5 Contemporary creatives shaping the art world today

What is contemporary art? Contemporary art refers to art created in recent history, from the 1970s onward. While contemporary is often used interchangeably with modern in everyday language, within the art world there is a clear distinction between the two terms.

Modern art encompasses works created from the 1860s to the 1970s. This era was defined by artists breaking traditional rules and experimenting with new styles and materials. Modernists shifted away from figurative representations toward more abstract expressions.

Contemporary art indicates a period beginning where modern art left off. Contemporary artists are those working and creating art today or within the recent past. Rather than being tied to a single style or approach, contemporary art is characterized by its focus on the present moment. Contemporary artists explore the ongoing evolution of culture and society through diverse mediums and perspectives.

Where modern art disrupted traditional norms, contemporary art seeks to both reflect and impact the current cultural landscape. A contemporary artist is defined by their active engagement with ideas and issues influencing art in this present era. Their works respond to the experiences and aesthetics of life in the late 20th to early 21st century.

While broad in scope, contemporary artwork frequently reflects important social issues of the time. Common themes tackle topics such as technology and digital culture, identity politics, the human body, globalization, migration, memory, and our perception of time. Another key difference from Modern Art is an emphasis on how theviewer experiences the piece. Contemporary artists often design work to impact audiences rather than focus solely on artistic genius or formal beauty.

This list seeks to provide a broad overview of the diverse artistic expressions found within contemporary art. The featured artists were chosen not only for their impactful and innovative works, but also as representatives of the rich movements and tendencies that define the contemporary art landscape.

Hito Steyerl is a globally renowned multimedia artist renowned for her innovative video works and experimental "essay documentary" films. She explores timely issues shaped by advancing technology and the networked world, such as the global circulation and political impacts of digital imagery under conditions of militarization, surveillance capitalism, and alienated labor.

Steyerl pushes the boundaries of filmmaking through politically dense yet visually engaging projects that seamlessly blend documentary footage, computer graphics, and fictional elements. Her socially minded films have examined everything from drone warfare and corporate domination to protest movements and alternative economic models emerging in response.

Njideka Akunyili Crosby crafts compelling large-scale figurative works that bring together political, art historical, and personal influences. Her paintings depict intimate everyday scenes and social gatherings with a quiet, meditative quality.

Figures from her own Nigerian-Irish heritage intersect with icons from art history, set within domestic settings that straddle geographies. The blending of cultures speaks to questions of cultural hybridity, transcultural exchange, and what it means to build a home in an interconnected world.

Wolfgang Tillmans (b. 1968) is a pioneering German photographer renowned for his boundary-pushing versatility across genres. A keen observer of society, Tillmans employs photo-reportage, portraiture, and sprawling abstract compositions to sensitively capture moments that broach thought-provoking perspectives on the world.

Tillmans was the first non-British artist awarded the prestigious Turner Prize in 2006, recognition of his innovative contributions to the medium. He envisions the photographic exchange as dialogic rather than one-directional. While his images undoubtedly reflect his vision, Tillmans seeks for them to also speak to viewers and impact experience—to work "in both directions."

Born in 1967 in Copenhagen, Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson is renowned internationally for his immersive, large-scale installations that seamlessly blend art, science, and environmental issues.

Banksy is the pseudonymous persona of one of the world's most prolific and politically outspoken street artists. Very little is known about their true identity, which remains a closely guarded secret shared only among close friends and collaborators within the underground art scene. Banksy rose to international renown through savvy urban interventions and provocative installations that subvert established spaces.

Through anonymity and audacious public acts, Banksy has illuminated pressing social and political realities while challenging artistic convention. They remain a beacon of creative resistance against the forces that seek to erase the people's voice.