Professor Marko Ilić

I’m a specialist in contemporary art, with a particular interest in the social, political and economic forces that structure its production, reception and circulation. My work is broadly concerned with how historical trajectories have shaped today’s art world, including a significant strand of research that engages with post-socialist and anti-imperialist contexts and frameworks. Much of my scholarship to date has focused on the (post-)Yugoslav region.

I’ve published one major monograph –  A Slow Burning Fire: The Rise of the New Art Practice in Yugoslavia (MIT Press, 2021) – and have written for peer-reviewed journals such as Third Text and ARTMargins. I’ve also contributed to a range of edited volumes and exhibition catalogues, including the one accompanying the 2024 Venice Biennale. My research has been supported by grants and fellowships from the AHRC and the Leverhulme Trust. 

At the moment, I’m working on a new project with my colleague Sofia Gotti, Lecturer in Curating at The Courtauld, that examines the intersections between art and populism. While populism has sparked debate across the political spectrum and become a prominent topic in media and public discourse, it has rarely been addressed in art history or curatorial studies – at least not in a systematic way. Our project is breaking new ground by applying populism as a critical lens through which to examine what gets recognised as populist, and what political implications this carries for cultural institutions, art practices, and curatorial frameworks.

I received my BA in Art History from the University of Cambridge in 2011, followed by an MA in ‘Global Conceptualism’ (with distinction, 2012) and a PhD in Art History (2016), both from The Courtauld. Before joining Oxford in 2023, I was an Early Career Fellow at University College London and lectured at The Courtauld, Newcastle University, and the Universities of Cambridge and York.

As the History of Art Department’s contemporary art specialist, I welcome enquiries from prospective DPhil students working on any aspect of art from the mid-20th century to the present. I’m especially keen to support projects that critically engage with some of the most pressing issues facing the (art) world today, including those explored in my MSt option course, Art Now. If you’re considering applying for a DPhil under my supervision, please get in touch to discuss your proposal.