Lawrence Weiner's 'Written on the Wind' at Stedelijk Museum

The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam presents 'Written on the Wind,' a comprehensive exhibition of over 300 drawings by American conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner, running from September 21, 2013, to January 5, 2014. This is the first time the complete series of drawings has been shown together, spanning fifty years of the artist's career from 1963 to the present. The exhibition was initially co-produced and presented at MACBA in Barcelona earlier in 2013. The drawings are arranged thematically rather than chronologically, interspersed with mural pieces that act as large elliptical calligraphic signs, creating a rhythmic installation. The works are drawn from major international collections and include sketches, colored drawings, collages, assemblages, and notebooks shown for the first time. Weiner waited nearly twenty years before exhibiting his drawings, not wanting them to interfere with his definitive conceptual works. The exhibition highlights the genesis of his art, which often takes multiple forms such as aphorisms, ephemeral wall installations, public commissions, books, films, videos, music, posters, and objects. Weiner defines his practice as based on 'the relationships of human behaviors to objects and objects to objects in relation to human behaviors,' emphasizing formal and visual aspects. The show allows visitors to engage with the artist's language-based work, which invites individual interpretation and active participation.