About this season
The first series on television in the U.S. to focus exclusively on contemporary visual art and artists, "Art in the Twenty-First Century" is a Peabody Award-winning biennial program that allows viewers to observe the artists at work, watch as they transform inspiration into art, and hear how they struggle with both the physical and visual challenges of achieving their visions. "Art in the Twenty-First Century" airs on PBS and online in the U.S. Full episodes are available to watch on Art21.org and YouTube.
Episodes (4)
1. Investigation
Aired 24 October 2014 • 60 min
The Season 7 premiere features Thomas Hirschhorn, who creates an installation with help from public-housing residents; photographer Graciela Iturbide, who focuses on Mexico; and Leonardo Drew, who continually experiments with materials and processes.
2. Secrets
Aired 31 October 2014 • 60 min
Elliott Hundley, Arlene Shechet and Trevor Paglen are featured. Hundley creates collages that both reveal and hide their meanings; Shechet's ceramic work obscures its nature behind surface effects; and Paglen documents the American surveillance state.
3. Legacy
Aired 7 November 2014 • 60 min
A look at artists inspired by life experiences and family heritage. Included: Wolfgang Laib, who connects the ephemeral and eternal; Tania Bruguera, who explores art, activism and social change; and Abraham Cruzvillegas, who focuses on transformation and decay.
4. Fiction
Aired 14 November 2014 • 60 min
What makes a compelling story? How do artists disrupt everyday reality in the service of revealing subtler truths? This episode features artists who explore the virtues of ambiguity, mix genres, and merge aesthetic disciplines to discern not simply what stories mean, but how and why they come to have meaning.