Paper short abstract:

I shall explore some lines of the debates about global art, as little attention has been given to the concept in anthropological studies of art. Global art refers exclusively to contemporary art. It is postcolonial, in as far as it is multiple and does not follow anymore any grand narrative.

Paper long abstract:

While anthropological studies of art are well incorporated within the programme of world art studies, little attention has been given to debates about global art. It is a concept which was introduced in the aftermath of the Magiciens de la Terre exhibition (1989) and the 1986 and 1989 biennials of La Havana. Global art refers exclusively to contemporary art in its present form. It is fundamentally postcolonial, insofar as it is multiple and does not follow anymore any grand narrative. Promoters of global art see a fundamental re-constitution of the global art system, and a new cartography of art in the making. Others nevertheless consider global art as another instrument of the hegemonic West-European and North American art worlds to perpetuate hierarchies and monopolies. In this contribution, I shall explore some of lines of the debates about global art.