Juxtaposing startling images and texts, this book presents for the first time the broadest panorama of this multifaceted and elusive art form. From Yves Klein and Piero Manzoni to Joseph Beuys and Robert Wilson, Meredith Monk, Laurie Anderson, Pina Bausch, Matthew Barney, Bill T. Jones, Gilbert & George, Mona Hatoum, and many others, with scores of works from Europe, the Americas, Japan, and Australia, this landmark publication is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in visual culture. 332 illustrations, 123 in color.