Future Imperfect weaves together accessible scholarship and leading examples of socially engaged art, including artist projects by Mel Chin, Brett Cook, Pablo Helguera, Fran Ilich, Norene Leddy & Liz Slagus, Jan Mun and Jody Wood. Christian Viveros-Faune considers social practice in a business context; Greg Sholette debates its progressive bona fides; Charles Esche ruminates on its utopian claims and Grant Kester explores the tension between theory and practice. Further essays by Deborah Fisher, Laura Raicovich, Jan Cohen-Cruz and Elizabeth Grady analyze the institutional context for the art, exploring the ways that it affects organizational structure, how its impact can be assessed, and curatorial perspectives. Sections on each of the artist projects include an informative description and rich illustrations that open a window onto the artists’ practice. Additional contributions by Ben Davis, Tom Finkelpearl, Rick Lowe and Nato Thompson interrogate questions of ethics and effectiveness.