Today the Art21 Magazine launched its July/August issue, “Inspired by a True Story.” Focusing on film and video art, the issue explores documentary projects and the relationship between truth and fiction in contemporary art. Co-guest edited by Art21 producers Nick Ravich and Ian Forster, the issue includes forthcoming features on artists like Joan Jonas and Rachel Rose alongside interviews with documentary filmmakers.

The issue launched with a collaborative piece on the complexities of displaying indigenous art by curator Lee Plested, with original poetry by Anishnabe Ojibwa artist Charlene Vickers. Also published was an article addressing the space between an artist’s truth and a machine’s simulation: together artist Shantell Martin and neuroscientist Sarah Schwettmann built an algorithm that could complete Martin’s drawings. Finally, guest editors Nick Ravich and Ian Forster introduced the issue in their “Letter from the Editors,” both sharing their motivations for creating documentaries, and reflecting on the inherent contradiction in setting a stage to film something real.

Check back with the Art21 Magazine for new articles unearthing the line between truth and fiction in the coming weeks.