A Manual For the 21st Century Art Institution invites 12 writers-artists, academics, curators and gallery and museum directors-to assess the present trajectory of arts institutions by explicating various issues, each of which is associated with an imaginary room. Readers journey from the reception to the roof terrace via rooms dedicated to temporary exhibitions, site-specific commissions and collections displays, taking in the bookshop, café, auditorium and education spaces along the way. Bruce Altshuler, Iwona Blazwick, Chris Dercon, Maria Fusco, Caro Howell, Charles Merewether, Mark Nash, Brian O'Doherty, Niru Ratnam, Sukhdev Sandhu, Adam Szymczyk and Nayia Yiakoumaki are our guides to this inviting theater. The result is an indispensable handbook for art professionals, students and anyone curious about today's art world.