Jenny Holzer's LED-driven exhibition at the Whitney Museum critiques U.S. military actions in Iraq

From March 12 to May 31, 2009, Jenny Holzer presented 'Protect Protect' at the Whitney Museum of American Art, located at 45 Madison Avenue in New York City. The exhibition featured LED installations, including 'Green Purple Cross' (2008) and 'Blue Cross' (2008), alongside blacked-out secret documents and darkened handprints referencing torture. Holzer's work merges political critique with aesthetic appeal, drawing from sources like her 'Truisms' (1977) and a 1968 issue of 'Studies in Intelligence'. Curator Elizabeth A. T. Smith noted in a catalogue essay that focusing solely on politics overlooks Holzer's innovative use of LEDs, which create mesmerizing visual effects. The artist's LED pieces, such as 'Yellow Floor' (2004), display phrases like 'Truth before Power' in amber lights, moving across the floor. Holzer addresses U.S. involvement in Iraq, with elements like a desk holding human bones to emphasize Iraqi deaths. Her art combines weighty aphorisms with vibrant color, influenced by high-brow sources such as Matisse and Rothko, yet aims to reach a broad audience through demotic technology. The exhibition underscores language's debasement in military documents while highlighting the seductive beauty of the lights, creating a tension between ethical provocation and aesthetic enjoyment.