Access a slow-looking exercise of this work.

Transcript
Narrator: "Cursed" is a 2022 installation work by Jenny Holzer composed of nearly three hundred thin metal fragments. About forty are hung along the gallery wall, and the evenly spaced line they form descends into a heap of around 250 scattered upon the floor. Each fragment is about a quarter inch thick and averages about a foot wide by a half foot tall.  

The fragments are similar, but each is unique in character with varied texture, shape, and patina. All have wrinkled surfaces with edges that appear ripped, like discarded pieces of paper. Their colors vary: some are patinaed lead or copper in matte browns and slate grays, while others have areas plated in shining precious metals. They appear like aged artifacts. 

Stamped into the center of each fragment is a replication of a tweet, a specific form of social media message with identifiable characteristics. The brief messages appear in sans-serif typeface and use abbreviations and symbols, encouraged by the 280-character limit. Under each tweet, three numbers indicate the comments, likes, and reposts it received.

The tablet sizes and treatments vary. A smaller one appears about three inches tall by six inches wide. Some of the largest are tall, like an unfurled scroll, about eight inches wide by nearly two feet long, containing a series of tweets from the same day. Most are loosely rectangular and trapezoidal.

The small metal fragments require close inspection to see the text stamped into the surface. The characters are sometimes legible, other times difficult to distinguish within the variations.

The tweets were posted on Donald Trump’s Twitter account during his term as president, documenting his sometimes incendiary commentary on people, culture, politics, and the media.

Some tweets read: 

“Putin & I discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded..” 

“Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me ‘old,’ when I would NEVER call him ‘short and fat?’ Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!” 

“Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’ You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!” 

“The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery. The last thing I was going to do is ‘fall’ for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!” 

“JANUARY SIXTH, SEE YOU IN DC!” 

“My use of social media is not Presidential - it’s MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again!” 

“Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED!”

“TREASON?” 

In their crumpled, pierced, and corroded state, the fragments bearing the tweets are like damaged iterations of Holzer’s earlier bronze plaques and produce a modern variation on the “curse tablets” used by ancient Greeks and Romans to seek revenge on enemies.

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