Monocle on Culture

Saint Etienne on their 13th and final album, ‘International’

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Sarah Cracknell and Pete Wiggs from beloved British pop band Saint Etienne. They discuss their upcoming album, ‘International’, which will be their last.

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Summer books special: Fredrik Backman, Christopher Bollen and our recommended reading

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 17:27:10 +0000

In our summer books special, Fredrik Backman discusses his latest book, ‘My Friends’, and Christopher Bollen talks about his novel ‘Havoc’. Plus: Georgina Godwin shares her recommended reading for the season.

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Summer music special: Green Man Festival and the season’s best albums

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0000

In our summer music special, we hear from Green Man Festival owner Fiona Stewart about what to expect from this year’s edition of the independent event. Plus: Kate Hutchinson with this season’s top-three albums.

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Summer art special: Gilbert & George, Australia’s Aboriginal art centres and Romanian painter Marius Bercea

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 16:34:39 +0000

In our summer art special, we visit an exhibition in London from Gilbert & George, head down under to find out about the art centres producing Aboriginal art and hear from a contemporary Romanian painter.

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An exploration of the new Nick Drake boxset, “The Making of Five Leaves Left”

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 17:39:47 +0000

A new edition of Nick Drake’s “Five Leaves Left” record has been released, which includes previously unheard outtakes. Robert Bound explores the new release with Cally Callomon and Richard Morton Jack.

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Documentary filmmaker Lauren Greenfield on her groundbreaking series, ‘Social Studies’

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 17:45:16 +0000

The documentary series ‘Social Studies’ explores the culture of social media, with insight into the real-life habits of teenagers. We catch up with the filmmaker behind the series, Lauren Greenfield, to find out more.

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Summer exhibitions: Jenny Saville and ‘Once Upon a Time in London’

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 17:50:14 +0000

We head to two major exhibitions taking place this summer: ‘Once Upon a Time in London’ at Saatchi Yates and ‘Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting’ at the National Portrait Gallery.

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Photographer Dennis Morris reflects on his extraordinary career

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 13:35:06 +0000

British photographer Dennis Morris joins Robert Bound in the studio to discuss his extraordinary career and well-loved images of Bob Marley and the Sex Pistols.

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Monocle meets British installation artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 16:12:56 +0000

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.

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Art Basel in Basel celebrates its 55th year

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 16:57:56 +0000

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.

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Looking ahead to summer: music, film and TV

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 18:55:00 +0000

Robert Bound is joined by Will Hodgkinson, Hannah Strong and Rhianna Dhillon to share their picks of music, film and TV for the season.

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Goodwood Art Foundation launches as a wonderful new destination for contemporary art

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:52:57 +0000

We head to Sussex to celebrate the newly opened Goodwood Art Foundation. We speak to curator Ann Gallagher, artist Rachel Whiteread and Goodwood Estate proprietor Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox.

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Art books at the Warburg Institute and Tate

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 18:55:00 +0000

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.

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Review: ‘The Phoenician Scheme’

Mon, 26 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000

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.

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Exploring stories after dark with Dan Richards

Mon, 19 May 2025 19:00:00 +0000

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.

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Sunny spring soundtracks: Marlon Williams and Morcheeba

Mon, 12 May 2025 17:14:41 +0000

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”.

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

Mon, 05 May 2025 16:30:00 +0000

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.

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Zed Nelson’s ‘The Anthropocene Illusion’

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 16:58:26 +0000

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.

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Spring listening: ‘Heavyweight’ and ‘Studio Radicals’

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0000

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’, which puts musicians, producers and engineers in the spotlight.

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

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 17:50:05 +0000

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’.

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Spring preview: Upcoming exhibitions, books and album releases

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:42:51 +0000

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.

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‘Severance’ creator Dan Erickson dissects season two

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 17:00:00 +0000

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.

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The wonderful world of Alabaster DePlume

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 17:56:53 +0000

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.

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

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000

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.

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Dispatch from Arco Madrid 2025

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 18:46:06 +0000

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.

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

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 17:18:25 +0000

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.

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An Oscars nomination special

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:26:33 +0000

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.

