Yto Barrada »TECTONIC«, 2004/2010, Wooden model with movable continents. Installation view. Picture: © Yto Barrada

When did we start to refer to art as being 'contemporary'? After modern art ceased being contemporary? And at what point does contemporary become historic? During the 20th century, the understanding of art was based on a conception of art history that made it possible to refer to art in terms of a clear timeline of styles. In this sense, each work of art could be related to a certain point in history, either by way of a response or else in contrast to what had already become established in art. However, now, one may observe, this idea is no longer relevant for contemporary art. Were we to cast back in time in order to address something as apparently paradoxical as the 'history of the contemporary', we would then find ourselves in the 1980s, the era in which globalization first became a buzzword. Continue reading ...