A Show of Hands

In contrast to the divide between conception and execution advocated by Anglo-American artists of the latter half of the 1960s, this book reappraises conceptual art by examining it from the perspective of craft. The emphasis on craft shifts the focus from the Western art system to its margins, in which creators were relegated to be mere artisans in the colonial context, on the pretext that attaining the status of artist was beyond their reach. From this peripheral point of view, the book shows that work conducted by artisanal means can lead to conceptual practice. Moreover, this shift in perspective provides a new understanding of several positions within conceptualism, which ultimately appears as an ongoing reflection on the role of the hand, making, and craft.