[Book review] The social organization of arts, a theoretical compendium, by Volker Kirchberg and Tasos Zembylas

Abstract

Studies on the structural organization of art refer to various systems, frameworks and institutions within the art world. This structural organization encompasses a range of interconnected factors, including economic, political and cultural dimensions. These elements shape and influence the production, distribution and reception of art, often mediated through institutions such as museums, galleries, cultural policies and market dynamics (Bennett, Citation1995; Bourdieu, Citation1993; Velthuis, Citation2013). Understanding these mechanisms is essential for analysing how art is organized, legitimized and consumed within different social contexts. The newly published book The social organization of arts, a theoretical compendium by Tasos Zembylas and Volker Kirchberg serves as a comprehensive guide to this understanding. It presents various theoretical approaches on the social organization of art in the dominant Euro-American mode of inquiry. This book is an essential source of scholarly literature, weaving together sociological and cultural theories on how the arts are organized. The authors masterfully articulate the dynamic processes of institutionalization and structuration of various activity clusters in the realm of arts and culture.