The Art Of… returns for season two this October
Hosted by Namila Benson, the ABC’s bold and vibrant arts and culture show The Art Of… returns for another season, premiering Tuesday 28 October at 9.15pm on ABC TV, with all episodes available to stream on ABC iview.
Through the lens of art, The Art Of… explores some of life’s biggest questions. Each week we are joined by extraordinary artists to ask: Why are we so fixated on looking good? Is it possible for humans to explore space responsibly? What makes something ‘taboo’? Are we too obsessed with winning?
This season features a diverse and dynamic range of artists: Ken Done invites us into his home to unlock our inner child, Khaled Sabsabi and Andres Serrano (Piss Christ) delve into taboo, seven-time Grammy Award winner Jacob Collier explores magic, avant-garde legend Laurie Anderson redefines memory, Steve Kilby of The Church investigates art and space, and hyperrealist painter Jamie Cooper interrogates our obsession with winning.
Guest hosts in season two include visual artist and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds actress Jess Bush, award-winning sculptor Ramesh Mario Nithiyandran, and acclaimed contemporary artist and curator Brook Andrew. Returning is art historian Mary McGillivray, who dives into art history to uncover surprising connections to today’s questions.
Production Credit: An ABC Original Series. Executive Producer: Zoe Norton Lodge. Series Producer: Roger Power. Supervising Producer: Namila Benson. Head of Arts, Music & Events: Kath Earle.
EPISODE 1 OF 8
TUESDAY 28 OCTOBER 9.20PM
THE ART OF…MAGIC
Comedian, writer and mentalist Lawrence Leung joins co-hosts Namila Benson and Zoe Norton Lodge to explore the mystery of magic.
They meet artists who use magic in different ways, including seven-time Grammy Award winner Jacob Collier, award-winning designer Marg Horwell and lens-based artist Hayley Millar Baker.
They also meet the artistic team behind Revivification- an artwork powered by an organoid brain from the cells of late composer Alvin Lucier, now creating music in a gallery. Plus, art historian Mary McGillivray visits a library of magic in search of answers.
EPISODE 2
TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 9.20 PM
Namila Benson takes on Spaced Out - Korean artist Woopsyang’s competition to do the least for the longest - to explore our fixation with winning.
She speaks with artist Abdul Abdullah, ARIA-winner Nooky, painter Jamie Cooper, and art historian Mary McGillivray about success, creativity, and what it really means to win.
EPISODE 3
TUESDAY 11 NOVEMBER 9.15 PM
Sri Lankan artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran delves into our obsession with appearance as he unveils a monumental new public artwork designed to be judged by all who pass by.
He meets trailblazing figures including Elaine George, the first Aboriginal model to grace the cover of Vogue; acclaimed photographer William Yang; and celebrated choreographer Kelley Abbey, who reveals the pressure to look perfect in the world of dance.
Ramesh also reconnects with his former art teacher Joan Ross, whose bold works explore vanity and colonisation, as he examines how the pursuit of beauty continues to shape our art, culture and
sense of self.
EPISODE 4
TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 9.15 PM
The Art of The Inner Child
Namila Benson goes in search of her inner child, meeting Ken Done, Glenn Barkley, the Snuff Puppets and Marikit Santiago to rediscover the joy of play and creativity.
In a world of chaos the pressure of being an adult is a lot. Feeling the weight of adulthood, Namila Benson asks, “What happened to my inner child and how can I find them again?”
Namila visits the colourful studio of Ken Done, meets ceramicist Glenn Barkley, joins the cheeky Snuff Puppets, and chats with artist Marikit Santiago and her children. Further, art historian Mary McGillivray reveals how childhood has been portrayed in art - from the playful to the downright eerie.
EPISODE 5
TUESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 9.20 PM
The Art of Space
Guest host Jess Bush, an environmentally focused artist and actress from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, meets foLrOmNeGr HNIGAHSLAIGsHtTrategist Mike Gold who reveals how many real space policies and technologies have been ripped straight out of Star Trek.
She also encounters The Church frontman Steve Kilbey who wrote the smash hit “Under The Milky Way”. Afrofuturist Serwah Attafuah helps us see a different future when it comes to space travel, while award winning sculptor and artist Shirween Taweel navigates via the stars using ancient Arabic technology.
Meanwhile Mary McGillivray joins astrophysicist and Wiradjuri woman Dr Kirsten Banks to learn about First Nations storytelling using constellations.
EPISODE 6
TUESDAY 2 DECEMBER 9.20 PM
The Art of taboos
Taboo: it’s a fascinating, dangerous and unfixed idea. When artists explore taboos, they take enormous risks. Here contemporary artist and curator Brook Andrew meets with extraordinary artists who engage with taboo in diverse ways.
And Art Historian Mary McGillivray and Dr. Esmé Louise James unpack one of history’s most infamous purveyors of taboo: The Marquis de Sade.