Contemporary art refers to art made today by living artists. It reflects the complex issues that shape our diverse, global, and rapidly changing world. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing environment. They often reflect and comment on modern-day society, exploring personal or cultural identity, offering critiques of social and institutional structures, or even attempting to redefine art itself. Contemporary art is part of a cultural dialogue that concerns larger contextual frameworks such as personal and cultural identity, family, community, and nationality.
Contemporary artists work in a wide range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, performance, and video art. They often pull from an infinite variety of materials, sources, and styles to create art. Contemporary art is exhibited by professional artists at commercial contemporary art galleries, by private collectors, art auctions, corporations, publicly funded arts organizations, contemporary art museums, or by artists themselves in artist-run spaces.
There is no clear definition of contemporary art, but rather several definitions that ultimately complement each other. However, it is generally agreed that contemporary art refers to art produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Some say contemporary art encompasses all art created after World War II, while others suggest it encompasses all art created after the 1970s.
