I got really into Barbara Kruger's "Resist" pieces after seeing that viral mural online. Wanted to see the real stuff up close, so I started digging around. Figured it'd be easy to find exhibits – boy, was I wrong.
The Wild Goose Chase Begins
First thing I did was Google where Barbara Kruger stuff shows up. Typed in all kinds of keywords like "Barbara Kruger exhibits 2023" and "Resist artwork locations". Got flooded with outdated exhibition pages, some sketchy auction listings, and tons of Pinterest boards showing reproductions. Felt like trying to grab smoke with my bare hands.
Checked big museum websites next. Scrolled through MoMA's collections – nothing. Tate Modern's digital archive? Only one tiny thumbnail with no location info. The actual "Resist" pieces? Nowhere to be found online. Kept thinking "How's this famous artist so damn hard to track down?"
Asking Humans Didn't Help Much
Emailed three different galleries that supposedly showed political art. One never replied. Another sent a canned response listing exhibitions from 2018. The third actually said: "We currently don't hold Kruger originals but check back next season!" Super frustrating – I wanted to scream into my pillow.
Even tried social media. Asked in an art subreddit where to find Kruger's work. Got twelve replies like:
- "Saw it in Chelsea like 5 years ago maybe"
- Try that museum in Germany? Can't remember the name"
- "Just print the images yourself dude"
The Scrappy Solution
Finally cobbled together a plan:
- Called LACMA directly and begged the info desk about Kruger pieces. After being on hold forever, they confirmed one "Resist" text installation in their permanent collection.
- Tracked down an art history professor through Twitter DMs who mentioned the Smithsonian Archives having study materials.
- Found out through some indie zine that Kruger's stuff sometimes pops up in guerrilla street displays – but good luck catching those.
Ended up flying cross-country just to see the LACMA piece. Stood there staring at the bold white-on-red text for like twenty minutes. Totally worth the hassle but man – nobody tells you that seeing actual important artwork means playing detective across three time zones. Most institutions just hoard these pieces in storage like dragons sitting on treasure. What a racket.
