The Exhibit: Finding The Next Great Artist

Matt Roush says...

In an unusually eclectic partnership, MTV teams with the Smithsonian Channel and the Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden for a competition described by one contestant as “like an art race.” Hitting most of the genre’s familiar beats, Exhibit gathers seven painters, sculptors and mixed-media artists to tackle a different visionary commission each week—the first is an exploration of gender—with the ultimate winner receiving a coveted exhibit at the Hirshhorn and $100,000. There are no weekly eliminations as each artist builds a body of work judged on originality, execution and concept. You might not agree with the judges’ call—that’s part of the fun of these shows—but in the opening round, everyone agrees that one of the objects is absolutely bananas. (Episodes also air Tuesdays at 9/8c on Smithsonian Channel.)

What's Worth Watching (Mar 3)