'In 1989, an exhibition in Paris united the work of over a hundred artists and, since only half would be described as Western, it radically challenged the Western art system from within. ‘Magiciens de la Terre’ argued for the universality of the creative impulse and endeavoured to offer direct aesthetic experience of contemporary works of art made globally and presented on equal terms. Photographs and gallery plans reconstruct the exhibition in detail, and an essay by Lucy Steeds provides an extended examination of its history and context. Essays by Jean-Marc Poinsot and Pablo Lafuente look at the discursive and curatorial legacy, and responses from the time — a statement by and interview with curator Jean-Hubert Martin and texts by Rasheed Araeen, Jean Fisher, Thomas McEvilley and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak — offer a critical backdrop. Recent recollections by participating artists Frederic Bruly Bouabre, Alfredo Jaar and Barbara Kruger are also included. This title is a companion to Making Art Global (Part 1): The Third Havana Biennial 1989.' (Back cover)

Part of the series Exhibition Histories by Afterall Books. Includes authors' biographies and selected bibliography.