Phaidon's PRIME: Art's Next Generation surveys 107 artists born after 1980

Phaidon's new publication PRIME: Art's Next Generation profiles 107 contemporary artists all born after 1980, continuing the publisher's series that began with Vitamin and Cream in the late 1990s. Each artist receives one page of text and three pages of images in the volume, which retails for £55 in softcover. The book's introduction describes it as both a primer on current art and a showcase of artists who will appear in future biennials. Critics note the selection reflects artists currently in vogue worldwide, though the presentation offers little analysis of what connects them beyond their birth years. The design has been criticized for poor readability in sections, particularly in the opening pages where background colors make text nearly illegible. Featured artists include Ibrahim Mahama, whose work raises questions; Marguerite Humeau, who questions fantasy and reality; Ad Minoliti, who deconstructs future imaginings; Larry Achiampong, whose art becomes a trace of human passage; and Francisco Rodríguez, who creates tense, ambiguous settings. The book comes with a wipe-clean plastic dust jacket. Editors position PRIME as identifying future art world leaders selected by curators, writers, and academics, though some view it as manufacturing novelty to enable periodic new compendiums.