Skip navigation

Main menu

  • What's On
  • Visit
  • Art
    • Discover Art
    • Artists
    • Artworks
    • Stories
    Stories
    Stories

    Watch, listen and read

  • Learn
    • Schools
    • Tate Kids
    • Research
    • Activities and workshops
    Tate Kids
    Tate Kids

    Games, quizzes and films for kids

  • Shop
Become a Member
  • View All
  • Tate Modern
  • Tate Britain
  • Tate St Ives
  • Tate Liverpool
  • Exhibitions And Displays
  • On Today
  • Events
  • Tate Britain
    Tate Britain Free admission
  • Tate Modern
    Tate Modern Free admission
  • Tate Liverpool + RIBA North
    Tate Liverpool + RIBA North Free admission
  • Tate St Ives
    Tate St Ives Ticket or membership card required
  • Families
  • Accessibility
  • Schools
  • Private tours
  • Discover Art
  • Artists
  • Artworks
  • Stories
  • Schools
  • Tate Kids
  • Research
  • Activities and workshops
Tate Logo

Try searching for...

  • J.M.W. Turner
  • Ophelia
  • Tracey Emin

DON'T MISS

Exhibition

Lee Miller

Tate Britain
Until 15 Feb 2026
Exhibition

Theatre Picasso

Tate Modern
Until 12 Apr 2026
Become a Member

Jenny Holzer

born 1950

THEY’RE BREATHING 2017
Artwork © Jenny Holzer, member/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; engraved texts by Anna Swirszczynska © Ludmila Adamska — Orlowska; English translation of texts © Piotr Florczyk
License this image

Biography

Jenny Holzer (born July 29, 1950) is an American neo-conceptual artist, based in Hoosick, New York. Her work focuses on the delivery of words and ideas in public spaces and includes large-scale installations, advertising billboards, projections on buildings and other structures, and illuminated electronic displays.

Holzer belongs to the feminist branch of a generation of artists that emerged around 1980, and was an active member of Colab during this time, participating in the famous Times Square Show.

Among the most notable honors she has received for her contributions to the arts are the Leone d'Oro (1990), the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award (1996), the rank of Officier des Arts et des Lettres (2016), the U.S. State Department's International Medal of Arts (2017), and the Time 100 Award (2024), as well as honorary doctorates from Williams College, the Rhode Island School of Design, the New School, and Smith College.

This biography is from Wikipedia under an Attribution-ShareAlike Creative Commons License. Spotted a problem? Let us know.

Read full Wikipedia entry
Conceptual art

Artworks

Left Right

BLUE PURPLE TILT

Jenny Holzer
2007

Protect Protect

Jenny Holzer
2007

Shape the Battlespace

Jenny Holzer
2007

Phase I... Running Start Shape the Battlespace pewter

Jenny Holzer
2007

Phase II... Running Start Decisive Operations violet

Jenny Holzer
2007

Force at End of Phase III (If Required) violet

Jenny Holzer
2007

Phase III - Decisive Operations violet

Jenny Holzer
2007

[no title]

Jenny Holzer
1979–82
See all 44

Stories

Talking Point

Why I Love: Jenny Holzer's Inflammatory Essays

In the shop

Browse the shop
Artwork
Close

Join in

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Sign up to emails

Sign up to emails

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Tate’s privacy policy

About

  • About us
  • Our collection
  • Terms and copyright
  • Governance
  • Picture library
  • ARTIST ROOMS
  • Tate Kids

Support

  • Tate Collective
  • Members
  • Patrons
  • Donate
  • Corporate
  • My account
  • Press
  • Jobs
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Contact
© The Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery, 2026
All rights reserved