Leyla Neri, Program Director, has published an essay about the cultural processes of fashion design entitled The Design of Pictorial Ontologies: From Unstitched Imaginaries to Stitched Images, in a book that addresses contemporary art in an anthropological perspective.
Bloomsbury’s website: An Anthropology of Contemporary Art
PDF: An Anthropology of Contemporary Art
“This collection, itself impressively curated by its editors, is the best source yet on how ‘amateurs’, which ethnographers of any topic most cogently are, bypass professionals and experts, and provide the most profound and ironic insights on high status but suspect arenas of valuing objects. Especially strong are views of how value and collectibility are created in nontangible works. The volume captures well the surreal quality of creating value and desire in Images, objects, and performances.”
– George Marcus, University of California, USA
“This is cutting edge anthropology about cutting edge art, across the globe. Thomas Fillitz and Paul van der Grijp have edited a remarkably rich and vigorous volume.”
– Helena Wulff, Stockholm University, Sweden
“From post-relational anthropology of art to booming art markets and new kinds of museums, this exciting collection confronts the “umbrella” construct of a Global North and South through the exploding biennial phenomenon and the promoting of what was once an artworld periphery to a centerless image industry.”
– Sidney Kasfir, Emory University, USA
“This volume charts new territories, asking new questions and initiating dialogue with the neighbouring fields of the philosophy and theory of art.”
– Wilfried van Damme, Leiden University, The Netherlands
