Sept jours dans le monde de l’art

Where is contemporary art made? In workshops, in galleries, at auctions, in shows? Undoubtedly… but certain venues are more important than others. The author, a sociologist and journalist, leads us through seven chapters and as many unique encounters. A large sale at Sotheby’s, the excited back rooms at Art Basel, the mundane cocktail parties at the Biennale of Venice… As well as the editor’s office at Artforum or the «factory» of artist Murakami, who learned to adopt Taylor principles, as did Jeff Koons or Damien Hirst before him, to meet his fans’ demands. A priori the book is free from any « buddy » characteristic, is far from the official declarations and rich in remarks heard and picked up (experts, collectors, critics). It describes a geography of power, a universe of glitter in which the «kingmakers» juggle dollars by the millions and put the star artists up on their golden thrones. Behind the curtain, 99% of the creators dream of reaching this nirvana. Or repudiate it.

• Sept jours dans le monde de l’art (original edition: Seven Days in the Art World, New York, W.W. Norton & Company, 2008) by Sarah Thornton, Autrement publishing house, 2009, 280 p., 22 €, ISBN : 978-2-7467-1295-9