With the global rise of a politics of shock driven by authoritarian regimes that subvert the rule of law and civil liberties, what paths to resistance, sanctuary, and change can cultural institutions offer? In this book, more than twenty leading curators and thinkers about contemporary art present powerful case studies, historical analyses, and theoretical perspectives that address the dynamics of activism, protest, and advocacy.

Since 1953, the Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft im BDI e. V. has awarded the ars viva Prize to young artists living in Germany. This year, it goes to Anna-Sophie Berger (*1989), Oscar Enberg (*1988), and Zac Langdon-Pole (*1988). The prize includes two exhibitions at renowned art institutions in Germany and Belgium, the ars viva catalogue, and an artist residency on Fogo Island (Canada).

The work of art has often been a battleground—its decorative and formal aspects positioned against its nature as an embodiment of cognitive acts. Leonardo da Vinci’s claim that art be a “cosa mentale” is winning at last: recent debates around art schools and their methods, of which this book is a vast survey, demonstrate that, now more than ever, art is considered the result of a thinking process.

The artists Agnieszka Kurant and Aleksandra Wasilkowska are representing Poland at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice 2010, August 29 – November 21, 2010.