Nancy Holt

‘There’s something for everyone, including poems, spoken-word video, films and conceptual work.’ - Aesthetica

‘The essays and discussion by other writers in this book add thoughtful consideration of theory and practice surrounding Holt’s work. But it is Holt’s own writing, in matter of fact language stripped to essential thought, feeling and material making, that brings the reader closer to the inside and outside of her projects.’ - Dr. Beth Williamson, The Art Newspaper

Nancy Holt (1938-2014) was a member of the Earth, Land, and Conceptual Art movements. A pioneer of site-specific installation and the moving image, Holt recalibrated the limits of art. She expanded the places where art could be found and embraced the new media of her time. Across five decades she asked questions about how we might understand our place in the world, investigating perception, systems, and place. Holt’s rich artistic output spanned concrete poetry, audioworks, film and video, photography, slideworks, ephemeral gestures, drawings, room-sized installations, earthworks, artists’ books, and public sculpture commissions.

Born in Worcester, Mass., she grew up in New Jersey and graduated with a degree in biology from Tufts University in 1960. Later that year she moved to New York City where she met the artist Robert Smithson; the two were married in 1963.

Holt’s work is held in major collections including Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Germany; Utah Museum of Fine Arts; and Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. In 2018 Sun Tunnels and Holes of Light were acquired by Dia Art Foundation, with support from Holt/Smithson Foundation.

Lisa Le Feuvre is the inaugural Executive Director of Holt/Smithson Foundation. Committed to communicating and testing ideas, she has curated exhibitions in museums and galleries across Europe, published writings in international publications and journals, and has played a pivotal role in shaping academic and arts organizations, including as the head of the Henry Moore Institute (2010-17).

Katarina Pierre is director of the Bildmuseet at Umeå University, Sweden. She holds a Master of Arts in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths College in London, UK. She has worked at Bildmuseet since 1995, where she has overseen highly acclaimed exhibitions by artists such as Walid Raad, Sara Jorden, Zineb Seidram, Florian Zeyfang, and Isaac Julien.

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