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Iranian New Wave cinema, London’s Sadler’s Wells East and the Château La Coste in Provence

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 18:29:25 +0000

We find out how to design a dance venue from the inside out at Sadler’s Wells East in London. Also in the UK capital, we immerse ourselves in ‘Masterpieces of the Iranian New Wave’ at the Barbican. Plus, art and architecture at Provence’s Château La Coste.

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The captivating work of Noah Davis

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 20:00:00 +0000

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.

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Vashti Bunyan

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 18:11:48 +0000

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.

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Eddie Chacon

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:00:00 +0000

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 show, Chacon joins Robert Bound in the studio to discuss his unique, heartfelt strain of R&B and the inspiration behind the dreamy tracks on his new record.

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2025 on the stage

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 16:13:49 +0000

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.

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The best cultural releases of 2025

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 17:13:22 +0000

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.

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‘Nickel Boys’ and ‘Babygirl’

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 20:00:00 +0000

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.

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The year in review

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 20:00:00 +0000

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.

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The best of 2024

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:00:00 +0000

We share highlights from this year's programme, including interviews with the likes of Hans Zimmer and Maggi Hambling, and a very special session with folk duo The Staves.

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The best Christmas music of 2024

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 20:00:00 +0000

Georgie Rogers and Will Hodgkinson join Robert Bound in the studio for our annual review of the season’s best festive music releases, including albums and singles from Orville Peck, Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Fallon.

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Takashi Murakami and Tate Modern’s ‘Electric Dreams’

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 20:00:00 +0000

We visit two new London exhibitions. ‘Japanese Art History à la Takashi Murakami’ at Gagosian’s Grosvenor Hill outpost offers the contemporary artist’s interpretations of Edo-era artworks. We sit down with Murakami to discuss AI, where he finds inspiration and the atmosphere that he likes to create in his studio. Plus, we meet the curator of ‘Electric Dreams’ at London’s Tate Modern.

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New documentaries: ‘The Bibi Files’ and ‘Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes’

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 14:53:11 +0000

We cover the release of two fascinating and revealing documentaries. Both take a sideways look at men we’re familiar with from their public – and vastly different – profiles: one as a world leader and the other as an icon of Hollywood’s golden age. ‘The Bibi Files’, directed by Alexis Bloom, uses leaked interrogation footage of Benjamin Netanyahu to explore contemporary Israeli politics. Then, ‘Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes’, directed by Kathryn Ferguson, takes a behind-the-scenes look at actor Humphrey Bogart.

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Hank Willis Thomas

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 17:28:04 +0000

Hank Willis Thomas is a US artist who works across media to explore themes including identity, popular culture and mass media. We meet him at his exhibition of collages, ‘Kinship of the Soul’, at London’s Pace Gallery.

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Steve McQueen and ‘Blitz’

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 18:52:31 +0000

Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen is known for his in-depth, human exploration of characters and history, which is executed with an artist’s eye. We speak to McQueen about the release of his new film, ‘Blitz’, which details the lives of 20th-century Britons during the Second World War. Then: Monocle’s Fernando Augesto Pacheco and ‘Monocle on Culture’ regular Leila Latif share their takes on the film. Plus: titles to look out for this winter.

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20 years of Nonclassical

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 18:25:44 +0000

We celebrate 20 years of music promoter, record label and events producer Nonclassical. Over the past two decades, the organisation has been at the forefront of classical, experimental and electronic music, leading the way with innovative and genre-defying sounds. Robert Bound sits down with composer and founder Gabriel Prokofiev and composer Tonia Ko.

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‘Box Office Poison’

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 19:31:16 +0000

We sit down with Tim Robey, author of the new book ‘Box Office Poison: Hollywood’s Story in a Century of Flops’. This alternative history of cinema recounts the industry’s biggest bombs, including how they came to be made and what they tell us about both the Hollywood machine and the public who eschewed them.

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Walla Walla Foundry, a new Italian film and French pop star Zaho de Sagazan

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 18:54:55 +0000

We head to Rome to find out about a new film dedicated to the Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1970s before visiting one of the world’s largest contemporary art foundries in Walla Walla. Plus: an interview with French pop star Zaho de Sagazan.

