The sculpture, which is approximately twenty-eight feet tall and four feet in diameter, features texts from four of the artist’s series—Truisms, Living (selections), Survival (selections), and Arno—and includes some of her best-known statements. The texts are programmed to swirl and travel around the body of the piece. By varying the height, font, intensity and direction of the scrolling letters, Holzer activates the transparent column and the surrounding space with light that reflects off surfaces in the gallery.

For SAAM is the latest work that is part of Holzer’s ongoing exploration of art and architecture. She has created site-specific work for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, the Reichstag in Berlin, and 7 World Trade Center in New York City, among others. 

Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2008