Barbara Kruger's 'Silent Writings' Explore Communication in the Digital Age
A work that challenges us to reconsider our beliefs and perspectives.
Outernet Arts and Serpentine have teamed up to present Barbara Kruger‘s digital artwork, Silent Writings. This piece delves into global communication and human connection, weaving together images and words to explore themes of control, power, and dominance. Kruger incorporates her own words alongside quotes from various writers and philosophers, such as Aimé Césaire, Goethe, Thomas Mann, and Mary Therese McCarthy. Silent Writings will go on view from March 4 through April 22, 2024 at Outernet’s Central London outpost.
Through manipulation of selected words, Kruger highlights their meanings and generates new ones, blurring the boundaries between opposing terms like “contact/isolation,” “order/horror,” and “stupid/clever,” as per Serpentine. Documentary photographs of conflicts, politicians, and mass media imagery intermittently appear, providing visual reinforcement for the words and their relevance.
Kruger’s works encourage introspection, challenging us to reconsider our beliefs and perspectives. Silent Writings is closely tied to Kruger’s latest exhibition, Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You., currently showing at Serpentine South, marking her first solo institutional show in London in over two decades. The exhibition is set to continue until March 17, 2024.
Outernet Arts, situated in the heart of London, offers free exhibitions in an expansive digital space with screens spanning four stories. Through artist-led initiatives, Outernet Arts seeks to engage audiences in meaningful discussions about the complexities of living within a media-saturated environment.
Elsewhere, check out our list of galleries you don’t want to miss at Frieze LA 2024.
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