Seven Days in the Art World

The art market is booming. Museum attendance is rising. More people than ever call themselves artists. Contemporary art has become mass entertainment and a luxury item. This book by Sarah Thornton is a unique study of the mysterious area of our world where each chapter is a separate essay on how one of its sides works from the inside. Like she is holding a video camera, the author will visit an auction and a biennial, a New York magazine, an art institute, an art fair, an artist’s studio, and the grand award ceremony. This path—which is unlikely to be accessible to everyone—is one the reader will take with her from start to finish, always staying right at the center of events. Sarah Thornton looks at the art world from the inside and convincingly proves that this exciting realm is not only outrageous and fake, but sometimes simply amusing.