Tourism and contemporary arts: a particular case in Cultural Tourism

Abstract

Contemporary arts are shifting most of our approaches to art: they disrupt the classical graphic arts –even those of the 20th century-, and invade unpredictable places, often with the complicity of local authorities. They also have to face a public that is predominantly unprepared but in the process of developing a new sensibility that leads to new aesthetics. This will, of course, impact strongly tourism, leading to new forms of cultural tourism. This paper describes this current phenomenon with a basic definition of what can be called Contemporary Arts and with the new trends of aesthetics. It then tackles both distinctive supply of Contemporary Arts and its demands. The paper concludes on how the tourism professionals favour their meeting within the destinations that are positioned on these forms of art, with either success or shortcomings.  Contemporary Arts are a real and unprecedented challenge for cultural tourism.