A preview of Jenny Holzer's For Leonard Cohen, which will project words from his songs and writings onto a huge grain silo in Montreal's Old Port in November. This quote is from Cohen's poem "Steer Your Way." Photo © 2017 Jenny Holzer.
American artist Jenny Holzer, internationally renowned for her text-based works, will pay tribute to Leonard Cohen with a massive projection later this year.
In November 2017, Silo No. 5, a huge decommissioned site in Montreal’s Old Port, will be lit up in Leonard Cohen’s honour. The project is part of “A Crack in Everything,” a celebration of Cohen’s work curated by the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal.
The MAC has commissioned Holzer to create a piece consisting of a giant projection of select phrases from Cohen’s poems, songs and other writings—in both French and English. The projection, named For Leonard Cohen, will be visible as of November 7, coinciding with the first anniversary of Cohen’s death.
Le MAC et Jenny Holzer illumineront le silo no. 5 en l’honneur de Leonard Cohen from Musée d’art contemporain de Mtl on Vimeo.
“Jenny Holzer is one of the most innovative, singular and renowned contemporary artists and I am extremely pleased that she will be taking part in our exhibition. Her extraordinary creations will contribute to give Leonard Cohen a creative and touching tribute, equal to the impact of his work,” says John Zeppetelli, director and chief curator of the MAC.
Holzer has also done projections on London’s City Hall, Rome’s Castel Sant’Angelo and Paris’s Louvre pyramid, among other projects.
The MAC first announced it was working on “A Crack in Everything” in March 2016, seven months before the Montreal-born singer, songwriter, poet and novelist died in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles. The show is being co-curated by John Zeppetelli and Victor Shiffman, with plans to include visual art, performance art, music, the written word and film. Musicians Lou Doillon, Jean Leloup and Ariane Moffatt have also been announced so far as participants.
