Leaders

Art isn’t always for art’s sake—a reality that is all too clear when political figures commandeer the artistic process for their own gain. Dictators and tyrants are experts at this, but even free societies use art to lionize their political heroes. And what medium is most suited to the glorification of leaders past and present? Public sculpture. This film examines the ways in which three-dimensional art is used to perpetuate power and carry on historical legacies. British critic Waldemar Januszczak guides viewers through a global gallery of sculptural examples—such as statues of Vladimir Lenin, which depict him as a dominant presence despite his slight physique; Mount Rushmore, where four massive visages of U.S. presidents elicit awe from tourists and ire from Native Americans; and Michelangelo’s iconic David, a work of both beauty and inconsistency. Contains mature imagery and subject matter.