Amber Truisms Living / Blue Laments Armo
Jenny Holzer, 2008
Information
Created in 2008, Amber Truisms Living / Blue consists of twelve semicircular LED signs that use blue and amber light diodes, in combination with lighting filters. Each sign has dimensions of 4.8 × 53 × 27.6 cm, collectively forming an imposing light sculpture. The work belongs to the permanent collection of The Met Hotel.
Artistic Context
Jenny Holzer (b. 1950, Gallipolis, Ohio, USA) is one of the most influential representatives of contemporary American art. Since the late ’70s, she has worked as a conceptual artist, with language as her primary medium of expression. In her early works, she placed posters in public spaces, while today she uses digital technology and LED installations to convey her messages in architectural or sculptural form.
Holzer is internationally known for her “Truisms”—short, absolute maxims or statements that resemble proverbs or axioms, which she has continuously expanded upon since 1977. Amber Truisms Living / Blue incorporates this series, projecting phrases that deconstruct societal certainties, power, gender, and morality through a clear, visually hypnotic light.
Placement & Dynamics at The Met
The work is exhibited in a central interior space of The Met Hotel, inviting the visitor to stop, read, and reflect. The repetition of the phrases, the contrast of the colors, and the continuous flow create a vibrant visual-linguistic experience that transforms the space into a place of introspection and dialogue.
Amber Truisms Living / Blue embodies the hotel’s commitment to incorporating not just decoration, but art with meaning—art that activates the visitor, both aesthetically and intellectually.
Why it deserves your attention
- A Powerful Message: Words that compel you to stop and think.
- A Contemporary Medium: Holzer uses LEDs not for advertising, but as art.
- A Continuous Experience: The work doesn’t stop—it moves, breathes, and evolves.