Is there a curse behind the Mona Lisa’s famous smile? Why did Hitler hire an architect? Who is the real adman that inspired the popular Mad Men advertising drama series?

Knowledge presents the BC premieres of new arts documentaries this fall on Masters.

The Mona Lisa Curse
Monday, October 5 at 9pm

Behind the smile of the world’s most famous painting lies a curse. At least that’s the argument of Australian art critic Robert Hughes who presents a withering critique of the commercialization of art in this hour-long documentary, and puts the blame on the famed painting which went from artwork to celebrity icon in 1963 when it was brought to New York to be exhibited. In this highly opinionated 2009 Banff Television Festival award-winning documentary, Hughes argues that art today is viewed as a commodity, something to be owned, not appreciated; that price trumps meaning; and the bottom line for collectors is making a profit.

Visions of Space

In this three-part series, also hosted by noted Australian art critic Robert Hughes, the vision, motivations and legacy of architects Antoni Gaudi , Albert Speer, and Mies van der Rohe are explored.

Mies van der Rohe: Less is More
Monday, October 12 at 9pm

Renowned for futuristic masterpieces like the 1920s New York Seagram’s Building, Mies van der Rohe transformed himself from kitschy designer of Hansel and Gretel style houses into a master of international modernism and led the contemporary vogue for loft living.

Albert Speer: Size Matters
Monday, October 19 at 9pm

Known as Hitler’s Architect, this German artist designed and built the Reich Chancellery in Berlin and the Party Palace in Nuremburg, and worked closely with Hitler on plans for a new, improved city of Berlin, designed to be the finest and most important capital in Europe.

Antoni Gaudi: God’s Architect
Monday, October 26 at 9pm

This intensely Catholic Spanish architect lived an austere life yet created some of the most sensuous Barcelona buildings. He is considered an innovative genius and the last great cathedral builder of the 20th Century.

David Ogilvy: The First Mad Man
Monday, November 2 at 9pm

Discover the real adman that inspired the popular American drama series Mad Men. This fascinating character study looks at David Ogilvy, brilliant businessman, failed family man, and confirmed eccentric, who revolutionized advertising in the 50s and 60s with his famous campaigns, slogans and jingles. The documentary looks back at how Ogilvy tried his hand at a string of disparate occupations – Parisian chef, door-to-door cooker salesman, Amish tobacco farmer, to pioneer pollster with Gallup – before the suave and charming salesman found his niche and started famed New York ad agency Ogilvy & Mather.

Masters
Mondays at 9pm
Inspiring portraits of masters of the arts from a variety of disciplines including painting, sculpture, music and the written word. >View current Masters lineup

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