The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy and Madness

Mark Lombardi, a conceptual artist on the cusp of international success, had everything to live for. So why was the 48-year-old found hanged and deemed suicidal? In this special pre-season bonus episode, Farah Halime speaks with contemporary art curator and museum director Lawrence Rinder to shed light on Mark Lombardi’s art and legacy. Lawrence was curator at The Whitney Museum in 2000 and acquired a Mark Lombardi piece called the BCCI, a very large, very significant work of art that can be described as elusive and metaphysical. It is this work of art the FBI asked to see after 9/11.The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy and Madness is the story of a conceptual artist’s rise to fame whose brilliant genius had devastating consequences. Episode one of The Illuminator will be released on 11th November 2024, with new episodes out on Mondays. Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus for early release episodes and ad-free listening.

In March 2000, conceptual artist Mark Lombardi was on the cusp of something he’d always dreamed of. With two solo art shows complete, he was about to gain international recognition for his work. So why was the 48-year-old found dead in his New York apartment? Could Mark’s work have had something to do with his untimely death? His intricate line drawings blur the line between art and investigative journalism, revealing startling connections between political and financial power brokers around the world. Reeling from his loss, Mark’s friends reconsider what they knew about him. Even in his late 40s, a latecomer to the art scene, he’d been tirelessly ambitious and hungry for success. But the more his art revealed about the world, the looser Mark’s grip on it became. Was he really being watched, or was he just paranoid? When the FBI comes calling, requesting to view his masterwork, it can no longer be dismissed as conspiracy. But Mark is already dead. This is episode one of The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy, and Madness, a new series from Brazen, hosted by Ako Mitchell. For early access to new episodes, ad-free listening, and more, subscribe to Brazen+ at brazen.fm/plus.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the FBI is scrambling to identify the perpetrators of the attacks. The investigation brings its agents to the door of the Whitney Museum of Art, where Mark Lombardi’s most significant work, BCCI-ICIC & FAB, is housed. For some time, it looked as if Mark’s career in art would amount to nothing at all. His galleries fail, he clashes with bosses, and leaves a prestigious post as an assistant curator. But when he takes a new job at Houston Public Library, Mark discovers a talent for meticulous research. He begins collecting information to the point of obsession. It puts him on the path to creating his greatest work: a vast drawing tracing connections between the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, the CIA, and associates of Osama bin Laden. But just how did this conceptual artist come to uncover information of interest to the FBI? As it turns out, it wasn’t through library work alone. This is episode two of The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy, and Madness, a new series from Brazen, hosted by Ako Mitchell. For early access to new episodes, ad-free listening, and more, subscribe to Brazen+ at brazen.fm/plus.