Don't Shoot Civilians arose from the collaboration of Jenny Holzer and the graffiti artist Lady Pink. In the early 80s, when Holzer was putting her posters and stickers up all over the streets of New York, Lady Pink and other sprayers were applying graffiti on the walls of public buildings and subways. Holzer invited Lady Pink to her Lower East Side loft to work with her on canvas. Lady Pink made the images; Holzer provided the texts from her Survival Series, then their friend the artist Ilona Granet painted the texts on the pictures. These works deal with subjects that are still central for Jenny Holzer: war, women, sex, and everyday violence. Holzer came to know Lady Pink through the works of photographer Susan Meiselas, whose photos from the Nicaraguan conflict made a particularly deep impression on the graffiti artist. This effect is palpable in several of her pictures, including Don't Shoot Civilians. For Jenny Holzer, the constant interchange between art and the public has remained a central preoccupation to this day. The works she produced with Lady Pink are as relevant today as they were when first created.
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New Acquisitions – Rarely Seen Works 13. March, 2009 – 14. June
The Ludwig Museum possesses a relatively small yet internationally significant collection of over 400 contemporary artworks. As the museum’s permanent exhibition is only able to show a small portion of the collection, we make an effort to present a fresh selection from time to time.
