In the 19th edition of ArtReview Power 100, the annual ranking of the most influential people and movements in the contemporary art world, “Black Lives Matter” takes first place in 2020. The list reflects the influence of Coronavirus, social justice movements and non-Western art scenes on the structures of the global art world.
At a time of social and cultural upheaval, the unprecedented influence of the Social Justice Movement is signalled not only by its overarching position on the list – and this is the first time that a movement, not an individual, has been at the top of the Power 100 – but also in the way the list is shaped. They are followed by the Indonesian collective ruangrupa, the curators of Documenta 15 and advocates of collective and collaborative practice, while in third place are academics Felwine Sarr & Bénédicte Savoyen. The #MeToo movement is in 4th place and the philosopher Fred Moten in 5th place.
The list is accompanied by a series of interviews with people who are redefining the definitions of power in today’s art world – including Bénédicte Savoyen, Darren Walker and the artist Sammy Baloji – as well as specific artists’ projects and data research to break down the list.
See the complete list: ArtReview Power 100, 2020
The ArtReview Power 100 list on artreview.com is presented by BMW Group Culture The ArtReview Power 100, first published in 2002, is the most established and widely used annual ranking of influence in the contemporary art world. MoMA director Glenn D. Lowry headed the list in 2019, gallery owner David Zwirner in 2018 and artist Hito Steyerl in 2017. Founded in 1949, ArtReview is one of the world’s leading international contemporary art magazines dedicated to expanding the audience and reach of contemporary art. The magazine is aimed at both a professional and general audience and, together with its sister publication ArtReview Asia (since 2013), offers a mix of reviews, reviews, commentaries and analyses as well as commissioned artists’ projects and accompanying guides and supplements.