On the New: Cultural Economy Between Past and Future

As thoughts migrate from one context to another, "novelty" is created and boundaries are redrawn. Boris Groys, tracing these continuous shifts at the boundary that separates the valuable from the worthless, culture from the mundane, maps the processes behind innovation in art and its perception and recognition.

He also examines the economies of exchange and valuation that drive the intellectual marketplace and archive, which are the main drivers of modern culture. On the New primarily investigates how art becomes art today. Groys analyzes the unique qualities of the cultural artifacts of our time, while also prompting the reader to reflect on these works. Combining in-depth analyses with philosophical questions, he explores key issues in the production of culture in the modern world.

Boris Groys is an art critic, media theorist, and philosopher. He is a professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at New York University and a senior researcher at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design.