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Turn Things Over Sable Elyse Smith

August 5, 2026

This documentary short follows Sable Elyse Smith as she transforms the language and materials of institutional power structures, like the carceral system, into a body of work that highlights systemic harms that are often overlooked.

New & Noteworthy

Art21 Library

The Art21 Library includes every film produced by Art21 since its first broadcast in 2001. Over 85 hours of full episodes from each of Art21’s television and digital series are always on view, free of charge.

Suggested starting points:

Nick CaveAlex Da CorteKerry James MarshallDo Ho SuhCindy ShermanKara WalkerOlafur EliassonAmy SheraldPhyllida BarlowMark DionAi WeiweiAbigail DeVille
From the library
2:53
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Layers of Meaning

Glenn Ligon

April 18, 2014

Already Made

Playlists

All Ages: Composing
Dyani White Hawk in “Between Worlds”
Art in the Twenty-First Century
Elizabeth Murray in "Humor"
Art in the Twenty-First Century
Studio Process
Extended Play
Marela Zacarías Goes Big & Goes Home
New York Close Up
Drifting Free
Extended Play
Bunny
IRL/url
Pain of Selection
IRL/url
Daniel Lind-Ramos in “Everyday Icons”
Art in the Twenty-First Century

All Ages: Composing

This playlist explores the various ways that artists compose their work and how assistants, family, and community members sometimes play a role.

All Ages: Composing
by Debra ShushanJanuary 21, 2026 8 videos • 1:01:47 total runtime

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Art21.live is an always-on broadcast platform featuring high-quality, hand-selected video programming on contemporary art and artists.

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Art in the Twenty-First Century

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 follows artists at work as they transform inspiration into art.

Extended Play

Extended Play provides unmediated, behind-the-scenes access to today’s leading artists through process-revealing footage and intimate interviews, chronicling a diverse scale of projects, ranging from major commissions to exploratory sketches.

New York Close Up

New York Close Up is devoted to capturing early-career artists living and working in New York City, providing a unique window into the next wave of art-making in the city.

IRL/url

IRL/url reveals the push and pull between the real and the digital. Premiering on TikTok, this new series is presented by CHANEL Culture Fund and produced by Art21.

Specials

Art21 specials are single and limited-run features on the artists and communities that bring contemporary art to the fore, broadening the scope of voices and perspectives represented in Art21 films.

William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible

William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible gives viewers an intimate look into the mind and creative process of William Kentridge, the South African artist whose acclaimed charcoal drawings, animations, video installations, shadow plays, mechanical puppets, tapestries, sculptures, live performance pieces, and operas have made him one of the most dynamic and exciting contemporary artists working today.

Artist to Artist

Artist to Artist is an online film series featuring contemporary visual artists in conversation with their peers, discussing the inspirations and passions that drive their processes. Each film follows a single artist as he or she engages with other artists in a shared exhibition setting.

Descriptive Audio

In keeping with Art21’s core commitment to making art accessible to all audiences, we strive to support the paths to which audiences with disabilities may continue to enjoy and participate in our programming. The Descriptive Audio option is designed to improve our films’ engagement for people with visual impairments.

About Art21

Art21 is the world’s leading source to learn directly from the artists of our time.

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