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Gran Turismo Folgore: A Lucca Roadtrip

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:08:13 +0000

As this special episode pauses to consider elements of great design, it is important to not overcomplicate matters. Sometimes, all you need is four wheels and a beating heart. Monocle’s Italian odyssey concludes with a second roadtrip in another of Maserati’s powerful new all-electric sports cars: the Gran Turismo Folgore. Joining us for the ride are Maserati’s head of design, Klaus Busse, and food writer Luca Cesari.

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A new ballet based on the life and writing of Oscar Wilde

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 19:00:00 +0000

We find out about ‘Oscar’, a ballet based on the life and work of Oscar Wilde. Plus: artist Sophie Matisse tells us about designing chess sets, and writer and translator Bruna Dantas Lobato discusses her new book, ‘Blue Light Hours’.

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Asymmetry and Heartland at Noma

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:00:00 +0000

We venture from Monocle’s Marylebone HQ to London’s Dalston to learn about an organisation looking east. Asymmetry is an unusual, forward-thinking foundation dedicated to developing cultural knowledge in and about Asia. Plus: we head to Copenhagen to find out about Danish festival Heartland’s takeover of famed restaurant Noma.

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The ghost and spirit of Mike Kelley

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:00:00 +0000

We explore the world of US artist Mike Kelley with the first UK exhibition of his work at the Tate Modern. ‘Ghost and Spirit’ shows Kelley’s influential and experimental practice ranging from drawings and collages to multimedia installations of “dark pop art”. Robert Bound speaks to Catherine Wood, the Tate Modern’s director of programme, about the show. Plus: Lisson Gallery content director Ossian Ward shares his view of Kelley’s imaginative career.

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Public Service Broadcasting and concept albums

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 17:20:06 +0000

To celebrate the release of Public Service Broadcasting’s *The Last Flight*, we explore the world of concept albums. Robert Bound speaks to the band’s J Willgoose, Esq about the making of the album, which explores aviator Amelia Earhart’s final takeoff. To continue the theme, Monocle’s contributing editor Andrew Mueller digs deep into weird and wonderful LPs, while writer Natty Kasambala and Will Hodgkinson, music critic at ‘The Times’, share their favourite concept albums.

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Gran Cabrio Folgore: a Carrara roadtrip

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Making a masterpiece begins with a vision. And where else to start than with the beloved Italian marque Maserati’s new powerful, all-electric sports car: the Gran Cabrio Folgore. As summer turns to autumn, we engage the roof, connect the charger and hit the road. Join us. Featuring Maserati’s head of design Klaus Busse and sculptor Valeria Greco.

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‘The Goldman Case’ and ‘Sugarcane’

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 17:32:17 +0000

We discuss two new films in this week’s episode. ‘The Goldman Case’ dramatises the 1976 trial of revolutionary left-wing intellectual Pierre Goldman and is a thrilling retelling of a momentous event in French legal history. Plus: we speak to the directors behind the new documentary ‘Sugarcane’, which follows an investigation into the Canadian Indian residential school system.

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Ukraine’s musical heritage, Agnes Varda and Marina Abramovic’s new London show

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 16:58:20 +0000

Monocle’s Andrew Mueller finds out about Soviet-era rock’n’roll in Ukraine ahead of the release of ‘Even The Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971-1996’. Plus: we discuss a new biography about filmmaker Agnes Varda and hear from Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovic.

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‘Street-Level Superstar, A Year With Lawrence’

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:58:26 +0000

Robert Bound is joined in the studio by writer and ‘Monocle on Culture’ regular Will Hodgkinson to discuss his new book, ‘Street-Level Superstar, A Year With Lawrence’ . The book tells the story of Lawrence, the founder of the band Felt, and later, Denim. Is he the greatest pop star that never was?

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David Peace

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 16:50:50 +0000

Robert Bound is joined in the studio by writer David Peace to discuss his new book, ‘Munichs’. The novel tells the story of the 1958 Munich air disaster, in which 23 people – including eight Manchester United players and three officials – were fatally injured when their plane crashed. Peace’s dramatisation is a tender story of stoicism, sadness and strength.

