A Year in the Art World: An Insider's View

A panoramic insider’s account of the global art industry, revealing the fascinating but mysterious workings of the world of contemporary art.

Over the last few decades the contemporary art world has become more globalized and more visible than ever before – and yet in many ways it remains closed and obscure. What actually happens behind the doors of a contemporary artist’s studio? At an auction house before a major sale? In the vaults of an art storage unit? How can art museums keep up with Instagram – and why does everyone seem to hate art fairs?

Join curator, writer and art historian Matthew Israel on a year-long journey through the contemporary art world. From Los Angeles to Hong Kong via Venice, Basel, Paris and New York, from biennials in summer to auction houses in autumn, Israel reveals the joys and anxieties of this sometimes baffling, often intimidating field. Blending an insider’s knowledge with in-depth profiles, interviews with key art-world figures and a keen ear for an anecdote, A Year in the Art World is a compelling, generous companion for any art-lover curious about how art is being made, valued, sold, cared for and looked at today.

About the Author:

Matthew Israel is a curator, writer and Ph.D. art historian. From 2021 to 2023 he was Commissions Lead at Open Arts at Meta. From 2019 until 2021, Matthew was Co-Founder and Chief Curator of Artful; between 2011 and 2019, he was the founding Director of The Art Genome Project at Artsy and later its Head Curator. He is the author of severally critically acclaimed books on contemporary art, including Kill for Peace: American Artists Against the Vietnam War (2013) and The Big Picture: Contemporary Art in 10 Works by 10 Artists (2017).

Contents List:
Part I: Winter
1. A Studio Visit
2. Fabricators
3. Gallery Directors
Part II: Spring
4. Museum Directors
5. Art Fairs
6. Artist Estates
7. Art Writers
Part III: Summer
8. Curators
9. Biennials
10. Art Schools
11. Art Online
Part IV: Fall
12. Art Advisors
13. Auctions
14. Conservators
15. Storage, Shipping and Handling