Jenny Holzer plays with words at the Tate Modern

The Tate Modern exhibits a collection of artworks made by Jenny Holzer the American contemporary Artist, in 5 rooms until 31 July 2019. It is about words and meanings, so take your time and your glasses, it's worth it.

'It's just an accident that your parents are your parents', we didn't say it but Jenny Holzer wrote it down. The American contemporary artist, stuck this expression among  300 others on the walls of one of her dedicated artist rooms at the Tate Modern.

These gathered sentences are called Truisms. Why ? Just because there are lot of commonplace expressions that could caption your old Instagram photos like 'Ignoring enemies is the best way to fight' or 'Learn to trust your own eyes'.

More seriously, The Truisms series were initially created in 1977-79. They were exhibited as unsigned posters in public spaces in the 1980s, just as lot of street artists do today, in order to spread their message to the largest crowd possible. For the artist, 'Writing conveys meaning'. It allows her to  easily reach a large audience and makes people understand her artworks.

"I chose language because I wanted to offer content that people – not necessarily art people – could understand." Jenny Holzer

The whole exhibition is not just about words on the walls. It is about words on programmed electronic displays, on condoms, on stone benches, on sleeping bag... Words everywhere.

Jenny Holzer uses different media in order to display the advertising codes. The Truisms were displayed on a huge advertising board in Times Square in 1982. She tried to raise's people awareness of 'the usual baloney they are fed' in life.

Room 5, Jenny Holzer at Tate Modern, Photo: Jack Hems

Our crush ? Room 5 and especially the artwork « They left me ». Jenny Holzer gathered interviews made of Syrian refugees by Human Rights Watch and featured them on an electronic display. Different stories of the war from women, men and children flash up on the screen. It feels like you hear the voices of these children who talked when you read it. However it becomes harder to read because of the lights. And it is certainly a choice from the artist to show how much is hard to face the sad reality of war refugees.