In the art of recent decades, installation has gained significance as a leading artistic form. However, as Claire Bishop notes, "the vast range of differences in appearance, content, and scale of works created today under this name, as well as the freedom in using this term, make it almost devoid of any specific meaning."

The aim of this book is to organize this seemingly boundless and diverse material. Relying on the analysis of specific works, the author demonstrates that, since the perception of such art requires the physical presence of the audience within the piece, it can be classified by the type of experience it offers the viewer.

Bishop traces the origins of installation in the artistic avant-garde of the 1920s, pays close attention to the neo-avant-garde of the 1960s and 1970s, and examines the artistic practice of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, clarifying the conceptual foundations of installation art.