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‘Sing Sing’

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 17:03:34 +0000

We explore the new film ‘Sing Sing’, which follows a group of incarcerated men taking part in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts theatre programme at a notorious prison. The film stars Colman Domingo alongside a cast largely made up of the programme’s former participants. Robert Bound sits down with director Greg Kwedar to find out more about the making of the extraordinary film.

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The Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the ‘Hafla’ exhibition at Sotheby’s

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 16:36:23 +0000

Natasha Tripney reports from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and selects the top theatre picks at the monthlong event. Plus, Robert Bound heads to ‘Hafla’, a celebration of Middle Eastern culture at the New Bond Street headquarters of Sotheby’s.

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Review: ‘Tuesday’

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 17:15:34 +0000

Film critics Caspar Salmon and Leila Latif join Robert Bound in the studio to review A24’s latest film, ‘Tuesday’, directed by Daina O Pusić. Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as a mother whose daughter, played by Lola Petticrew, has a terminal illness. A difficult situation becomes more painful – and far stranger – with the arrival of death in the form of a talking bird. Plus, our critics share their favourite films currently in cinemas.

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Summer films: ‘Agent of Happiness’, ‘Daughters’ and ‘Kneecap’

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 17:45:06 +0000

In our summer film special, we find out about three great big-screen releases. We hear about a happiness agent in the Bhutanese Himalayas in ‘Agent of Happiness’, explore the moving new Netflix film ‘Daughters’ and jump into the chaotic world of an Irish-language rapping group in ‘Kneecap’.

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Summer reading: John Niven’s ‘O Brother’ and Mariel Franklin’s ‘Bonding’

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 17:54:06 +0000

In our summer books special, we sit down with two brilliant writers. First we hear from Scottish author and screenwriter John Niven, whose moving 2023 memoir ‘O Brother’ is now out in paperback. Then we meet first-time novelist Mariel Franklin, whose debut, ‘Bonding’, is a smart, pertinent book about sex, technology and friendship.

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Summer art special: Lonnie Holley, Ukrainian modernism and Les Rencontres d’Arles

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 16:52:12 +0000

We highlight three events that should be on your radar, starting with a trip to London’s Royal Academy of Arts to explore Ukrainian modernism. Then we head to the south of France for this year’s edition of a major summer photography festival, before hearing from US artist Lonnie Holley at his new show at London’s Camden Art Centre, ‘All Rendered Truth’.

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Leading the charge: a journey down the French Riviera in the Cadillac Lyriq, part three

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Alongside General Motors, partner of ‘Monocle on Culture’, we share the third and final part in our series of special programmes. In this episode, we finish our Côte d’Azur road trip in Cannes and explore the relationship between the city, cars and the film world. Plus: we find out how the elegant style of the Carlton Cannes staff has been influenced by cinema over the years.

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Summer music: Cassandra Jenkins and a new documentary about Blur

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 17:30:00 +0000

New York-based artist and musician Cassandra Jenkins discusses her new album, ‘My Light, My Destroyer’. The spellbinding new record is a tangle of cranked guitars, close-mic confessionals and wonderfully melodic songwriting. Plus: we celebrate ‘To the End’, a new documentary about Blur, with the film’s director, Toby L.

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Leading the charge: a journey down the French Riviera in the Cadillac Lyriq, part two

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Alongside General Motors, partner of ‘Monocle on Culture’, we share the second in our three-part series of special programmes. In this episode, we continue our journey down the Côte d’Azur, with time to ponder a quick dip at the Club Dauphin. Along the way we tap into the design world of the Cadillac Lyriq with designer Magalie Debellis. Plus: we hear from design guru Stephen Bayley and colour expert and historian Kassia St Clair.

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Looking ahead to the summer in culture

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 17:35:13 +0000

Rhianna Dhillon, Ammar Kalia and Matt Wolf join Robert Bound to preview this summer’s best music, theatre and television. They discuss a TV show set in the murky waters of Baltimore, an upcoming album from one of the UK’s most revered producers and the Broadway debut of an actor fresh from an Oscar-winning role.

