Welcome to Art Angle, an Artnet News podcast that explores where the art world meets the real world, telling every week’s greatest story on earth. Join host Andrew Goldstein each week for an in-depth look at what matters most about museums, the art market and more, with input from our own writers and publishers, as well as artists, curators and other leading experts in the field.

If possible, 2021 was even stranger and more confusing than the year before. Just when we thought everything was back to normal, the universe threw a wrench at us. From Hunter Biden’s painting career to the NFT wave of artists, who would have predicted that something called “Immersive Van Gogh” would become the most popular post in town? The places where the art world meets the real world got even darker, and we were part of it.

Loyal listeners may have noticed some new voices on the podcast this year, as we welcomed a large number of alternate hosts while our editor Andrew Goldstein welcomed a new baby to his family, and we can’t wait. to develop even more in the new year. It was hard to choose, but we combed through the episodes of the past year and picked 10 of our absolute favorites, from an interview with a San Quentin inmate who is revolutionizing the way foreigners view the penal system. to four artists who were in residence at the World Trade Center when it collapsed on September 11, and reflected on how that day affected their lives and artistic practices.

Thanks for listening, and see you next year.

Listen below and subscribe to Art Angle on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. (Or find past episodes here on Artnet News.)

1. Can art help end the era of mass incarceration ?, January 8, 2021

We were fortunate enough to kick off the year by speaking to Pulitzer Prize-nominated podcast Ear Hustle co-host Rahsaan Thomas, who is himself a prisoner at San Quentin Prison in California. Thomas joined the podcast to discuss the dual crisis of pandemic and mass incarceration and how art and empathy can alter perceptions of life inside and outside of the prison.

2. The haunting history of Benin bronzes and what will be the fate of Benin bronzes ?, February 26 & March 5, 2021

In a special two-part episode, Andrew Goldstein spoke with Dan Hicks, the author of The brutal museums: the bronzes of Benin, colonial violence and cultural restitution, one of the most compelling and comprehensive accounts of the plundering of Benin in the 19th century, and how the legacy of that event can be seen around the world to this day. In the months following our interview, institutions ranging from the Metropolitan Museum in New York to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, universities in Scotland and the United Kingdom returned bronzes from their collections. . And in a historic gesture, Germany has entered into talks with Nigeria to return items from its national collections.

3. How NFTs Are Changing the Art Market As We Know It, March 26, 2021

Remember when we thought NFTs were a fleeting phase, kind of like the pixelated rainbow that diffuses behind Nyan Cat? MDR. Billions of dollars and a Beeple later, art publisher Tim Schneider’s introduction to the wild world of NFT still stands. Consider this required reading before any family reunion this holiday season.

4. How Much Money Do Art Dealers Really Make?, June 11, 2021

It’s a simple question, but the answer gets much more complicated the closer you look. In this episode, investigative reporter Zachary Small and Artnet News senior market reporter Eileen Kinsella delve into the dark world of art gallery funding and the startling truth about the money that actually makes art dealers.

5. How high-tech Van Gogh became the greatest artistic phenomenon of all time, June 18, 2021

If you haven’t heard of Immersive Van Gogh yet… what rock are you hiding under? On the cusp of the now ubiquitous phenomenon, critic Ben Davis reflects on how a show that isn’t at all about art has surpassed Taylor Swift in the number of tickets sold, and why it’s making museum directors tremble of the future of art and entertainment. .

6. 18-year-old NFT star Fewocious explains how art saved her life and crashed Christie’s website, July 9, 2021

One of the highlights of 2021 has been the range of individuals who have found outlets for their creativity through NFTs. One of the most exciting and authentic new voices is without a doubt that of FEWOCiOUS – and you can also find it on our new Artnet NFT 30 report.

seven. The Hunter Biden controversy, explained, July 23, 2021

There’s no question that the biggest of this year (ahem, physical) Art History was Hunter Biden’s first-son showing his art with a top-notch gallery in New York and Los Angeles, causing a political maelstrom.

8. World Trade Center artists in residence reflect on 9/11, September 10, 2021

Four artists who were in residence at the World Trade Center on September 11 share their experiences of the day, how it changed their art and their lives forever, and remember their peer Michael Richards, who died in the attacks 20 years ago .

9. Writer Roxane Gay on what art can teach us about trauma and healing, September 24, 2021

The 100th (!!!) episode of Art Angle featured a conversation with author, teacher and astute social commentator Roxane Gay. A great art collector, Gay referred to a particularly moving painting by artist Calida Rawles, presented in the artist’s exhibition at Lehmann Maupin in New York. The discussion focused on empathy, trauma and healing through the prism of Rawles’ beautiful canvas.

10. 5 technologies that will transform the art world by 2030, October 15, 2021

Another milestone in Artnet News 2021 has been the debut of Artnet News Pro, where we dive even deeper into data analysis, art criticism and, of course, examining the most popular market tools. recent. In this episode, editor-in-chief Julia Halperin told Tim Schneider about an article he wrote for the Intelligence Report, describing five technologies that will transform the art market as we know it, from dealers to even more advanced AI holograms.