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5 Episodes

The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy and Madness

How artist Mark Lombardi’s brilliant genius had devastating consequences.

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About the Show

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? Was his death the ultimate conceptual art, an afterlife laugh at those who doubted his brilliance? He did, after all, carry business cards eerily portending "death defying acts of art and conspiracy." Or was he ultimately overwhelmed by the subject of his work: the financial networks connecting some of the most powerful and corrupt people on earth? His intricate drawings traced hot money, from Cold War funding to the…

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Episodes

Nov 4, 2024

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…

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Nov 11, 2024

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…

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Nov 20, 2024

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,…

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Nov 25, 2024

Mark Lombardi has met his match – a stunning blonde by the name of Day Barlow. When the couple marry at the Rothko Chapel in Houston, he feels optimistic, the…

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Dec 2, 2024

With his marriage spiraling under the strain of his obsessions, Mark returns to the cutthroat New York art scene. His friends are worried – even discourage the move – but…

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