The Way of the Shovel: On the Archaeological Imaginary in Art brings together a diverse range of international artists to explore the melding of archival and experiential modes of storytelling, particularly in the wake of 9/11. The catalogue offers a well-constructed balance among excursions into the situation of contemporary art, broad philosophical arguments around the subjects of history and the archive, and deep cultural analysis. Opening up the discussion of the archaeological imaginary in art to adjacent fields, the featured essays create an overarching narrative for the exhibition and introduce readers to the workings of history in art.

Curator Dieter Roelstraete’s introductory essay maps this critical terrain, while Ian Alden Russell explores the roots of archaeology and its manifestations in twentieth-century art. Bill Brown examines artistic practices that involve historical artifacts and archival material, Sophie Berrebi offers a critique of the “document” as seen in art after the 1960s, and Diedrich Diederichsen writes on the monumentalization of history in European art. Thoughtful entries by Roelstraete on featured works by both established and emerging practitioners accompany statements from exhibiting artists Moyra Davey, Rebecca Keller, Joachim Koester, Hito Steyerl, and Zin Taylor.

Showcasing the innovative approaches of some of the most intriguing art of the past decade, The Way of the Shovel is indispensable reading for anyone seeking to understand the forces driving contemporary art.

Published by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the University of Chicago Press. Hardcover, 328 pages. 80 color, 40 halftones. 6 1/2 x 9 in.

Detail Tony Tasset, Robert Smithson (Las Vegas), 1995. Silver dye-bleach print, 83 x 49 x 3 in. (210.8 x 124.5 x 7.6 cm). Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, gift of the artist and Rhona Hoffman Gallery, and restricted gift of Jack and Sandra P. Guthman, 1995.123. © 1995 Tony Tasset.