Contemporary Culture ― New Directions in Art and Humanities Research

Are the humanities still relevant in the twenty-first century? In the context of pervasive economic liberalism and shrinking budgets, the importance of humanities research for society is increasingly put into question. This volume claims that the humanities do indeed matter by offering empirically grounded critical reflections on contemporary cultural practices, thereby opening up new ways of understanding social life and new directions in humanities scholarship. The contributors argue that the humanities can regain their relevance for society, pose new questions and provide fresh answers, while maintaining their core values: critical reflection, historical consciousness and analytical distance.

Judith Thissen is associate professor in media history in the department of media and culture at Utrecht University. Robert Zwijnenberg is professor of art history at Leiden University and director of The Arts and Genomics Centre in Leiden. Kitty Zijlmans is professor of contemporary art history and theory/world art studies at Leiden University and director of LUCAS-Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society.