Art Glossary

Avant-garde refers to innovative and experimental ideas in the arts that challenge established norms and conventions. Originating from the French term for advance guard, it describes both the (...) read more

Bauhaus was a school of art, design and architecture established in Weimar, Germany. Architect Wlater Gropius established it in 1919. Bauhaus used a method for teaching within a community of artists (...) read more

The Bay Area Figurative Movement, which also goes by the names Bay Area Figurative School, Bay Area Figurative Art, or Bay Area Figuration, came to existence in San-Francisco Bay Area. This was in (...) read more

A Chinese term that describes performance art. This concept is relatively new and may be challenging to articulate unless people understand the intentions behind it. It is a flexible concept that (...) read more

Belgium's contemporary art scene is a dynamic hub, marked by innovative expressions and globally resonant ideas. Renowned institutions such as M HKA and Wiels serve as important platforms for (...) read more

A Biennial is an art exhibition held every two years, typically on a large scale with international participants. The first and most famous example is the Venice Biennale, established in 1895 and (...) read more

Body art involves creating art directly on or with the human body. Common forms include body piercings and tattoos, but it also encompasses practices like branding, scarification, scalping, body (...) read more

Brazil's contemporary art scene is a vibrant amalgam of cultural expressions, reflecting a rich, diverse heritage. Esteemed institutions like São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and Museum of Contemporary (...) read more

Bricolage is the creation or construction of a piece of art using materials that are readily available to the artist. The term is French and roughly translates to do-it-yourself. This approach became (...) read more

Browser art is a form of renegade art where artists use computers to transform code, website structures, and server links into visual material. These artists, often called net artists or net writers, (...) read more

Brutalism is an architectural style from the 1950s and 60s characterized by the use of raw concrete to create block-like forms. This style was often applied in public housing and civic buildings, (...) read more

Bulgaria's contemporary art scene brims with diverse artistic expressions, reflecting its rich historical tapestry. Prestigious institutions like Sofia City Art Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary (...) read more

Canada's contemporary art scene is a vibrant blend of indigenous roots and global influences. Esteemed institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto and the Vancouver Art Gallery host a (...) read more

Capitalist Realism is a German form of political pop art that emerged in Cold War-era Berlin in 1963. It sought to challenge the dominance of American pop art in the Western world. The movement (...) read more

A cast is a form created by pouring a liquid material, such as plastic, plaster, acrylic, concrete, or mixed media, into a mold. Once the liquid cools and fully solidifies, the cast is removed from (...) read more

A Catalogue Raisonné is an annotated and comprehensive listing of all the known works of an artist. It includes detailed information that helps to identify and authenticate the artist's output across (...) read more

Ceramics is an art form that involves creating objects from clay. The clay is shaped, molded, and formed by hand or with specialized tools, then baked (or fired) in a high-temperature oven called a (...) read more

Chile's contemporary art scene vibrates with creativity, reflecting the nation's unique geographical and cultural diversity. Esteemed institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Santiago (...) read more

China's dynamic contemporary art landscape, steeped in profound cultural heritage, showcases the nation's vibrant artistic evolution. Noteworthy spaces like the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art and (...) read more

Chinese Contemporary Art is marked by a wide range of styles and experimental approaches. In the 1980s, avant-garde exhibitions were often shut down by government officials. The 1990s saw the rise of (...) read more

CoBrA stands for Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam; the group was formed with a desire to break away from the existing art movements of the time. Their critique of Western society led them to (...) read more

Colombia's vibrant contemporary art scene, a fusion of indigenous influences and modern movements, is a testament to its rich cultural heritage. The Museum of Modern Art in Bogotá and the Museum of (...) read more

Colour Field Painting is an abstract style characterized by large areas of a single color or simple, solid colors. The term was first used in the 1950s to describe the work of three American Abstract (...) read more

Comic strip art refers to artwork that utilizes the subject matter and commercial printing techniques found in comic strips. In the 1960s, a group of artists began creating paintings that (...) read more