Œuvre d'art public

Survival

Jenny Holzer, Survival, 1986
Location:
696 rue yonge , Toronto, ON, Canada
Artwork creator(s): 
Holzer, Jenny
Text author(s): 
Holzer, Jenny
Installation year: 
1986
Description: 

Projection de texte sur un édifice

Text of the artwork: 

YOU ARE TRAPPED ON THE EARTH SO YOU WILL EXPLODE.

 

WHAT URGE WILL SAVE US NOW THAT SEX WON’T?

 

PUT FOOD OUT IN THE SAME PLACE EVERY DAY AND TALK TO THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO EAT AND ORGANIZE THEM.

 

SAVOR KINDNESS BECAUSE CRUELTY IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE LATER.

 

DANCE ON DOWN TO THE GOVERNMENT AND TELL THEM YOU’RE EAGER TO RULE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU.

 

THE BREAKDOWN COMES WHEN YOU STOP CONTROLLING

YOUR SELF AND WANT THE RELEASE OF A BLOODBATH.

 

SPIT ALL OVER SOMEONE WITH A MOUTHFUL OF MILK IF YOU WANT

TO FIND OUT SOMETHING ABOUT HIS PERSONALITY FAST.

 

MOTHERS WITH REASONS TO SOB SHOULD DO IT IN GROUPS IN

PUBLIC AND WAIT FOR OFFERS.

 

OUTER SPACE IS WHERE YOU DISCOVER WONDER, WHERE YOU

FIGHT AND NEVER HURT EARTH. IF YOU STOP BELIEVING THIS,

YOUR MOOD TURNS UGLY.

 

DIE FAST AND QUIET WHEN THEY INTERROGATE YOU OR LIVE SO

LONG THAT THEY ARE ASHAMED TO HURT YOU ANYMORE.

 

TRUST VISIONS THAT DON’T FEATURE BUCKETS OF BLOOD.

 

IN A DREAM YOU SAW A WAY TO SURVIVE AND YOU

WERE FULL OF JOY.

 

IF YOU’RE CONSIDERED USELESS NO ONE WILL FEED YOU

ANYMORE.

 

WHEN YOU EXPECT FAIR PLAY YOU CREATE AN INFECTUOUS

BUBBLE OF MADNESS AROUND YOU.

 

YOU ARE SO COMPLEX THAT YOU DON’T ALWAYS

RESPOND TO DANGER.

 

MEN DON’T PROTECT YOU ANYMORE.

 

WITH ALL THE HOLES IN YOU ALREADY THERE’S NO REASON TO

DEFINE THE OUTSIDE ENVRIONMENT AS ALIEN.

 

WHEN SOMEONE BEATS YOU WITH A FLASHLIGHT YOU MAKE LIGHT

SHINE IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

 

FINDING EXTREME PLEASURE WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER PERSON IF

YOU’RE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THRILLS YOU.

 

USE A GUN WHEN THE PERSON COMING AT YOU

HAS A GOOD EXCUSE.

 

IT IS IN YOUR SELF INTEREST TO FIND A WAY TO BE VERY TENDER.

 

THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR WILL BE SECRET.

 

THE CONVERSATION ALWAYS TURNS TO LIVING LONG ENOUGH TO

HAVE FUN.

 

WHAT COUNTRY SHOULD YOU ADOPT IF YOU HATE POOR PEOPLE?

 

USE WHAT IS DOMINANT IN A CULTURE TO CHANGE IT QUICKLY.

 

PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT.

 

YOU ARE CAUGHT THINKING ABOUT KILLING ANYONE YOU WANT.

 

IT’S HARD TO KNOW IF YOU’RE CRAZY IF YOU FEEL YOU’RE IN

DANGER  ALL THE TIME NOW.

 

YOU CAN’T REACH THE PEOPLE WHO CAN KILL YOU ANYTIME SO

YOU HAVE TO GO HOME AND THINK ABOUT WHAT TO DO.

 

THE FUTURE IS STUPID.

 

HIDE UNDER WATER OR ANYWHERE SO UNDISTURBED YOU FEEL

THE JERK OF PLEASURE WHEN AN IDEA COMES.

 

SOMEONE ELSE’S BODY IS A PLACE FOR YOUR MIND TO GO.

 

WHEN THERE’S NO SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP YOU’RE TIRED FROM

WALKING ALL DAY AND EXHAUSTED FROM THE NIGHT BECAUSE IT’S

TWICE AS DANGEROUS THEN.

 

IT’S EASY TO GET MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ON EVERY CONTINENT TO

PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO EATING AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.

 

GO WHERE PEOPLE SLEEP AND SEE IF THEY ARE SAFE.

 

HANDS ON YOUR BREAST CAN KEEP YOUR HEART BEATING.

 

TURN SOFT AND LOVELY AYTIME YOU HAVE A CHANCE.

 

IT IS FUN TO WALK CARELESSLY IN A DEATH ZONE.

 

YOU LIVE THE SURPRISE RESULTS OF OLD PLANS.

 

LET YOUR HAND WNADER ON FLESH TO MAKE POSSIBILITY MULTIPLY.

 

IT IS EMBARRASSING TO BE CAUGHT AND KILLED FOR STUPID REASONS.

 

SHOOT INTO INFINITE SPACE TO HIT A TARGET IN TIME AND

CALL IT INEVITABLE.

YOU HOVER NEAR LOVELY UNCONSCIOUS LIFE FORMS THAT OFFER

NO IMMEDIATE RESISTANCE.

 

PEOPLE LOOK LIKE THEY ARE DANCING BEFORE THEY LOVE.

 

BODIES LIE IN THE BRIGHT GRASS AND SOME ARE MURDERED AND

SOME ARE PICNICKING.

 

SILLY HOLES IN PEOPLE ARE FOR BREEDING OR FROM SHOOTING.

 

YOUR MODERN FACE SCANS THE SURPRISE ENDING.

Document(s): 

Jenny Holzer: Writing=Schriften

Smolik, Noemi (1996).  Jenny Holzer: Writing=Schriften. Ostfildern-Ruit : Cantz, p. 134

The Venice Installation

Holzer, Jenny (1990).  The Venice Installation. New York : K.L.Spaulding, p. 46