ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Collective History of 20th-Century Art from 1939 to 2002

publication · 2026-04-23

There's a new book called 'L'art du 20e siècle. De l'art moderne à l'art contemporain 1939-2002,' published by Éditions Citadelles & Mazenod and edited by Daniel Soutif. It's a collaborative effort from France and Italy, featuring twelve writers like Marco Bazzini and Eric de Chassey. The book breaks down the 20th century into three main sections: the end of modern art from 1945 to 1964, which includes Rauschenberg's Venice Biennale win and the birth of pop art; the rise of contemporary art from 1964 to 1982, marked by the Zeitgeist exhibition in Berlin; and from 1982 to 2002, ending with Documenta 11 in Kassel. The earlier sections focus on Western avant-garde narratives, while the last part critiques this nationalistic view, exploring postmodern influences.

Key facts

  • Published by Éditions Citadelles & Mazenod
  • Edited by Daniel Soutif
  • Twelve authors contributed
  • Three sub-periods: 1945-1964, 1964-1982, 1982-2002
  • First period ends with Rauschenberg's Venice Biennale prize in 1964
  • Second period ends with Zeitgeist exhibition at Martin-Gropius Bau in 1982
  • Third period ends with Documenta 11 in 2002
  • First two parts focus on Western bloc countries

Entities

Artists

  • Daniel Soutif
  • Marco Bazzini
  • Eric de Chassey
  • Jean-Pierre Criqui
  • Carlotta Darò
  • Elisabeth Lebovici
  • Jean-Hubert Martin
  • Stefano Pezzato
  • Denys Riout
  • Didier Semin
  • Catherine Smet
  • Gilles A. Tiberghien
  • Eric De Visscher
  • Robert Rauschenberg

Institutions

  • Éditions Citadelles & Mazenod
  • Biennale di Venezia
  • Martin-Gropius Bau
  • Documenta

Locations

  • Venice
  • Italy
  • Berlin
  • Germany
  • Kassel
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • France

Sources