A few weeks ago, we announced our upcoming season of Art in the Twenty-First Century: Season 8, featuring game-changing artists like Theaster Gates and Barbara Kasten, and hosted by the dynamic force of Claire Danes. It’s been almost fifteen years since the first season aired, and we hope Season 8 will “rewrite the possibilities for art on television” once more.
This season marks a huge change for the series, as we step away from theme-based investigations and move toward places, this time choosing four cities instead of four themes. By connecting the artists to where they live and work, Season 8 will bring audiences (like you!) a North American tour de force that peels away layers of mediation to reveal both the process and people behind some of the best contemporary art.
So in honor of the transparency these sixteen artists in Season 8 have so graciously given us, we’re paying it forward and sharing our process of conceptualizing, filming, and editing contemporary art documentaries with you, on the Art21 Magazine. In a new series called “Deep Focus: Inside Art21 Films,” we’ll take you behind the scenes and share a sneak peak of the footage we’ve shot in four phenomenal cities: Chicago, Mexico City, Los Angeles, and Vancouver. Learn what we’ve been up to for the past year and a half through interviews with directors and producers, slideshows, and more.
Check back on the Art21 Magazine next Thursday for the first in our ongoing series, dedicated to revealing the ins and outs of creating documentaries about contemporary art and artists.
Season 8 premieres with episodes on Chicago and Mexico City on Friday, September 16th at 9 and 10pm on PBS. Los Angeles and Vancouver premiere the following Friday, September 23rd at 9 and 10pm.
