art21
Plot Summary
Contemporary artists describe their work and discuss why and how they do it. The programs are grouped according to themes of place, spirituality, identity and consumption. A PBS series, educational resource, archive, and history of contemporary art, Art21: Art in the Twenty-First Century premiered in 2001 and is now broadcast in over 50 countries worldwide. Premiering a new season every two years, Art21 is the only series on United States television to focus exclusively on contemporary visual art and artists.
Where to watch free (US)
Seasons (11)
Season 1
4 episodes
Aired: 2001
Season 2
4 episodes
Aired: 2003
Season 3
4 episodes
Aired: 2005
Season 4
4 episodes
Aired: 2007
Season 5
4 episodes
Aired: 2009
Season 6
4 episodes
Aired: 2012
Season 7
4 episodes
Aired: 2014
Season 8
4 episodes
Aired: 2016
Season 8 provides unparalleled access to the most innovative artists of our time, revealing how artists engage the culture around them and how art allows viewers to see the world in new ways. For the first time in the show’s history, the sixteen featured artists are grouped into four one-hour episodes by their unique and revealing relationships to the places in which they live—Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Vancouver.
Season 9
3 episodes
Aired: 2018
Season 9 charts art-making in three urban centers across three continents: Berlin, Johannesburg, and the San Francisco Bay Area. From the post-Cold War cultural and economic rebirth in Berlin, to the dramatic fall of apartheid in South Africa and the technological boom in the Bay Area, the twelve artists and one non-profit art center highlighted in this season respond to the forces that have shaped the places where they live and work, while pursuing their personal visions for a better future.
Season 10
3 episodes
Aired: 2020
In season 10, twelve artists and one collective are presented across three episodes, charting artmaking in London, Beijing, and regions around the United States-Mexico border.
Season 11
3 episodes
Aired: 2023