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Monocle on Culture

Monoclemonocle.com
Robert Bound and his guests discuss what has piqued their interest in our one-stop shop for lively reports and in-depth interviews on the newest and finest in art, film, books and the media business.
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Episodes

Monocle meets British installation artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien

We sit down with legendary installation artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien. He discusses his career, early influences and his current show, ‘Isaac Julien: I Dream a World’, at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 30, 202529 min

Art Basel in Basel celebrates its 55th year

Monocle heads to the 55th edition of Art Basel in Basel. We speak with some of the event’s leadership team; gallerists reflecting on their sales; and curators and artists at the fair and beyond. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 23, 202527 min

Looking ahead to summer: music, film and TV

Robert Bound is joined by Will Hodgkinson, Hannah Strong and Rhianna Dhillon to share their picks of music, film and TV for the season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 16, 202533 min

Art books at the Warburg Institute and Tate

We explore the genre of art books at a new exhibition at London’s Warburg Institute, which explores art publishing and libraries. Plus: we meet the head of book sales and buying at the Tate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 02, 202531 min

Review: ‘The Phoenician Scheme’

Film critics Simran Hans and Leila Latif join Robert Bound to review Wes Anderson’s new movie, ‘The Phoenician Scheme’, starring Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 26, 202530 min

Exploring stories after dark with Dan Richards

We head into the night with Dan Richards, author of the new book ‘Overnight: Journeys, Conversations and Stories After Dark’. Richards celebrates all things nocturnal, from bakers and health workers to wildlife and Moomintrolls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 19, 202531 min

Sunny spring soundtracks: Marlon Williams and Morcheeba

We create a sunny soundtrack to the coming weeks with the release of two new albums. Kiwi singer Marlon Williams talks about his gorgeous record “Te Whare Tīwekaweka”, his first sung in the Māori language. Plus: we hear from Skye Edwards of the beloved UK band Morcheeba, which is back with its trademark trip-hop on the upcoming album “Escape The Chaos”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 12, 202529 min

London’s finest: Tate Modern turns 25 and Photo London turns 10

We celebrate two of London’s most esteemed arts institutions. We reflect on the Tate Modern’s immense contribution to the UK’s cultural landscape and Photo London’s effect on photography over the past decade. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 05, 202530 min

Zed Nelson’s ‘The Anthropocene Illusion’

Photographer Zed Nelson joins us in the studio to talk about his new book, ‘The Anthropocene Illusion’, which meditates on the fractured relationship between humans and nature. Plus: contemporary art in Dakar, Senegal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 28, 202531 min

Spring listening: ‘Heavyweight’ and ‘Studio Radicals’

In this podcast special, we hear from two presenters in the wonderful world of audio storytelling. The much-beloved podcast ‘Heavyweight’ involves guests engaging the help of Jonathan Goldstein to answer some unsolved aspect of their past. Ahead of the show’s return at its new home, Pushkin Industries, we catch up with Goldstein to hear about the origins of the podcast and what’s involved in its production. Plus: DJ and broadcaster Kate Hutchinson discusses her new series, ‘Studio Radicals’, whi...

Apr 21, 202530 min

New York stories – ‘One to One: John & Yoko’ and Katie Kitamura’s ‘Audition’

New York provides the backdrop to two cultural gems. Directed by Kevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-Edwards, documentary ‘One to One: John & Yoko’ follows the former Beatle and the artist as they roam Greenwich Village in the 1970s, pursuing projects, preparing for a charity concert and meeting leftist radicals. We sit down with Rice-Edwards to discuss the film. Plus: US writer Katie Kitamura tells us about her new novel, ‘Audition’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Apr 14, 202530 min

Spring preview: Upcoming exhibitions, books and album releases

We celebrate the start of spring with a slew of top-tier cultural recommendations for the new season. Robert Bound is joined in the studio by John Mitchinson, Georgie Rogers and Ossian Ward to discuss the albums, books and exhibitions that you should have on your radar this month. These include a new record by Little Simz, a book full of stories about the nocturnal world and an art event with a side of sauna. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Apr 07, 202533 min

‘Severance’ creator Dan Erickson dissects season two

Apple TV+’s ‘Severance’ is a dystopian workplace drama that has become one of the most talked-about television series in recent years. Following the dramatic end to season two, we sit down with its creator, writer and executive producer, Dan Erickson. Plus: we find out about the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival, which brings the best contemporary and classic Polish cinema to venues across the UK. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Mar 31, 202529 min

The wonderful world of Alabaster DePlume

UK musician Alabaster DePlume tells us about his new album, ‘A Blade Because a Blade Is Whole’, and his upcoming tour. DePlume has been drawing ever-larger audiences with his blend of evocative saxophone playing, confident orchestration and music that stays long in the memory. Plus, we meet Swiss visual artist Pascal Sender to discuss his new London exhibition, which incorporates augmented reality to beguiling effect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Mar 24, 202531 min

