François Soulages and Marc Tamisier invited eighteen artists and theoreticians to reflect upon what they mean by "contemporary photography" and by "contemporary art." Are these concerns historical or paradigmatic? By exploring these sometimes radically opposed views, the book allows readers to enjoy the full gamut of related current issues, concepts, presuppositions and challenges.

Perhaps the first challenge would be “contemporary art,” which could not then be reduced to what is thought of as contemporary art. If so, what could “contemporary photography” represent in the digital era? Indeed, the ultimate challenge is figuring out what the/our “contemporary” really means.