Art in Latin America

This is the first analytical study of Latin American art of the last two decades, placing art within the context of its social and political development. Written by leading critic in the field.

Despite the growing importance of contemporary art from Latin America in the last two decades, no book exists that thoroughly explore this phenomenon. Art in Latin America aims to fill that gap and to offer the reader an interpretative frame with which to understand the importance of contemporary art in this complex and diverse region. The book covers the vibrant Latin American art scene since 1990 through a detailed study of new and unconventional art practices. It offers an original and in-depth interpretation of more than a hundred works in the fields of sculpture, installation, performance, video and public art. The author focuses particularly on disruptive and politically committed art works that challenge the traditional forms of 20th-century art and recognise the need to strengthen freedom of expression and processes of democratisation in Latin America. The book examines the interaction of form and content in works by Latin American-born or based artists, including Gabriel Orozco, Doris Salcedo, Ernesto Neto, Francis Alys, Jorge Macchi, Santiago Sierra, Carlos Garaicoa, Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla. It also studies recent works by emerging artists including Rivane Neuenschwander, Javier Tellez, Donna Conlon, David Zink Yi, Hector Zamora and Regina Jose Galindo.