Xenon, 2001
Photograph
A set of 18 photographs signed and numbered in an edition of 10. Ref: JH1

9 photographs are of the artist's text projection in Florence and 9 in Venice
40.0 x 50.0 cm (15¾ x 19¾ inches)

Notes:
"XENON is a moving picture medium, an enormous film projection, with bright light powerful enough to throw image or text a long distance. It’s digital, it’s mechanical, with sprockets and all.“
Jenny Holzer

For the first time, Jenny Holzer is using the medium photography, showing the projections of her popular sentences in public space. Xenon consists of 9 photographs from the first projection in Florence and 9 photographs from the Venice-projection. Statements like I SMELL YOU ON MY SKIN / I SAY THE WORD / I SAY YOUR NAME or YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DID THIS TO ME / YOU ARE MY OWN are projected in gigantic lettering across urban spaces at night. The words and their surroundings merge into a brilliant visual whole of striking beauty. In addition, the texts and the choice of locations provoke collisions between public/private, conscious/unconscious, collective/subjective. Jenny Holzer’s voices become part of the overall social context.
POA