Nineteen Aspects of Contemporary Art: Masters and Our Times

The ongoing dialogue between internationally renowned curators and contemporary art masters is a marathon interview comparable to "performance art."

19 in-depth conversations outline the rich landscape of contemporary art and reveal its "hidden knowledge."

This is the art history of our time, providing you with "ways of seeing" contemporary art. "19 Faces of Contemporary Art: Masters and Our Time" collects his conversations with 19 (groups of) important contemporary artists and architects, including David Hockney, Gilbert & George, Gerhard Richter, Louise Bourgeois, Rem Koolhaas, Oscar Niemeyer, Zaha Hadid, and others. They are (or were, during their lifetime) influential figures in the contemporary art world, such as David Hockney, hailed as the "godfather of British art," important contemporary feminist artist Louise Bourgeois, "mother of performance art" Marina Abramović, architects Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid, known for their unique and controversial architectural styles, Oscar Niemeyer, who participated in the construction of Brazil's new capital Brasília, and others. In relaxed conversations, artists and architects discuss the personal and social issues they face in their creations, the creative ideas behind specific works, future creative plans, and even advice for young artists, among other things.

Through this book, we can see their sources of inspiration and understand the stories behind their creations. The writing style of this book is inspired by Giorgio Vasari's "Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects" from the Renaissance, without distinguishing between artists and architects, but rather documenting these contemporaries as historical figures. In fact, contemporary artists and architects have long broken through disciplinary boundaries, engaging in interdisciplinary practices across multiple fields. Whether from the perspective of writing style or content, this book is "very contemporary"!

19 conversations, 19 (groups of) artists, condense 19 facets of contemporary art, reflecting the rich forms of contemporary art. We can also examine the era we live in through the eyes of artists. Captivating... It presents artists with diverse styles and their unexpected, exploratory ways of thinking.

— The Daily Telegraph Through these conversations, Obrist has established his position as the "unofficial secretary" of the contemporary art world.

— The New York Observer Interesting, direct, mysterious... You feel like you're sitting in the center of the art world, eavesdropping on a conversation at the next table.

— The Independent Hans Ulrich Obrist, born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1968, is the co-director of the Serpentine Galleries in London and a renowned curator and critic active in the contemporary art world. He has twice been named one of the "most influential people in the art world" by the authoritative British art magazine ArtReview.

Obrist has participated in curating and initiating over 150 exhibitions and projects to date and has compiled over 70 academic works. His books include "Ways of Curating," "Everything About Curating," "A Brief History of Curating," and "Do It."