Double Trouble in Exhibiting the Contemporary: Art Fairs and Shows

The strange brotherhood between art fairs and biennials, and other recurrent or mega exhibitions, continues to arose criticism but little attention in academic literature, despite the importance of such exhibition formats in the life cycle of art, artists, and anyone entering the art world. The volume reconsiders the relationship between art fairs and biennials and other pivotal contemporary shows from various perspectives. It seeks to throw light on a situation of great complexity, where the production, circulation, and reception of artworks are part of an osmotic mechanism that allows permeability between what comprises an exhibition and what is being offered on the market: ‘entre chien et loup’. With contributions by Gwen Allen, Bruce Altshuler, Cristina Baldacci, Jörg Heiser, Jacob Lund, Jean Minguet, John Rajchman, Clarissa Ricci, Camilla Salvaneschi, Terry Smith, Angela Vettese.