The history of chess goes deep into many centuries. A strict discipline of the game, subject to precise rules that require maximum concentration, has always been the subject of particular attention of the artists. An intellectual potential, a variety of possible combinations and an endless field for creative imagination have united the visual art and the art of the chess game.
The theme of chess was often called on by the founder of conceptualism, Marcel Duchamp. In 1924, a chess set inspired by the Bauhaus tradition was created by Josef Hartwig. One of the most prominent artistic projects involving the art of chess was realized in 1944-45 and included the works of the leaders of actual art of that time – Man Ray, Max Ernst, and Alexander Calder. Their chess sets, featured in the "Image of Chess" exhibition at New York's Julien Levy Gallery, reflected the latest trends of the avant-garde, from constructivism to surrealism movements.
The new Art of Chess project features the works of such contemporary art leaders as Damien Hirst, Maurizio Cattelan, Paul McCarthy, the Chapman Brothers, Yayoi Kusama, Matthew Ronay, Tom Friedman, Tunga, Barbara Kruger, and Rachel Whiteread. Inspired by the idea of the game, each artist created objects that reflected their unique author's style and particular vision of the subject matter.