In this book Stallabrass, known for his writings on the contemporary art market and the YBA phenomenon, analyzes the economy of contemporary art as it has developed, particularly after 1989, as an unprecedented global business inextricably linked to the culture of the spectacle, celebrity, entertainment. In this context contemporary art buying and collecting has taken center stage as the go-to investment and instant status symbol for the nouveau riche across the globe. Stallabrass also discusses how the circulation of art works in biennials and other global art events, the construction of tourist-destination contemporary art museums, and the increasing corporatization of existing museums have played a central role in these changes. See in particular chapter 2 ‘New World Order’ and Chapter 3 ‘Consuming Culture.’