The Cultural History of Museums

Goya, tiempo y recuerdo de una época

Black Is the Color highlights key moments in the history of Black visual art, from Edmonds Lewis’s 1867 sculpture Forever Free, to the work of contemporary artists such as Whitfield Lovell, Kerry James Marshall, Ellen Gallagher, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Art historians and gallery owners place the works in context, setting them against the larger social contexts of Jim Crow, WWI, the civil rights movement and the racism of the Reagan era, while contemporary artists discuss individual works by their forerunners and their ongoing influence.

A docudrama on John F. Kennedy's early travels through Europe with his best friend Lem Billings. A road trip that would lay the foundation for JFK's later love for Europe and its countries, such as Germany.

The first American space station Skylab is found in pieces scattered in Western Australia. Putting these pieces back together and re-tracing the Skylab program back to its very conception reveals the cornerstone of human space exploration.

Luis Barragán (1902- 1988) is considered to be one of the greatest contemporary architects and one of the principal figures of twentieth-century international architecture. Since 1980, when he was granted the Pritzker Prize - the "Nobel Prize" of architecture - the poetry of his architectural language garnered vast international attention. This genius of architecture and design has forged an original style that is unmistakably Mexican and yet universal at the same time.

Part architectural genius, part kitsch fairytale, Neuschwanstein Castle is closely linked to the tragic fate of Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886). The "Mad King" poured his heart and soul into this unique construction which looks back nostalgically to the Middle Ages. A focus on the history of a building filled with dreams and legends which has become an icon of Germany around the world.

M.C. Escher is among the most intriguing of artists. In 1956 he challenged the laws of perspective with his graphic Print Gallery and his uncompleted master-piece quickly became the most puzzling enigma of modern art. Fifty years later, can mathematician Hendrik Lenstra complete it? Should he?

Amidst a mostly Catholic community, a small tiny Anglican church offers more to the community of Placentia than people may think, and holds many connections and history to the rest of the world.

The incredible life of Jorge Semprún (1923-2011): son of a republican intellectual; exiled in the early days of the Spanish Civil War; survivor of the Buchenwald concentration camp during World War II; clandestine communist in Spain during Franco's dictatorship; controversial socialist politician; acclaimed writer, screenwriter and filmmaker.

More than 2.000 years ago, Narbonne in today's Département Aude was the capital of a huge Roman province in Southern Gaul - Gallia Narbonensis. It was the second most important Roman port in the western Mediterranean and the town was one of the most important commercial hubs between the colonies and the Roman Empire, thus the town could boast a size rivaling that of the city that had established it: Rome itself. Paradoxically, the town that distinguished itself for its impressive architecture, today shows no more signs of it: neither temples, arenas, nor theaters. Far less significant Roman towns like Nîmes or Arles are full of ancient sites. Narbonne today is a tranquil town in Occitania

Lutah explores the life of Lutah Maria Riggs, an forgotten architect who had a major impact on the development of Southern California.

A film that looks at the genius of JMW Turner in a new light. There is more to Turner than his sublime landscapes - he also painted machines, science, technology and industry. Turner's life spans the Industrial Revolution, he witnessed it as it unfolded and he painted it. In the process he created a whole new kind of art. The programme examines nine key Turner paintings and shows how we should re-think them in the light of the scientific and Industrial Revolution. Includes interviews with historian Simon Schama and artist Tracey Emin.

Explorations in 21st Century American Architecture Series: Ray Kappe has long been a cult figure in the architectural scene in and around Los Angeles. In 1972, he founded the influential, avant garde Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC), where many of the younger-generation architects have studied or taught.

No understanding of the modern movement in architecture is possible without knowledge of its master builder, Mies van der Rohe. Together with documentation of his life, this film shows all his major buildings, as well as rare film footage of Mies explaining his philosophy. Phyllis Lambert relates her choice of Mies as the architect for the Seagram building. Mies's achievements and continuing influence are debated by architects Robert A.M. Stern, Robert Venturi, and Philip Johnson, by former students and by architectural historians. Mies is seen in rare documentary footage.

Director Agnès Varda and photographer/muralist JR journey through rural France and form an unlikely friendship.

Nuclear energy: a clean energy for the future or a risk for humanity? As the European Union has classed nuclear as a green energy, France is building new power plants whilst Germany is decommissioning them. An in depth look at the future of atomic energy in the coming decades.

L'Énigme de la pyramide maudite : Dahchour

From space, 400 kilometers above our heads, one man has won the hearts of the French: Thomas Pesquet. Traveling to the stars is an almost impossible dream, but for Thomas Pesquet it is a reality that he recounts in detail in an exclusive interview. You will discover the magic of living in space, the wonder of our planet, but also the reality of everyday life in zero gravity: how they sleep, how they wash, what happens to their bodies. Why do they have to exercise for two hours a day? How do they communicate with their families? With Thomas Pesquet and the help of specialists, scientists, doctors, instructors, directors, and computer-generated images, you will discover what goes on behind the scenes of a mission and understand how the International Space Station works.

Despite being closed to the public, on Tuesdays at the Louvre Museum in Paris, the day is busier than ever.

A short film by Peter Greenaway. It depicts the painting The Wedding Feast at Cana by Paolo Veronese, through mixed media and shows different perspectives.