The release date for the English version of 'Seven Days in the Art World' by
Sarah Thornton is Nov 2009. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
Listed by The New York Times and The Sunday Times [London] as one of the top art books of 2008: "A timeless depiction of an unusual community."-Vogue
Art sales have been quite high. Attendance at museums is rising. More individuals than ever identify as artists. Modern art has evolved into a luxury commodity, a source of mass entertainment, a profession, and even an alternative religion for some people.
Sarah Thornton explores the drama of a Christie's auction, the inner workings of Takashi Murakami's studios, the elite at the Basel Art Fair, the quirks of Artforum magazine, the competition behind a significant art prize, life in a notorious art-school seminar, and the wonderland of the Venice Biennale in a series of masterfully paced narratives. She exposes the contemporary dynamics of taste, money, prestige, creativity, and the pursuit of meaning in life. Based on hundreds of interviews with prominent figures, Thornton's insightful ethnography offers a meaty and judicious overview of the institutions that have the ability to influence art history. It will transform your perspective on modern society. Eight photos.