The Art in the Twenty-First Century documentary Change examines how artists respond to a world in flux and act as agents of change. Ai Weiwei infuses his sculptures, photographs, and public artworks with personal poetry and political conviction in critical examinations of contemporary Chinese social and political issues. In sculptures of clay, wood, and metal, El Anatsui explores materials and formal elements that relate to his aesthetic and cultural...

Might a work of art move us to temper our more destructive impulses? In what ways do artists' feelings of empathy contribute to works that tackle problematic subjects and address the human condition? Compassion, features three contemporary artists-William Kentridge, Doris Salcedo, and Carrie Mae Weems-whose unique works and experimental methods explore the conscience and the possibility of reconciling past and present while exposing injustice and...

The "Art in the Twenty-First Century" documentary "Time" examines how time is always present in our interaction with works of art, whether we sit to contemplate a painting, stroll past a sculpture, or watch a video piece for its entire duration or cycle. Some works of art are time-based in that the viewer must experience them through the passage of time, as with music, while others refer to time through links or references to art history, our collective...

How does the city of Chicago inspire the artists who live there? How is the architecture, history, and character of the city interpreted and reflected in the work of Chicago-based artists? Which parts of the city are most moving and motivational? In this episode, artists reveal the ways in which their communities ignite ideas for photographs, sculptures, and drawings, and how those communities are invited by the artists to become part of the artworks...

Buoyed by London's history of artistic excellence, four artists draw inspiration from decades of British art while contending with the repercussions of colonialism and xenophobia during a time of massive political upheaval in the country. Featuring artists John Akomfrah, Phyllida Barlow, Anish Kapoor and Christian Marclay.

The idea that uncertainty and improvisation in art can help in negotiating the dangerous passage between passive acceptance and authoritarian subjugation is a theme that William Kentridge continues to expound upon in Drawing Lesson Four. He uses his short film Journey to the Moon - a tribute, in part, to George Méliès' 1902 cinematic classic La Voyage dans la Lune - as a part of a discussion praising cinema as an art form that exemplifies, as stated...