Mystic Country, Connecticut

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." The Benton is pleased to show films from Seasons 5 and 6. East Gallery. Running time: 1 hour.

• Change:  How do artists respond to a world in flux? In what ways do artists act as agents of change, and what kinds of aesthetic choices do they make to express it?  Featured artists: Ai Weiwei, El Anatsui, Catherine Opie. June 8, 12:15 pm / June 9, 2 pm

• Boundaries: How do artists respond to a world in flux? In what ways do artists act as agents of change, and what kinds of aesthetic choices do they make to express it? Featured artists: David Altmejd, assume vivid astro focus, Lynda Benglis. June 15, 12:15 pm / June 16, 2 pm

• 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? Featured artists: Marina Abramovic, Glenn Ligon, Mary Reid Kelley. June 22, 12:15 pm / June 23, 2 pm

• Balance: In what ways can art convey equilibrium or disequilibrium? What is reality? How do artists perceive and express it? Featured artists: Rackstraw Downes, Robert Mangold, Sarah Sze. June 29, 12:15 pm / June 30, 2 pm

• Systems: What new grammars and logics do artists invent in today’s supercharged, information-based society? Why do we find comfort in some systems while rebelling against others? Featured artists: Julie Mehretu, John Baldessari, Kimsooja, and Allan McCollum. July 6, 12:15 pm / July 7, 2 pm

• Compassion: In what ways do artists’ feelings of empathy contribute to works that tackle problematic subjects and address the human condition? Featured artists: William Kentridge, Doris Salcedo, and Carrie Mae Weems. July 13, 12:15 pm / July 14, 2 pm

• Fantasy: How might desires and taboos shape our ability to imagine? What role does technology play in wish fulfillment? Featured artists: Jeff Koons, Mary Heilmann, Florian Maier-Aichen, and Cao Fei. July 20, 12:15 pm / July 21, 2 pm

• Transformation: Costumes and masks, makeup and style, dolls & mannequins, stage and cinema—what strategies do we use to refashion identity? Do we seek out excess and extremes in order to see ourselves more clearly? Featured artists: Yinka Shonibare MBE, Cindy Sherman, and Paul McCarthy. July 27, 12:15 pm / July 28, 2 pm