The voice of the artist

Catch a viewing of a US television show that promises to make contemporary art accessible

I don't really care about the story. It is the situation that interests me." Artist Nathalie Djurberg makes quite the statement in a preview clip of Art in the 21st Century, a PBS television series that airs in the United States. The show features contemporary artists from across the globe in a unique fashion — it's the voice of the artist, like Djurberg, that stands out and yet establishes an intimate connection with the viewer, roping them in gradually in an effort to bridge the gap between art and accessibility.

Artist Hiwa K depicts the memory of his father putting coloured foil on the TV screen as colour TVs weren't available in Kurdistan due to lack of government investment

"Our goal is to give the public unmitigated access to contemporary art and artists. One of the hallmarks of our show is that it is the artist who gets to speak in an exclusive way because it's not a curator or a host who is leading you in. For people who aren't familiar with contemporary art, they find it to be opaque and difficult to engage with," series producer Nick Ravich, who is presently in Mumbai tells us. The show currently in its ninth season, was launched by Art21, a non-profit organisation, 21 years ago. And although it premiered last week on US television, Mumbaikars can catch an episode at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum this evening.

(From left) Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg at their home-studio in Berlin

The series features 12 artists in three urban centres — Berlin, Johannesburg and San Francisco Bay Area with a geographical focus touching on themes that range from colonisation, technology to gender and sexuality. For instance, the artists in Johannesburg grew up with early memories of apartheid that is reflected in their work. "It shows that art can be a very powerful tool.

Umschreibung is a sculpture by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson from the Berlin episode

Often we hear from people and artists themselves that the show was the first time when they heard someone validate things that they were feeling themselves. That, for us, is a huge part of what we want to do," he states, adding that the cities may come as a surprise to many as they aren't known for contemporary art activity.

Nick Ravich

Producing the series also required the filmmakers to establish trust with artists, a relationship that stays even after filming. Ravich explains, "Art21 has worked with over 150 artists. We strive for a certain documentary quality and filmmaking excellence, representing art in a way that feels faithful to the artist's intentions and allows the audience to engage with it. It isn't necessarily visually intuitive — if you look at a piece in a gallery context, you don't get exactly what the artist intended. Our job as filmmakers is to bring that to the table."

Today: 6 pm to 7.30 pm
At: Education Centre, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Byculla East.
Call: 23731234

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