Jenny Holzer at the Guggenheim

 

Is it art? Kind of an amazing question, especially coming from the under-11 set. On the one hand, the question is silly --- sure, kid, of course. It's at the Guggenheim, one of the world's great art museums. Jenny Holzer has been around for years, post-conceptual art is a vital medium spearheaded by Holzer herself, etc., etc. On the other hand, though, such a question brings up a fundamental concern: do words on screen constitute art?

Consider the question as you walk through Jenny Holzer's retrospective at the Guggenheim, the centerpiece of which is six hours of text scrolling along the Oculus. "Being judgmental is a sign of life," "I cry," "Your mother with no real power," "Monomania is a prerequisite of success," "Birds eating them." No one would look at the words crawling along the bottom of CNN or Fox, and call it art. But, give the words an ominous cast and divorce them from image, and . . . yes, you've got art. 
 
Photo: thanks

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Jenny Holzer: Light Line
Guggenheim
1071 Fifth Ave, between 88th and 89th Streets
Every day, 10:30 am–5:30 pm
$30 for adults