Art and the Politics of Visibility

Contesting the Global, Local and the In-Between

In an era of unprecedented global mobility, artists face unique challenges. How does cultural context affect the interpretation of art? What makes artists' work transnational or national in character, and how will their visibility be impacted by either label? Art and the Politics of Visibility questions these dynamics, asking how the dissemination of visual culture on a global scale affects art and its institutions. Taking Shanghai-based artist Yang Fudong's practice as a point of departure, this volume focuses on how politically charged images produced in contemporary art, cinema, news media and fashion become widely consumed or marginalised. Through case studies of artists and institutions including Isaac Julien, Wafaa Bilal, Jeremy Deller and the itinerant biennale Manifesta, the book illuminates the relationship between visibility, politics and identity in contemporary art.