Beyond Contemporary Art

The contemporary art world has been transforming rapidly over the last decade, claiming new territories and assimilating novel creative practices. Video game art and iPhone art apps have appeared, street art has blossomed led by artists such as Banksy and Invader. The definition of what constitutes art has broadened to encompass categories that would never have been considered art in the past. Contemporary art is more networked than ever before with world capitals vying with each other for global market share.The first Frieze Art Fair was held in 2003 in London with a modest 27 000 visitors and attendance has almost tripled in the past nine years.
Frieze has grown into an annual global affair showcasing contemporary art galleries from all over the world, and in 2012 Frieze Art Fair New York was launched. Art Basel attracts over 62 500 people and Art Basel Miami Beach draws in a crowd of 55 000. Documenta, founded in 1955, takes places every five years in Kassel, Germany with over three quarters of a million visitors. Meanwhile, New York's Armory Show has also grown significantly and boasts almost a hundred million dollars in sales, and the Venice Biennale has gained a political aura akin to the United Nations with pavilions curated by various governments.
This book was designed to tempt the palate of anyone who is curious about the trends that are challenging and expanding the boundaries of contemporary art. The artists surveyed combine a diverse range of disciplines, media and genres. The main thesis is that "contemporary art" is almost indefinable, and that contemporary artists are constantly reinventing themselves and synthesizing previously isolated fields and ideas.
As such, the artists in this book are organized alphabetically rather than by unifying themes or categories. So, open your mind, hop around and enjoy.