Universal Experience

Tourism, the largest industry in the world, is a significant force in contemporary society, with far-reaching economic, cultural, and geopolitical importance. Rather than seeking to represent tourism or travel itself, Universal Experience: Art, Life, and the Tourist's Eye considers art, history, and the social construction of places, spaces, and identities from the heightened perception of the tourist. Functioning as a guide book, a reader, and a souvenir, this lavish catalogue of the exhibition presents over 275 illustrations of thought-provoking artworks as icons and as tourist sites for exploration. A wide-ranging anthology of texts presents divergent routes and avenues through which to explore the symbols and cultural conventions created, deciphered, and disseminated by an increasingly mobile, international group of artists.