A Year in the Art World

An insider's detailed chronicle of the inner workings of the contemporary art world, now in paperback.

Over the last few decades, the contemporary art world has become increasingly 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 yearlong 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 fall, Israel reveals the joys and anxieties of this sometimes baffling, often intimidating field.