The 100 Best Artworks of the 21st Century

In a period characterized by tumult and uncertainty, artists displayed restless creativity. Below, a look back at the greatest 100 artworks of the 21st century so far, as selected by the editors of ARTnews and Art in America.

#4 Hito Steyerl, How Not to Be Seen: A ******* Didactic .MOV File, 2013

With a series of essays and videos produced during the early 2010s, Hito Steyerl became the greatest observer of the state of total visibility brought on by the internet and rampant surveillance. Is it possible not to be seen today? Steyerl’s 2013 magnum opus asked that question, then offered a few tips, some practical, others absurdist—like “being female and over 50.” The video demystifies optical engineering by the US Air Force, green-screen technology, and more, all in 15 minutes, so as to suggest that in the age of image overload, none of us will escape becoming pixels to be played with. Her attempts to escape feel comically futile: in one memorable sequence, she smears her face with green paint, revealing color charts that were added in post-production. She goes invisible, becoming a part of the digital ether.

by Alex Greenberger

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