita. La obra discute algunas de las cuestiones y los temas más urgentes de nuestra época, desde la justicia climática hasta los derechos de las mujeres o desde la guerra hasta la corrupción. Holzer es una voz vital tanto en el arte como en el activismo.

Su carrera comenzó en la década de 1970 con una serie de carteles por toda la ciudad de Nueva York y continúa con sus recientes proyecciones lumínicas sobre paisajes y edificios; su práctica se opone a la ignorancia y la violencia con humor, amabilidad y valentía. Para "Línea de luz", Holzer concibió una instalación que contiene obras de toda su carrera a manera de un proyecto conceptual único: una instalación integral que desarrolla y refracta preocupaciones sobre la sociedad, la política y el trabajo de vivir, las cuales han sido cuestiones constantes en toda su práctica.

A medida que se mueven por el museo, verán una presentación monumental y envolvente de luces LED que asciende por las seis rampas del edificio circular diseñado por Frank Lloyd Wright hasta llegar a la cima. Esta obra se titula "Instalación para el Museo Solomon R. Guggenheim". Es una obra de colección que pertenece al Guggenheim. La obra vuelve a concebir el cartel de luces LED que Holzer realizó en 1989 y se expuso aquí hace unos treinta y cinco años. 

La nueva expresión del cartel electrónico de Holzer transforma el edificio con una presentación de textos en movimiento que la artista escribió a lo largo de su carrera. La obra es tan ingeniosa como profunda, con afirmaciones emblemáticas de sus primeras obras, como “Eres la víctima de las reglas que te impones”, “La propiedad privada creó el delito” y “El abuso de poder no sorprende”. 

Los textos y los temas del cartel de luces LED también se materializan en otras obras expuestas en "Línea de luz", y así refuerzan las correspondencias en la práctica conceptual de Holzer a través del tiempo y de los medios. Además, hay nuevas obras que incorporan frases de poetas, políticos, activistas y figuras literarias, y de fuentes como expedientes gubernamentales e informes del FBI. Las frases toman nuevas formas en la exposición, como proyecciones de luz sobre el edificio y pinturas con lámina de oro.

Estos mensajes llaman a la reflexión; la artista tiene la esperanza de que agudizarán la conciencia de las personas sobre los asuntos sociales y políticos urgentes de nuestra época. Se supone que no serán solo leídas, sino leídas a conciencia.

Jenny Holzer: Light Line exhibition

Conozca los orígenes de la exposición.

La curatrice Lauren Hinkson parla della mostra e del lavoro dell'artista.

Transcript
Lauren Hinkson: Benvenuti alla mostra "Jenny Holzer: Linea di luce". Sono Lauren Hinkson, curatrice associata per le Collezioni qui al Guggenheim.

Da oltre quarant'anni l'artista concettuale americana Jenny Holzer presenta le sue idee taglienti, le sue motivazioni e le sue preoccupazioni in spazi pubblici e mostre internazionali. Lo fa attraverso il linguaggio. Che si tratti di targhe, manifesti o preservativi, l'incisiva attività testuale di Holzer si affida al potere esplosivo della parola scritta. Le opere toccano alcune delle questioni e dei temi più scottanti del nostro tempo, dalla giustizia climatica ai diritti delle donne, dalla guerra alla corruzione. Holzer è una voce vitale sia nell’arte, sia nell’attivismo.

A partire dagli anni Settanta con una serie di manifesti in giro per la città di New York fino ad arrivare alle recenti proiezioni luminose su paesaggi e architetture, la ricerca di Holzer ha sfidato l'ignoranza e la violenza con l'umorismo, la gentilezza e il coraggio. Per "Linea di luce" Holzer ha immaginato l'installazione di opere prodotte durante tutta la sua carriera come un progetto concettuale unico: un'installazione olistica che si rifà - rispecchiandole - alle preoccupazioni sulla società, sulla politica e sulla fatica di vivere che hanno caratterizzato la sua attività.

Procedendo all'interno del museo, vedrete e resterete colpiti dal monumentale display a LED che sale su tutte e sei le rampe della rotonda progettata da Frank Lloyd Wright fino all'apice dell'edificio. L'opera s'intitola "Installazione per il museo Solomon R. Guggenheim". È un'opera da collezione di proprietà del Guggenheim. Si tratta di una rivisitazione dell'insegna a LED di Holzer del 1989, esposta qui ben trentacinque anni fa. 

La nuova versione dell'insegna elettronica di Holzer trasforma l'edificio con un display di testi scorrevoli che l'artista ha scritto nel corso della sua carriera. Si tratta di un'opera ironica e allo stesso tempo profonda, con frasi iconiche tratte dai suoi primi lavori, come "You Are the Victim of the Rules You Live By" cioè "sei vittima delle tue stesse regole", "Private Property Created Crime" ovvero "la proprietà privata genera la criminalità" e "Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise", cioè "l'abuso di potere non è una novità".

I testi e i temi dell'insegna a LED ritornano anche in altre opere esposte in "Linea di luce", avvalorando le corrispondenze nella ricerca concettuale di Holzer attraverso il tempo e il mezzo espressivo. Sono presenti anche opere recenti che riprendono testi di poeti, politici, attivisti e personaggi letterari, oltre a fonti come dossier governativi e file dell'FBI secretati. Nella mostra, questi elementi assumono nuove forme, ad esempio proiezioni luminose sull'edificio e dipinti in foglia d'oro.

Sono messaggi che fanno pensare e che, nella speranza dell'artista, dovrebbero affinare la consapevolezza delle persone sulle connotazioni politico-sociali che affliggono la nostra epoca. Sono messaggi pensati non tanto per essere letti, ma piuttosto per essere ascoltati.

Informazioni sulle origini della mostra.

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa is the first major museum in Africa dedicated to contemporary art. We collect, preserve, research & exhibit cutting edge contemporary art from Africa & the Diaspora & host temporary exhibitions from around the world

Past Disquiet - Stop 5

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA)

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