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Press Release: Art21 Releases New Film: “Nicholas Hlobo: Drifting Free”

Media Contact
Hannah DeGarmo
Manager of Communications
[email protected] 

Art21 Releases New Film: “Nicholas Hlobo: Drifting Free”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, March 24, 2022

New York, New York – Art21 is proud to announce the premiere of “Nicholas Hlobo: Drifting Free” on April 6 at 12:00 PM ET. The second 2022 release of Art21’s digital film series, Extended Play, “Nicholas Hlobo: Drifting Free” offers a look into the work and creative processes of the South African artist.

“Sometimes it’s always good to just take a risk and draw a line. From there, the image builds itself,” says Nicholas Hlobo. “The process sets me on the right foot. It allows me to drift free.” In the artist’s Johannesburg studio he and his assistants are at work threading, stitching, and sewing. Growing up listening to the radio, Hlobo learned that by not providing all the information, you activate the imagination. 

“Nicholas Hlobo invites viewers to be open to unplanned experiences. Filming with him was full of such moments, including when we learned his neighborhood was temporarily without power,” says Ian Forster, Art21 Extended Play Producer. “What at first seemed like a crisis turned into an opportunity as cinematographer Motheo Moeng used the studio’s natural light to capture Hlobo’s innovative process.”

Art21’s Extended Play (formerly known as Exclusive) digital series provides unmediated, behind-the-scenes access to today’s leading artists. Through process-revealing footage and intimate interviews, these curatorially-driven films chronicle a diverse scale of international projects, ranging from major commissions to exploratory sketches. Produced in close collaboration with artists, Extended Play uncovers the provocative ideas, timely cultural influences, and biographical anecdotes that inspire the artists featured throughout the series.

Tune in to “Nicholas Hlobo: Drifting Free” on April 6, 2022 at 12PM ET at Art21.org and on Art21’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/art21org. To learn more email Art21 Manager of Communications, Hannah DeGarmo, at [email protected]

About Art21

Art21 is a celebrated global leader in presenting thought-provoking and sophisticated content about contemporary art, and the go-to place to learn first-hand from the artists of our time. A nonprofit organization, Art21’s mission is to inspire a more creative world through the works and words of contemporary artists. Learn more at Art21.org.

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