Institutional Critique: An Anthology of Artists' Writings

by Alexander Alberro (Editor), Blake Stimson (Editor)

"Institutional critique" is an artistic practice that reflects critically on its own housing in galleries and museums and on the concept and social function of art itself. Such concerns have always been a part of modern art but took on new urgency at the end of the 1960s, when--driven by the social upheaval of the time and enabled by the tools and techniques of conceptual art--institutional critique emerged as a genre. This anthology traces the development of institutional critique as an artistic concern from the 1960s to the present by gathering writings and representative art projects of artists from across Europe and throughout the Americas who developed and extended the genre. The texts and artworks included are notable for the range of perspectives and positions they reflect and for their influence in pushing the boundaries of what is meant by institutional critique. Like Alberro and Stimson's Conceptual A Critical Anthology this volume will shed new light on its subject through its critical and historical framing. Even readers already familiar with institutional critique will come away from this book with a greater and often redirected understanding of its significance.Artists represented include Wieslaw Borowski, Daniel Buren, Marcel Broodthaers, Groupe de Recherche d'Art Visuel, Hans Haacke, Robert Smithson, John Knight, Graciela Carnevale, Osvaldo Mateo Boglione, Guerilla Art Action Group, Art Workers' Coalition, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Michael Asher, Mel Ramsden, Adrian Piper, The Guerrilla Girls, Laibach, Silvia Kolbowski, Andrea Fraser, Fred Wilson, Mark Dion, Maria Eichhorn, Critical Art Ensemble, Bureau d'Études, WochenKlausur, The Yes Men, Hito Steyerl, Andreas Siekmann

Genres: Art, Art History, Curation, Nonfiction

492 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2009

Reviews

[Stanimir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edited by Alexander Alberro and Blake Stimson, 'Institutional Critique: An Anthology of Artists’ Writings' is a crucial collection documenting how artists have challenged the structures of museums, galleries, and the art market since the late 1960s. Featuring key figures like Marcel Broodthaers, Daniel Buren, Hans Haacke, and Andrea Fraser, the book explores strategies of institutional critique, from direct interventions to self-reflexive critiques of art’s complicity in power structures.

Alberro’s introduction provides historical and theoretical depth, tracing the movement’s origins in Enlightenment ideals and its evolution through feminist, postcolonial, and activist perspectives. The book also highlights the paradox of institutional critique — how it both resists and is absorbed by the institutions it challenges. Later sections explore contemporary collectives like the Critical Art Ensemble, expanding critique beyond traditional art spaces.

While rich in theoretical insights, the anthology’s dense academic language may be challenging for newcomers. Still, it remains an essential resource for understanding the intersection of art and power, offering a compelling history and a call to rethink art’s role in social critique.