Painters will always paint, but in the 21st century, there is no single medium for making art. One major artist who embraces a wide range of materials is Terrence Koh, a performance artist/painter/sculptor who uses everything from salt to cloth. Another artist who works in a wide range of materials is Rivane Neuenschwander, who in her 2010 exhibition for the New Museum (New York City) "A Day Like Any Other" utilized painting, performance, drawing, metal detectors, carpeting and photography among other types of materials.
Art fairs and biennials are an important way to see hundreds of contemporary artworks at once. Art fairs are often filled with booths for art galleries. Biennials often have commissions made by artists chosen by internationally-recognized curators and directors. On an International level many well-known fairs have popped up globally, showing how there is no longer a singular art capital in the world. Examples of global art fairs that began in the 21st century include the Athens Biennial, Art Dubai, Art Abu Dhabi, Beijing International Art Biennal and the Berlin Biennial. Artists who have been commissioned to make artworks for these exhibitions include Phil Collins and Mark Boulos. Internationally known curators such as Nicolas Bourriaud and Okwui Enweazor have curated international biennials.
The 21st century has witnessed the growth of many technological innovations that affect everyday life, such as the Internet, and many artists have explored the possibilities these inventions afford in their work. Don't be surprised to see a website or an iPhone as an artwork. Artists who have used new technologies in their work during the 21st century include JODI, Jon Rafman and AIDS-3D. Many of these artists fall under the term "net art," but some of them use the Internet as one medium among many.
The 1980s was seen as a period of political battles between the U.S. government, particularly conservative Republicans, and artists due to the funding of controversial artworks by the NEA. Within the 21st century, debates about government support and funding for the arts have seen a resurgence. In 2010 David Wojnarowicz's video "Fire in My Belly" was removed by the Smithstonian in Washington, D.C., due to protests about the video's content, sparking outrage from a variety of museums and galleries about the divided line between what type of influence government officials should have over art. In China the internationally-known artist Ai Weiwei was imprisoned in 2011 by the government because of charges of distributing pornography and economic crimes; many international museums, artists, galleries and governments have called for his release.