Art In The Twenty-First Century: History

Season six of ART IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY includes 13 profiles of artists from five continents gathered into four, one-hour thematic episodes: "Change" (May 11), "Boundaries" (May 18), "History" (May 25) and "Balance" (June 1).

Spanning the globe from Nigeria to New York City, from Beijing to Brazil, the programs reveal the artists at work and speaking in their own words as they demonstrate the power of art to alter perception, challenge convention, and change how we see the world around us.

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Mary Reid Kelley with Patrick Kelley. "The Syphillis of Sisyphus," video still, 2011. HD video, 11 minutes 2 seconds. Support provided by The Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC).

Courtesy of the artists and Fredericks & Freiser, New York. © Mary Reid Kelley

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Mary Reid Kelley. "Sisyphus on Staircase," 2011. Collage, acrylic, and watercolor on paper; 16 x 25 inches.

Courtesy of the artists and Fredericks & Freiser, New York. © Mary Reid Kelley

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Mary Reid Kelley. Production still from the Art In The Twenty-First Century: Season Six episode, "History," 2012.

Courtesy of © Art 21, Inc. 2012

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Glenn Ligon. "Untitled (America)," 2008. Neon and paint; 24 x 168 inches. Rubell Family Collection.

Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles. © Glenn Ligon

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Glenn Ligon's "Self-Portrait", 1996. Silkscreen ink and gesso on canvas; 48 x 40 inches. Collection of the artist. Photo: Dennis Cowley.

Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles. © Glenn Ligon

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Glenn Ligon. Production still from the Art In The Twenty-First Century, Season Six episode, "History," 2012.

Courtesy of © Art21, Inc. 2012

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Marina Abramović "The Artist Is Present," 2010. Performance, 3 Months. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Photo: Marco Anelli (for the Museum of Modern Art, New York).

Courtesy of the Marina Abramović Archives. © Marina Abramović

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Marina Abramović and Ulay. "Relation in Time," 1977. Performance, 17 hours. Studio G7, Bologna.

Courtesy of the Marina Abramović Archives. © Marina Abramović

"History" - How do artists mine the past to explore the present? Why do some historical events shape the way we think today, and why have some been forgotten? In what ways do artists use their own histories to examine the human condition?

In this episode, artists Glenn Ligon, Mary Reid Kelley and Marina Abramović play with historical events, explore and expose commonly held assumptions about historic "truth" and create narratives based on personal experiences.

About Art21:

Over the past decade, Art21 has established itself as the preeminent chronicler of contemporary art and artists through its Peabody Award-winning biennial television series, ART IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY.

Art21 is a nonprofit dedicated to engaging audiences with contemporary visual art, inspiring creative thinking, and educating a new generation about artists working today. Learn more about the organization and its initiatives at art21.org.

Art21 is on Facebook, and you can follow @art21 on Twitter.