Since the end of World War II in 1945, an increasingly globalized world has raised more voices, asked more questions, and challenged long-held beliefs. Art has resisted clear definition, embracing complex – even contradictory – layers of meaning. Today, artists work across continents, pushing the history of art forward while confronting the social, political, environmental, and technological changes that shape their experience of the world. The UMFA’s modern and contemporary collection reflects the global landscape of artistic production over the last century. The works on view are made in different locations with a wide range of materials and techniques, but they are united by themes that can be traced across time and place.