On June 12th, Art21 premiered the new short film, “Things Don’t Have to Be Like This,” at the Ford Foundation in New York City.

The film builds upon the learnings from Ford Foundation’s New Media Leadership cohort. In it, artists and friends American Artist, Morehshin Allahyari, and Mimi Ọnụọha gather to explore the complex relationships between technology, knowledge, power, and identity.

Art21’s Susan Sollins Executive Director and Chief Curator Tina Kukielski and JustFilms’ programs officer Jon-Sesrie Goff welcomed the audience and provided introductory remarks. The film played for the first time to the public.

Following the film’s premiere, Jurrell Lewis, Art21’s associate curator, was in conversation with Morehshin Allahyari and American Artist. The conversation touched on criticism of the use of technology in daily life, the purpose and ownership of digital conservation, and possibilities of hope in the future.

Guests were invited to celebrate the film’s premiere with a reception in the garden after the conversation.

 

About Art21
Art21 is the world’s leading source to learn directly from the artists of our time. The mission of Art21 is to educate and expand access to contemporary art through the production of documentary films, resources, and public programs. The organization recently embarked on capacity-building efforts to grow its operations and services to bring more artists to more audiences worldwide. Art21 opens the world of art to everyone. Learn more at Art21.org.

 

About JustFilms
The Ford Foundation seeks to reduce inequality in all of its forms, and artist-driven documentary and emerging media projects are crucial to this effort. As part of the Creativity and Free Expression program, JustFilms funds social justice storytelling and the 21st-century arts infrastructure that supports it. The projects and people we support inspire imaginations, disrupt stereotypes, and help transform the conditions that perpetuate injustice and inequality.