Art21 - Art in the 21st Century Season 6 Episode 1 Change

Art21 - Art in the 21st Century season 6 episode 1, titled "Change," explores how artists are capable of reimagining and rebuilding the world around them. The episode follows three artists from three different parts of the world on their own journeys of transformation and innovation, highlighting how their art reflects the various ways in which change takes place in contemporary society.

First, the episode takes us to New York where artist Catherine Opie explores the concept of change through her photography. Opie is interested in the city's ever-changing landscape, and uses her camera to document the transformation of neighborhoods and communities over time. Through her art, Opie examines how urban environments are shaped by the ongoing process of gentrification, and how this process affects the lives of those who call these neighborhoods home.

Next, the episode moves to Johannesburg, where artist David Goldblatt challenges the viewer to confront difficult truths about South African society by reflecting on the country's apartheid past. Goldblatt's photography portrays the misguided social experiment of apartheid, and how it still affects the present-day circumstances of South African society. Through his work, Goldblatt questions how we can move forward as a society when faced with the lasting scars of history.

Finally, the episode travels to Beijing, where artist Ai Weiwei challenges the Chinese government's attempt to control people's lives. Ai has become an internationally acclaimed artist and activist, using his work to confront and condemn Chinese political policies. Through his use of social media and art installations, Ai challenges the government's suppression of free speech, and its use of propaganda as a means of control. He is at the forefront of a movement that is changing Chinese society from the ground up.

Throughout the episode, viewers are offered a glimpse into the minds of these three artists, as they navigate their own paths of transformation and strive to make a positive impact on the world around us. "Change" is an episode that takes a deep dive into the power of art, and how it has the potential to disrupt and transform the world in which we live.