Institutions by Artists Volume 2

[Jeff Khonsary and Antonia Pinter, editors]

Institutions by Artists Volume 2


Vancouver, Canada: Fillip, 2021

335 pp., 11.2 × 18.71 cm., softcover

Edition size unknown

‘Institutions by Artists’ was a three-day conference held in Vancouver in mid-October of 2012 (see below image). The event brought together over fifty speakers from around the world, to address the subject of Artist-Run Centres, and the role of artists, curators, writers and administrators in the shaping of institutions. 

Institutions by Artists: Volume One presented a collection of texts from this event, addressing centres in Amman, Brisbane, Vancouver, Zurich, Tokyo, and Barcelona. The title featured contributions from AA Bronson, Barnaby Drabble, Makan Space, Pelin Tan, Vector Association, Anton Vidokle, Keith Wallace, Pan Wendt and others. 

Almost a decade later, the follow-up Institutions by Artists Volume Two, continues the work of unpacking artists’ relationships to—and creation of— institutions that "regulate, demarcate, and codify contemporary artistic practice." Volume Two looks at centres in Vancouver, London (Ontario), East Los Angeles, Scotland, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Also included are transcripts of two debates held during the 2012 Institutions by Artists Convention, which asked: “Is there space for art outside the market and the state?” and “Should artists professionalize?”

The title features contributions by Ken Becker, Matei Bejenaru, Tania Bruguera, Julia Bryan-Wilson, Dana Claxton, Christopher Cozier, Jeff Derksen, Sean Dockray, Dirk Fleischmann, Sam Gould, Candice Hopkins, Jesi Khadivi, Deirdre Logue, Sarah Lowndes, Jaleh Mansoor, Philip Monk, Post Brothers & Chris Fitzpatrick, Christopher Régimbal, Gregory Sholette, Slavs and Tatars, Claire Tancons and Tania Willard. 

Institutions by Artists: Volume Two is available from Struts Bookstore, here, for $25.00 CDN.