10 Must-Watch Documentaries for Artists

Catch up on the happenings of the art world from the comfort of your own couch with ten powerful documentaries.

Entertaining, thought-provoking, historical, inspiring—this list has something all artists can enjoy. And the best part? They are all currently available on Netflix.

So grab the popcorn, sit back, and relax with our list of must-watch documentaries for artists:

1. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

In this inspiring documentary about a modern day Warhol, Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei uses social media and art to inspire protests and suffers government persecution for his actions.

2. Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present

Follow renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic before, during, and after an exhibition of her work at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

3. Mystery Files: Leonardo da Vinci

This Mystery Files episode searches for answers to a question that could alter history: Is science beginning to doubt the notion that creative mastermind Leonardo da Vinci invented early versions of flying machines and other modern creations?

4. Print the Legend

This award-winning, Netflix original chronicles the race for market leadership in the next wave of technological evolution—3D printing.

5. Exit Through the Gift Shop

Filmmaker Thierry Guetta’s project to chronicle the underground world of street art takes a fascinating twist when he meets stencil artist Banksy.

6. Monk with a Camera: The Life and Journey of Nicholas Vreeland

This is the story of photographer Nicholas Vreeland, grandson of renowned fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who leaves behind the jet-set world he was born into to become a Buddhist monk. Watch his struggle to remain a photographer, worrying that it will affect his spiritual dedication.

7. Beautiful Losers

This heartfelt documentary profiles a collective of underground artists and filmmakers whose work made an indelible mark on mainstream culture in the 1990s.

8. Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery

Artist and master art forger Wolfgang Beltracchi is profiled in this provocative film, giving insights into his life, talent, and the international art world that made him millions.

9. Art & Copy

“Where’s the beef?” “Just do it.” Meet the audaciously creative minds behind the modern era’s iconic ads in this absorbing film that explores the fascinating and sometimes mysterious world of advertising.

10. My Beautiful Broken Brain

While this documentary isn’t exactly art-focused, we had to include it on the list. Why? It’s inspiration will carry over into every aspect of your life. After suffering a stroke at age 34, this movie documents an incredibly brave woman and her struggles, setbacks, and eventual breakthrough as she relearns to speak, read, and write.

Settle in and start watching!

At the end of a hard day, you need to find some way to relax. So, why not learn something at the same time? Kill two birds with one stone, and use these documentaries as a great excuse to unwind while opening your mind to others’ experiences in the art world.

Source: https://www.artworkarchive.com