Music instruction books pack their pages with notes on how to stand and how to arrange your face—Christopher Reeves listens instead to an array of modernist artists who resist this “meticulous meshing” with the instrument in favor of experimental performance.

Benjamin Williams reads through a state document designed to “assert authority and avoid responsibility”—then shows how artist Pablo Allison flips the page back to humanity and agency.

What defines a definitive guide? A definitive guide is correct and complete, demonstrating full comprehension and practical mastery. Guides are texts and people that disseminate knowledge: manuals, how-tos, and tour guides. A guide is only definitive, however, for a moment  in time. Technology and fashion change, leaving experts on things like lace bonnets or JavaScript […]