Contemporary Art in Germany, Austria and Switzerland--the sixth title in Black Dog Publishing's ARTWORLD series--provides a wide-ranging overview of art originating from three very different countries that, between them, lay claim to be the centre of the European art world. This timely survey covers a diverse range of practices across many different media, from drawing, painting and photography to performance, installation and the moving image.
Richly illustrated profiles on over 40 artists are accompanied by an introduction from Dominikus Müller and other contextual reprinted essays from Graham Bader, Isabelle Graw, Daniel Birnbaum and Christoph Doswald which together explore such themes as the beginnings of commercial German art, the development of artistic practice in Switzerland and the rise of art scenes in Berlin and beyond. These writings are supplemented with historical pieces by artists Valie Export and Fischli / Weiss.
From the political video work of Harun Farocki and the sculpture of Isa Genzken, to the participatory work of Thomas Hirschhorn, Contemporary Art in Germany, Austria and Switzerland examines the practices, discourses and debates that constitute contemporary art throughout the region, across a multiplicity of thriving and ever-shifting scenes.