Who's Afraid of Contemporary Art?

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.

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.