Salon to Biennial. Exhibitions that Made Art History. Vol. 1

Salon to Biennial documents in two volumes the most important international group art exhibitions from 1863 to today, and is the most comprehensive reference book on the subject. The result of years of research, it assembles for the first time a wealth of rare and never before published documentary material and ephemera, from installation images and reviews, to floor plans and catalog excerpts. Providing a unique and invaluable insight into the evolution of curatorial practice, it looks at the history of contemporary art through the lens of its most significant exhibitions. Salon to Biennial functions as a dynamic source book by juxtaposing primary material with historical analysis by author Bruce Altshuler.
Volume 1 of Salon to Biennial documents twenty-four of the most groundbreaking international exhibitions from 1863 to 1958. Opening with the seminal "Salon des Refusés" (Paris, 1863), an empowering exhibition both for artists and modern art, Volume 1 spans all key art movements of the first half of the 20th century, from Fauvism (“Salon d’Automne,” 1905) to Cubism (“Salon de la Section d’Or,” 1912), Surrealism (“Art of This Century,” 1942; “First Papers of Surrealism,” 1942) and Abstract Expressionism (“Ninth Street Show,” 1951; “New American Painting,” 1958) and more. It also features the famous “Armory Show” of 1913 and Hitler’s infamous “Degenerate Art” exhibition of 1937. Overall, the book provides for the first time ever, through an abundance of documents and images, an extensive and insightful look into the production and reception of exhibitions that made art history.