Episode 1: Marcel Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp fundamentally transformed 20th-century art by challenging traditional definitions of creativity and authorship. By introducing "readymades"—everyday objects like urinals and bicycle wheels—Duchamp rejected aesthetic taste and craftsmanship in favor of intellectual engagement. This radical approach mirrored his lifelong obsession with chess, a game he viewed as a strategic, intellectual pursuit devoid of chance. His career, marked by the rejection of conventional avant-garde expectations, culminated in the secretive, two-decade-long creation of *Étant donnés*. Experts Francis Naumann and Ann Temkin highlight how Duchamp’s strategic, game-like decision-making process allowed him to bypass the limitations of the art world, ultimately positioning art as a medium for the mind rather than merely a visual or manual skill.