The Artist Project

Readers discover the Metropolitan Museum of Art one artwork at a time through the eyes of contemporary artists-a surprising and engaging personalized tour of this world-renowned collection. An impressive and diverse roster of 120 artists contributed: Vito Acconci, John Baldessari, Cecily Brown, Eric Fischl, Nan Goldin, Sheila Hicks, Alex Katz, Jeff Koons, Wangechi Mutu, Shahzia Sikander, Thomas Struth, Sarah Sze, Wayne Theibaud, Mickalene Thomas, Lisa Yuskavage-and over one hundred more. They live and work internationally; and fifty percent are women. The Artist Project is one of several collection-inspired online initiatives from the Met, including the Heilbrunn Timeline and other video series such as 82nd & Fifth, which receive a combined total in the millions of visits per month. The book supplements the content of the web series with images of each artist's own work and an illustrated index that visualizes connections between the historical and contemporary art discussed throughout the book. The Met has received a new wave of international attention following the opening of the Met Breuer in February 2016. This is the first book collaboration between two premiere international names in culture: Phaidon and The Met. We are in discussion about innovative ways we can partner to cross-promote the project.