The ambition of this article is to define what characterises installation art in general: It proposes that basically installations organise the work of art as a space and activate this space, that they extend the work temporally so that it acquires a situational aspect, and that they are characterised by a heightened awareness as to the physical, subjective and temporal aspects of the viewer's experience.  Moreover, it argues that the elements mentioned in the title "Realism, theatricality, ritual" are key characteristics of this genre. It demonstrates this by using a range of different works by Mike Kelley, Guillaume Bijl, Anette Messager, Carsten Höller and other artists as examples.

The book is published in two editions, one in English and one in Danish.