What Is Art?

What would life be like without art? That is no rhetorical question—there has been much philosophizing and speculating on it. Still, when was the last time that someone seriously tried to answer that question? This publication allows the reader to plunge quickly into the world of art. Young people have formulated twenty-seven questions, all earnest, amusing, and profound: How did art begin? What does an artist do when he doesn’t like his own work? Is graffiti art? The easy question-and-answer structure invites the reader to leaf through the book at whim. Significant concepts, historical developments, and specific knowledge about museums, works of art, and artists can be discovered in the process. With its expertise, the education department of the Fondation Beyeler guarantees a challenging level, while about fifteen experts deliver personal statements in reply to the question What is art? The texts are accompanied by photographs by famous Swiss photographer Andri Pol