NEW YORK, NY.- Civilizations is a gorgeously filmed epic that celebrates how important art, music, creativity, beauty and aesthetics are to the core of who we are as a species. Whether expressing spirituality, political power, or the beauty of nature or the human form; whether through sculpture, architecture, painting or music, art is the foundation of every civilization in every corner of the globe and continues to be central to who we are and how we relate to one another.

It is inspired by Kenneth Clark’s landmark 1969 series Civilisation. While that series focused exclusively on western civilization, the new nine-part series expands well beyond the limits of that construct, and examines the relationship between art and civilizations across the globe and how these two pillars have shaped each other.

Joining the hosts on this journey are the some of the world’s leading scholars and experts of History (Maya Jasanoff, William Dalrymple); Archaeology and Ethnology (Eduardo Matos Moctezuma, Jack Davis, Sharon Stocker, William & Barbara Fash, Janice Xiuzhen Li); Art (Jonathan Jones, Jay Xu, Andrew Stewart, Ang Choulean, Joachim Pisarro); Architecture (Nasser Rabbatt) and Religion (Jamal J Elias; Juan Carlos Henriquez).

The series also brings history into the present with renowned contemporary artists, including Damien Hirst, Kara Walker, Richard Misrach, Shazia Sikander, Edgar Heap-of-Birds, Antony Gormley, Kehinde Wiley, Sangeeta Abhay, Julien Breton, Olivia Fraser, Sophie Matisse and more.

Historical works and artifacts covered in the series include the 35,000-year-old “Lion Man,” the Venus of Brassempouy, the cave paintings of Monte Castillo, ancient bronze masks of Sanxingdui in China, Mayan hieroglyphs, sculptures and carvings of Calakmul, the Colossi of Memon, the Terracotta Army, Buddhist paintings in the Anjata Caves of India, Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, the Benin Bronzes of Nigeria and many others.