Paperback

Art21's second compendium of artist interviews explores how we use the randomness, complexity and unknowability of life to push the boundaries of art and culture

The unknown is definitionally indefinable. It is something we encounter in ways big and small every day of our lives. It appears when we wake up and wonder what the day holds, as we watch the world around us change, develop and decay, and in our risks, dreams and curiosities. The unknown can appear unexpectedly, at any time, and with myriad forms and faces. What do we do with that information? At Art21, we look to artists.

Drawn from over two decades of interviews with the leading artists of the 21st century, Artists & the Unknown: Art21 Interviews with Artists captures engaging, inspiring and stimulating conversations with that explore encounters with the unknown. Featuring the works and words of 18 groundbreaking contemporary artists, this collection serves as a guide and a companion in your own encounters with unknowability.

Interviews by: Ian Forster, Susan Sollins, Chiemi Karasawa, Lorena Alverado, Wesley Miller, Brian Redondo, Bryan Chang, Vicky Du, Jessica Kingdon, Nathan Truesdell, Malika Zouhali-Worrall.