The Smithsonian and MTV are unlikely bedfellows in the new reality series "The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist," which will premiere Friday at 9 p.m. on MTV (as the press release says, "following 'RuPaul's Drag Race' "). The Smithsonian Channel will no doubt give it a more rarefied airing on Tuesday night at 9.
Kenny Schachter, who is known in these parts for his shows at Rental Gallery a few years back as well as his ongoing irreverent and incendiary tell-all columns for Artnet News, will be part of a rotating panel of judges.
"I was a little disappointed that the true extent of my horrible personality wasn't really given the chance to shine through," he told The Star last week. "Otherwise, if you love art, don't miss it, there are great guest judges like Adam Pendleton, Keith Rivers, and Abigail DeVille."
The show arrives a decade or so after the last artist competition show, and with good reason. "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist" ran for two seasons and had an impressive group of art professionals, such as Jerry Saltz and Simon de Pury, hosting and mentoring. Yet the concept of judging how good an artist was from an imposed weekly challenge never seemed to jibe with the notion of artistic genius, which is traditionally thought of as free-thinking and unconstrained.
According to Mr. Schachter, "this dumb art reality TV show is different from those in the past in that the artists are already practicing professionals, and very good artists at that. Also, it's produced and sponsored by the venerable Hirshhorn Museum, part of the Smithsonian."
This is why the Smithsonian's involvement is no accident. The competing artists will be working toward a prize that includes exhibiting an object at the Hirshhorn. Don't count MTV out though. The host of the show is Dometi Pongo, who is part of MTV News. Still, its ultimate arbiter is Melissa Chiu, the museum's director.
The makers of this exercise have said that it differs from the typical competition format to more closely resemble how artists might behave in the real world. They will be creating "commissioned" works inspired by social themes explored by works in the Hirshhorn collection, some by artists who own houses on the South Fork, like Barbara Kruger and Laurie Anderson, and others such as Mark Bradford, Yayoi Kusama, Nam June Paik, Horace Pippin, Alma Thomas, and the Guerrilla Girls.
As the lead judge, Ms. Chiu will work with the panel of experts "to evaluate the originality and execution of the artists' works to identify the most successful responses."
She said in the release that the show is an effort to "introduce audiences, wherever they are, to art making, spotlighting the importance of artists in society and energizing the Hirshhorn's art-for-all mission."
