Can the value of art really be measured in dollars and cents? Paintings by artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Gerhard Richter sell at auction for tens of millions of dollars. A solid gold toilet by Maurizio Cattelan is installed in the Guggenheim Museum for all to see and use. Today, art is spectacle, big money and front-page news. Directed by Nathaniel Kahn (Oscar®-nominated for My Architect), THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING takes a deep dive into the contemporary art world, examining the role of art and artistic passion in today’s money-driven, consumer-based society, and spotlighting collectors, dealers, auctioneers and a rich range of artists. The provocative original film debuts January 21 at 9PM AST* on HBO and HBO GO.
With unprecedented access to artists, dealers, collectors and the auction house Sotheby’s, the documentary reveals the rarefied world of contemporary art, going deep into a hidden realm where nothing is what it seems. Revealing scenes and interviews show how the art market actually works and underscore the challenges of being an artist today, when success can come at lightning speed, only to evaporate next season, and even the most revered creators must block out the market to retain control of the creative process.
Society has become less concerned with the aesthetic and social values of art, and more concerned with brand names and the business of it all. Many feel art has become a pawn of the ultra-rich, an exclusive investment class with perks and loopholes out of reach of the average citizen. High-end art fairs are springing up all over the world, while collectors flip works at auction and put away their trophies in high-security warehouses.
Featuring current market darlings George Condo, Gerhard Richter, Jeff Koons, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Marilyn Minter, along with art star Larry Poons, THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING exposes deep contradictions as it holds a mirror up to contemporary values and times, coaxing out the dynamics at play in pricing, which is often driven by subjective notions.
THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING is a production of HBO Documentary Films, Hot & Sunny Productions and Anthos Media, in association with Artemis Rising and Film Manufacturers, Inc. For HBO Documentary Films, Sara Bernstein and Nancy Abraham are executive producers.
About HBO Latin America
HBO Latin America is the leading premium, subscription-based, television network in the region, recognized for the quality and diversity of its programming. Featuring exclusive original series, films, documentaries and specials, the network is also the place to see some of the most recent Hollywood blockbusters before they appear on any other premium channel. The content is transmitted in HD in more than 40 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean through the channels HBO®, HBO2, HBO Signature, HBO Plus, HBO Family, MAX, MAX Prime, MAX Up, and the ad-based Cinemax® channel. Its programming is also offered across multiple platforms, such as HBO GO® and HBO On Demand®. HBO Latin America is a joint venture between Home Box Office, Inc. (a subsidiary of Warner Media, LLC) and Ole Communications, Inc.
