'Presenting an unprecedented range of material, Global Conceptualism: Points of Origin, 1950s-1980s challenges the canonical perception that conceptual art was simply one movement which spread internationally and acknowledges the important local circumstances which gave birth to conceptualist art in regions around the world. This book traces the history of this key development in 20th-century art which was marked by a shift from a consideration of the object to that of the idea. The emergence of conceptualist art, which coincided with broadly destabilizing sociological and technological trends as the political, economic, and social landscapesof large parts of the world underwent significant, often traumatic, transition, occurred in two relatively distinct waves of activity: the first, from the late 1950s to around 1973, and the second from the mid-1970s to the end of the '80s.

During both periods, conceptualism questioned the idea of art and sought to enlarge the scope of what art could be. The practice was characterized by a prioritization of language over visuality; a critique of the institutions of art; and, in many cases, a consequent dematerialization of the artwork. By radically reducing the role of the art object, conceptualism reimagined the possibilities of art vis-a-vis the social, political, and economic realities within which it was being made. The role of art was expanded to that of catalyst, stand-in for forbidden speech, exemplification of systems of thought and belief, or vehicle for dissent.

Covering three decades of idea-based art, this book features works by more than 135 artists from Asia, Western Europe and Eastern Europe, Latin America, North America, the Soviet Union (Russia), Africa, and Australia and New Zealand. This catalogue is published in conjunction with a major touring exhibition organized by the Queens Museum of Art, Queens, New York. [...]' 

(excerpt from front flap)