Who's afraid of contemporary art? : an A to Z guide to the art world

What is contemporary art? What makes it contemporary? What is it for? And why is it so expensive? The contemporary art world can be a baffling place, but Kyung An and Jessica Cerasi are on hand to bring you up to speed. From museums and the art market to biennales and the next big thing, Whos Afraid of Contemporary Art? offers concise and pointed insights into todays art scene, examining how artists are propelled to stardom, explaining what curators do, challenging our understanding of artistic skill, demystifying the art market, and much, much more. In this easy-to-navigate A to Z guide, the authors playful explanations draw on key artworks, artists and events from around the globe, including how the lights going on and off won the Turner Prize, what makes the likes of Marina Abramovic and Ai Weiwei such great artists, and why Kanye West would trade his Grammys to be one. Packed with behind-the-scenes information and completely free of jargon, Whos Afraid of Contemporary Art? is the perfect gallery companion and the go-to guide for when the next big thing leaves you stumped. What Is Contemporary Art? What Makes It Contemporary? What Is It For? And Why Is It So Expensive? From Museums And The Art Market To Biennales And The Next Big Thing, Who's Afraid Of Contemporary Art? Offers Concise And Pointed Insights Into Today S Art Scene, Decoding Artspeak, Explaining What Curators Do, Demystifying Conceptual Art, Exploring Emerging Art Markets, And More. The Authors Playful Explanations Draw On Key Artworks, Artists, And Events From Around The Globe, Including Extreme Chinese Performances, The Artist Damien Hirst, And The Expanding Art Markets In Brazil, Russia, India, China, And South Africa. An A Z Arrangement Of Themes Take The Reader Through Every Aspect Of Contemporary Art, From Art, What Is It? To Money, Money, Money!!, And Art Outside The Art Market With Zoning Out. Who S Afraid Of Contemporary Art? Is Filled With Behind-the-scenes Information On The Contemporary Art World, And Is The Perfect Gallery Companion And Go-to Guide On The Next Big Thing. Art, What For? What's It All About? : From Idea To Artwork -- Bringing You Up To Speed. How Did We Get Here? : Contemporary Before Contemporary -- Contemporary. What Makes It So Contemporary? : Tino Sehgal, This Is So Contemporary, 2005 -- Dream Academy. How Do Art Students Become Artists? : Interns -- Emperor's New Clothes. What Makes It Art? : Piero Manzoni, Artist's Shit, 1961 -- Flashmobs. What's Next In The Art World Calendar? : Venice Biennale -- Geeks And Techies. When Did It All Get So Technical? : Internet Art -- Histories. Whose Story Is The Story Of Art? : Guerrilla Girls -- It's The Thought That Counts. Can A Concept Be A Work Of Art? : Felix Gonzalez-torres, 'candy Spills', 1990-93 -- Joining The Dots. What Do Curators Do? : The Exhibition Schedule, From Idea To Install -- Knowing Your Audience. Can Art Really Be For Everyone? : Fun! -- Lovers And Haters. Who Decides What Matters? : Turner Prize --^ Money, Money, Money! Why Is It So Expensive? : The 'business Artist' -- Next Big Thing. What Is The Role Of Galleries? : Art Basel -- Oh No You Didn't! Is That Really Necessary? : Santiago Sierra -- Picasso Baby. Why Does Everyone Want In On Art? : Kanye West, A Minimalist In A Rapper's Body -- Quality Control. What Is The Role Of Museums? : Museum Acquisitions -- Rattling The Cage. Can Art Build A Better World? : Tania Bruguera -- State Presence. What Is Performance Art? : Marina Abramovic -- Tlc: Tender Loving Conservation. How Can We Make Sure Our Art Survives? : When New Media Becomes 'old' Media -- Under Construction. What Should Museums Look Like? : Saadiyat Island's Cultural District -- Visitor Activated. Can I Touch It? : Yayoi Kusama, The Obliteration Room, 2002-present -- Wtf?! What On Earth Am I Looking At? : International Art English -- X Marks The Spot. What Is The Role Of Public Art? Banksy For All --^ Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow. How Is The Art World Changing? : Funding -- Zoning Out. Why Bother? : Theaster Gates, Dorchester Projects, 2009-present. Kyung An And Jessica Cerasi. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 128-131) And Index. A smart and playful introduction to the often-mystifying world of contemporary art What is contemporary art? What makes it contemporary? What is it for? And why is it so expensive? From museums and the art market to biennales and the next big thing, Whos Afraid of Contemporary Art? offers concise and pointed insights into todays art scene, decoding Artspeak," explaining what curators do, demystifying conceptual art, exploring emerging art markets, and more. In this easy-to-navigate A to Z guide, the authors playful explanations draw on key artworks, artists, and events from around the globe, including how the lights going on and off won the Turner Prize, what makes the likes of Marina Abramovic and Ai Weiwei such great artists, and why Kanye West would trade his Grammys to be one. Packed with behind-the-scenes information and completely free of jargon, Whos Afraid of Contemporary Art? is the perfect gallery companion and the go to guide for when the next big thing leaves you stumped. 35 color illustrations What is contemporary art? What makes it 'contemporary'? What is it for? And why is it so expensive? The contemporary art world can be a baffling place, but Kyung An and Jessica Cerasi are on hand to bring you up to speed. From museums and the art market to biennales and the next big thing, Who's Afraid of Contemporary Art? offers concise and pointed insights into today's art scene, decoding 'artspeak', explaining what curators do, demystifying conceptual art, exploring emerging art markets and much, much more. The authors' playful explanations draw on key artworks, artists and events from around the globe, including Felix Gonzalez-Torres's 'Candy Spills', extreme Chinese performances, Damien Hirst and Kanye West. Packed with behind-the-scenes information and completely free of 'artspeak', Who's Afraid of Contemporary Art? is the perfect gallery companion and the go-to guide for when the next big thing leaves you stumped An accessible and irreverent introduction to the art and art world of today, written by two curators at the heart of the contemporary art scene.