CONCEPTUALISM or IDEA ART is one of the most original art movements to emerge during the 20th century. The essential element of Conceptualism is that the thought, rather than the object, i.e. the pictorial or sculptural form of the artwork, is the principal element of the artwork created.
The idealogy of Conceptual art traces its roots to DADA, which also emphasized the artist’s thought process, rather than the artwork, itself. Conceptual artists´ primary concerns included the art world’s commercialisation after the World War II and the impersonalization of art movements, like MINIMALISM.
Conceptual art also came to describe art forms like PERFORMANCE and VIDEO ART.
This global art movement which gained importance in Mid-1960´s counts the following artists as its principal proponents: Maria ABRAMOVIC, Giovanni ANSELMO, ANT FARM, ART & LANGUAGE, John BALDESSARI, Robert BARRY, Ian BAXTER, Joseph BEUYS, Mel BOCHNER, Daniel BUREN, Victor BURGIN, James LEE BYARS, John CAGE, Luis CAMNITZER, James COLEMAN, Hanne DARBOVEN, Jan DIBBETS, Terry FOX, Hamish FULTON, Hans HAACKE, Howard FRIED, GENERAL IDEA, Dan GRAHAM, Douglas HEUBLAR, David IRELAND, Allan KAPROW, On KAWARA, Paul KOS, Joseph KOSUTH, Richard KRIESCHE, Suzann eLACY, Barry LE VA, Les LEVINE, Richard LONG, Tom MARIONI, Jim MELCHERT, Antoni MIRALDI, Robert MORRIS, Antonio MUNTADAS, Bruce NAUMAN, Morgan O´HARA, Dennis OPPENHEIM, Mike PARR, Adrian PIPER, Dieter ROTH, Allen RUPPERSBURG, Bonnie SHERK, Michael SNOW, Imants PIPER, Dieter ROTH, Allen RUPPERSBERG, Bonnie SHERK, Michael SNOW, Imants TILLERS, Richard TUTTLE, Bernar VENET, Lawrence WEINER, and Tarsua YAMAMOTO.