Paintings, sculptures, installations, videos, environmental and public art, live performances, recent technological advances: visual art has developed a complex vocabulary over the last century. Although the public may find it challenging and many critics have announced its death, visual art has never expressed itself with such vitality. In its novel forms it has invaded the world, even in non-Western areas where it had never been widespread. Following an increasingly international dynamic, exhibitions, museums, and collections arise continually. Is this merely commercial growth, or do we need to acknowledge that contemporary art is also a form of poetry? What are we willing to define as art today? How does the system that assigns value to art actually work?

Angela Vettese teaches Contemporary Art Theory at the Luigi Bocconi University in Milan and the University Institute of Architecture in Venice. In 2009 she was president of the Venice Biennale jury.