The 160ft text work was created to shed light on racial inequality and police brutality in America.

Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 28 Jan 2021

Truth Be Told is currently on display at the School in Kinderhook, New York Credit: Nick Cave/Jack Shainman Gallery
Truth Be Told, a 160ft (49m) text artwork created by American artist and sculptor Nick Cave, has been acquired by the Brooklyn Museum in New York.
The piece will go on display in the museum’s plaza and will be part of a group show, opening on May 14, 2021, that will feature works from more than 60 artists, including a ‘soundsuit’ by Cave that will address race.
“Museums are being called on to tell the truth, from the painful to the celebratory,” said Anne Pasternak, director of the Brooklyn Museum. “We can invite a constructive conversation.”
Truth Be Told was created in response to the death of George Floyd, who was murdered by Minneapolis police officers in June 2020. Floyd’s death sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the US and around the world.
The work consists of the words ‘truth be told’ cut from black vinyl. It’s currently displayed at the School - a repurposed high school that serves as an outpost of the Jack Shainman Gallery, in Kinderhook, New York - where it stretches across the building’s 160ft (49m) facade.
The piece has received criticism from the local authority in Kinderhook, which has disputed the piece’s status as art, claiming that it’s a sign and violates city codes.
Despite the backlash, the work is expected to remain on display at the School until the end of January as planned. The piece has even been updated, now reading simply Truth, to celebrate both Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the inauguration of US President Joe Biden.
Museums and galleries
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