Holzer As the Weinstein Effect reached the art world this fall,work was taken up as a calling card for the widespread reckoning over sexual misconduct. Various photographs and text works by the artist inscribed with the phrase “Abuse of power comes as no surprise” became the visual identity and a rallying cry for the #notsurprised petition. The initiative, begun by a group of over 100 artists and arts professionals, gathered more than 5,000 signatures to attest to the systemic sexual harassment of the art world.

The “Truisms” that Holzer has forged since 1977 had already begun to ring truer than ever earlier this year, with the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January 2017. On Instagram, her photographs of theater marquees began to surface, bearing phrases like “Slipping into madness is good for the sake of comparison,” and “Raise boys and girls the same way”; meanwhile, at major international art fairs this year, her stone benches made regular appearances, bearing messages like “Savor kindness because cruelty is always possible later.”

Whereas many artists gained momentum this year by producing fresh work to align with anti-Trump and anti-fascist movements, Holzer was able to do so without reinventing herself. The artist’s proclivity for earnest wisdom that questions the powers that be—in bold, capital letters—gave her legendary work renewed relevance.

That’s not to say that Holzer didn’t actively push her practice forward this year—something made explicitly clear through her major fall exhibition at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England. The historic 18th-century country house, which was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, inspired Holzer to further her investigations into conflict, with works that disseminated real accounts of wartime from civilians and soldiers. The artist debuted technology-driven work, including light projections, LED installations, and a virtual reality app that share testimonies culled by Human Rights Watch and Save the Children from victims of the Syrian civil war.



