Jonathan Harris on Art History's Global Challenges

In an interview, art historian Jonathan Harris argues that art history remains a Euro-US-centric discipline rooted in nationalism and imperialism, inadequate for analyzing globalized contemporary art. He calls for a critical framework that addresses western power, post-colonialism, and neoliberal economics. Harris highlights the journal Third Text and biennales like Havana and Gwangju as key platforms. He notes that the internet and digital media have accelerated the mediatization of art, with online auctions growing significantly. Harris critiques the discipline's traditional concepts—style, authorship, authenticity—as insufficient, and advocates for empirical research on specific places and objects, using heuristic binaries like center/periphery. His book 'The Global Contemporary Art World: A Rough Guide' examines five Asian centers. Harris concludes that art history is 'on the ropes' against globalization, and its societal relevance is an open question.