What would life be like without art? That is not a rhetorical question—there has been much philosophizing and speculating on it. Still, when was the last time that someone seriously tried to answer that question? This publication allows the reader to plunge quickly into the world of art. Young people have formulated twenty-seven questions, all earnest, amusing, and profound: How did art begin? What does an artist do when he doesn’t like his own work? Is graffiti art? The easy question-and-answer structure invites readers to leaf through the book as the whim takes them, discovering important concepts, historical developments, and specific knowledge about museums, works of art, and artists in the process. With its expertise, the education department of the Fondation Beyeler guarantees a challenging level, while about fifteen experts deliver personal statements in reply to the question “What is art?” Photographs by the famous Swiss photographer Andri Pol accompany the texts. (French edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3528-5; German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3526-1).

Text by: Stefanie Bringezu, Daniel Kramer, Janine Schmutz