The Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto is preparing a major exhibition by American artist Jenny Holzer. For Holzer’s first solo presentation in Portugal, Wrong Answers examines the power of text and language, two elements that have defined her artistic practice for decades.
Throughout her career, Holzer has responded directly to contemporary events and shifting political realities. Consequently, the exhibition considers how information circulating across different media influences public understanding and shapes ideas surrounding freedom, democracy, and power.
Moreover, the presentation addresses the effects of information overload in contemporary society. While words can strengthen meaning, they can also distort and neutralize it.
Landmark Works Trace the Evolution of an Influential Conceptual Artist
Spanning her provocative early Inflammatory Essays (1979-82), smashed piles of stone sculptures, paintings, human bone installations, LED poems, and iconic Truisms (1978-87), Wrong Answers doubles as a chronicle of Holzer’s rise into an art world icon.
As a result, visitors will encounter works that reflect the artist’s long-standing engagement with language as both a visual medium and a political tool. In addition, the exhibition highlights the continued relevance of conceptual art practices that merge text, installation, and public discourse.
“It is a tremendous privilege to work with [Holzer,] an artist who has never minced her words, never compromised, and who possesses the discipline to engage critically with the world and the challenges of our time without fear,” expressed Philippe Vergne, the museum’s director and exhibition curator.
Therefore, the exhibition positions Holzer’s work within ongoing conversations about communication, authority, and the role of art in contemporary society.
Collaboration With Porto Artist Kilos Expands the Exhibition
The exhibition will also introduce two collaborative works with Porto-based artist Kilos. Meanwhile, the local artist brings his graffiti-inspired visual language to Holzer’s Truisms posters in one gallery and applies her texts across two walls in another space.
Consequently, the collaboration creates a dialogue between conceptual text-based art and urban visual culture. Furthermore, the project connects Holzer’s internationally recognized practice with Porto’s contemporary creative scene.
Wrong Answers marks Jenny Holzer’s debut solo exhibition in Portugal and reinforces the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art’s role as a leading institution for contemporary art and design exhibitions in Europe.
Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art
R. Dom João de Castro 210
4150-417 Porto
Portugal