Theatre special: the puppets of ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ and the Beckett Biennale

We sit down with puppeteer Basil Twist, the creator of the stunning puppets at the heart of stage production ‘My Neighbour Totoro’. Then: we catch up with Séan Doran, the artistic director of Arts Over Borders. He’s leading the charge with a major new Samuel Beckett biennale and a rather extraordinary multi-decade production of one Beckett play. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 17, 202531 min

Dispatch from Arco Madrid 2025

We report from Spain’s biggest contemporary-art fair, Arco Madrid. Every year, exhibition space Ifema Madrid plays host to a rich variety of galleries, curatorial presentations and many beautiful works. It’s here that the art worlds of old Europe and Latin America are brought together under one roof, with the rest of the globe invited too. We hear from one of the curators behind the ‘Amazofuturism’ section, leading gallerists from around the world and Arco’s leadership. See omnystudio.com/listen...

Mar 10, 202530 min

What’s the legacy of ‘The Face’ magazine?

We head to ‘The Face: Culture Shift’, a new exhibition at London’s National Portrait Gallery celebrating the magazine’s photography and effect on popular culture. The show is a who’s who of contemporary cool and an ode to the power of print media. We discuss the legacy of the publication with the exhibition’s curator, Sabina Jaskot-Gill; former editor of ‘The Face’ Johnny Davis; and Monocle’s editor in chief, Andrew Tuck. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Mar 03, 202528 min

An Oscars nomination special

Robert Bound highlights select nominees for the 97th Academy Awards. We hear from ‘Sing Sing’ director Greg Kwedar; lead special make-up effects designer for ‘The Substance’, Pierre-Olivier Persin; ‘The Wild Robot’ director, Chris Sanders; and co-directors of the documentary ‘No Other Land’, Yuval Abraham and Basel Adra. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 24, 202532 min

The captivating work of Noah Davis

We visit two new exhibitions in London by two very different US artists. First, we’ll hear from the curator of the UK’s first Noah Davis exhibition. The glorious, sweeping show at the Barbican serves as a worthy tribute to the late, great painter. Then: we’ll hear from high-spirited octogenarian Joseph Kosuth, whose show at Sprüth Magers features works from his six decades spent as a pioneer of conceptual and installation art. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Feb 10, 202528 min

Vashti Bunyan

British singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan is celebrating her 80th birthday with a new edition of her 2005 record ‘Lookaftering’, including added demos, live versions and sleeve notes from its producer, Max Richter. The lyric booklet features paintings by Bunyan’s daughter, which beautifully brings to life the wistful, dreamy tracks. Robert Bounds sits down with Vashti Bunyan to discuss the cult reception to her work and how a new generation breathed new life into her music. See omnystudio.com/list...

Feb 03, 202530 min

Eddie Chacon

Eddie Chacon shot to fame as part of the duo Charles & Eddie, alongside the late Charles Pettigrew, with the release of their enduring 1992 single ‘Would I Lie to You?’ In the years after Charles & Eddie amicably split in 1997, Chacon explored another passion of his: fashion photography. But music called him back and, in 2020, he released the solo album ‘Pleasure, Joy and Happiness’, followed by ‘Sundown’ in 2023. Now he has returned with the gorgeous new record ‘Lay Low’. On today’s sho...

Jan 27, 202533 min

2025 on the stage

Nancy Durrant and Matt Wolf join Robert Bound in the studio to discuss the best theatre shows coming to the stage in 2025, including a new production of a West End classic, a play about the experiences of the Windrush generation and a critically acclaimed performance by an Olivier award-winning actress. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 21, 202528 min

The best cultural releases of 2025

We look ahead to the most exciting books, films and exhibitions in 2025, from the first international retrospective of a beloved US artist to a political thriller so potent that its director was forced to flee his home country. John Mitchinson, Francesca Gavin and Simran Hans join Robert Bound in the studio to let you know what should be on your cultural radar in the coming months. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 13, 202537 min

‘Nickel Boys’ and ‘Babygirl’

We start the year off with a bang by celebrating the release of two fantastic new films. We hear from director RaMell Ross about ‘Nickel Boys’, a formally inventive and beautifully rendered adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Colson Whitehead. Then: erotic thriller ‘Babygirl’, starring Nicole Kidman, depicts a lustful affair between a CEO and an intern. Monocle’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco sits down with director Halina Reijn to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Jan 06, 202527 min

The year in review

Laura Snapes, Toby Earle and Mia Levitin join Robert Bound in the studio to round up the best of this year’s albums, TV and books. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 30, 202431 min
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