ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Three Publications Reassess Modernism's Global Networks Through Development and State Relations

opinion-review · 2026-04-19

Three scholarly works delve into the impact of economic growth and governmental policies on modernist art beyond Western borders. In 'Metrics of Modernity: Art and Development in Postwar Turkey' (2022), Sarah-Neel Smith examines Turkey's 1950s entry into the global economy. Devika Singh's 'International Departures: Art in India After Independence' (2024) investigates the artistic transformations during India's Nehruvian period. Meanwhile, Karin Zitzewitz's 'Infrastructure and Form: The Global Networks of Indian Contemporary Art, 1991–2008' (2022) traces the development of Indian art from 1991 to 2008. These works underscore the roles of both state and non-state factors in shaping artistic directions. A review in ARTMargins Volume 13, Issue 2 (pp. 65-77) on June 1, 2024, discusses their economic and sociopolitical insights. Available through MIT Press, DOI 10.1162/artm_a_00386.

Key facts

  • Three academic volumes reassess modernist art through development and state relations outside the West.
  • Sarah-Neel Smith's 'Metrics of Modernity' (2022) focuses on 1950s Turkey's state-driven art and economic integration.
  • Devika Singh's 'International Departures' (2024) examines India's post-independence art during Nehruvian developmentalism.
  • Karin Zitzewitz's 'Infrastructure and Form' (2022) covers Indian contemporary art from 1991 to 2008.
  • The texts shift from nationalist histories to critical analyses of state and international actor influences.
  • The review was published in ARTMargins Volume 13, Issue 2 on June 1, 2024.
  • Authors combine sociopolitical discourse with formal artwork examinations in multiple contexts.
  • Institution-building and legitimization are central to the arguments presented.

Entities

Artists

  • Tausif Noor
  • Sarah-Neel Smith
  • Devika Singh
  • Karin Zitzewitz

Institutions

  • ARTMargins
  • MIT Press

Locations

  • Turkey
  • India

Sources