Universal Experience: Art, Life, And The Tourist'S Eye

Category: Books,Arts & Photography

Universal Experience: Art, Life, And The Tourist'S Eye Details

Drawing from such disciplines as anthropology, sociology, economics, art criticism and travel writing, Universal Experience is both a sizeable illustrated catalogue of the exhibition at the MCA, Chicago and a companion to the experience of contemporary travel and tourism. This volume draws on the proliferation of research surrounding the social, geographic and cultural dimensions of mobility and outputs this information as an anthology of articles, essays and excerpts. The primary focus of the exhibition, however, is on artworks created by a group of international visual artists who create work in response to travel among multiple cultures--both high and low, and local and foreign. While serving as a "travel guide" to the latest sociological and political research and commentary on tourism and travel, Universal Experience also features a compelling mix of text and more than 170 images in an engaging format that will appeal to high scholars and popular audiences alike. Artists range from well knowns like Rem Koolhaas, Andy Warhol, Vito Acconci, Jeff Koons, and Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, to emerging artists such as Franz Ackermann, Mathias Muller, Shirana Shahbazi, Yukata Sone, Pascale Marthine Tayou and Piötr Uklanski. Complimenting and illuminating the works of these artists is a collection of written works by Francesco Bonami, Carol Becker, Alain de Botton, Nancy Spector, Susan Sontag, Lucy Lippard, Robert Fitzpatrick and others.

Reviews

I purchased this book while doing research for my thesis on tourism and literature, and this publication from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago really hit the nail on the head. Published as a guide and souvenir to the museum-wide exhibition of the same name, "Universal Experience: Art, Life, and the Tourist's Eye" explores how symbols and cultural icons are created, dealt with, and viewed through a plethora of wide-ranging texts alongside some of the art from the exhibition. The book examines some of the biggest issues facing both art and tourism today, such as the concept of authenticity.I loved every second of this book. It takes a long hard look at the very idea of experience and challenges the reader to come up with his or her own conclusions about the concept. By weaving excerpts of various texts (everything from Plato to Joan Didion to Werner Herzog), the book invites the reader to connect the dots rather than offering up its grand scheme, much like a museum exhibition. It is a delightful read and I hope the MCA will publish and mount more projects like this one.

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