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Leading the charge: a journey down the Côte d’Azur in the Cadillac Lyriq, part one

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:10:43 +0000

Alongside Monocle on Culture’s partner, General Motors, we share the first in a three-part series of special programmes. In this episode, we jump in the new Cadillac Lyriq to begin a stunning road trip down the Côte d’Azur. En route, we find out about the sound world of the new marque with General Motors’ creative sound director, Jay Kapadia, and hear about the perfect driving playlist from composer Max Richter and chef Massimo Bottura.

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Pearl Lam

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 18:06:11 +0000

We meet Pearl Lam, one of the world’s leading experts on Asian art. Over the past two decades, her eponymous galleries in Hong Kong and Shanghai have become top destinations for collectors drawn in by her exquisite taste, international outlook and commitment to rewriting narratives about Eastern art. Lam joins Robert Bound at Midori House to discuss her journey into the art world, how her gallery plans to support up-and-coming African artists and her new podcast.

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Art and democracy: Agnieszka Holland and Nadya Tolokonnikova

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 19:30:00 +0000

We meet two figures in the cultural world known both for their creative practice, as well as their brave attitude towards speaking truth to power. Robert Bound speaks to Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland about her new film ‘Green Border’ and Alexei Korolyov meets Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova to discuss her new exhibition in Linz, Austria.

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‘Bye Bye Tiberias’, artist Zanele Muholi’s new exhibition and a novel by Gabriel García Márquez’s grandson

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 17:19:00 +0000

We hear from Lina Soualem about her new film, ‘Bye Bye Tiberias’, which documents the life of her mother, the actress Hiam Abbass, and four generations of Palestinian women. Plus: we head to Zanele Muholi’s new show at Tate Modern and find out about the darkly funny debut novel by Mateo García Elizondo.

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Richard Linklater

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:21:37 +0000

Richard Linklater is known for both small-budget, big hitting films like ‘Dazed and Confused’ and box-office hits such as ‘School of Rock’. His latest film, ‘Hit Man’, is a comedic thriller starring Glen Powell as the mild-mannered Gary Johnson. He is a college professor who leads an extraordinary double life working undercover for the police as a fake hitman. We meet director Richard Linklater and hear from ‘Monocle on Culture’ regular Hannah Strong for her take on the film.

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The inescapable influence of Franz Kafka

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:38:26 +0000

On the centenary of his death, we reflect on the legacy of Czech writer Franz Kafka. Alongside writer and literary critic Chris Power, we celebrate Kafka by way of his unexpurgated diaries which have recently been translated into English for the first time. Then screenwriter and short-story author Charlie Kaufman discusses his story in his new collection, ‘A Cage Went in Search of a Bird’.

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Venice Biennale 2024, part 2

Mon, 27 May 2024 19:00:00 +0000

We bring you the second part of our coverage from this year’s Venice Biennale. We hear from the artist representing Great Britain, whose work reconsiders the act of listening, find out about the works of the Greenlandic photographer in the Denmark Pavilion and explore Turkey’s politically engaged presentation. Plus: we head to an uninhabited Venetian island for a special performance.

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Art legends Gilbert & George, Tunis’ new cultural scene and singer-songwriter Richard Thompson

Mon, 20 May 2024 17:57:24 +0000

We hear from contemporary art legends Gilbert and George, at their new exhibition in East London. Then we head to Tunis to take the temperature of the art scene and meet gallerist Selma Feriani. Plus: Richard Thompson drops into Midori House to play a song from his new album.

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Fraud and fortune in today’s art market

Mon, 13 May 2024 17:48:40 +0000

We meet Orlando Whitfield, once the best friend of Inigo Philbrick, to hear about the story of how Philbrick, a young contemporary art dealer, was convicted of wire fraud. Whitfield’s new book, ‘All That Glitters’, details the pair’s friendship, Philbrick’s downfall and Whitfield’s experience of the world of fine art. Plus: commentator Melanie Gerlis puts the story of Inigo Philbrick into the wider context of today’s art market.

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‘The Fall Guy’ and a celebration of stunt performers

Mon, 06 May 2024 11:07:00 +0000

We discuss David Leitch’s new film, ‘The Fall Guy’, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. We explore how the film celebrates the art of stunt performance, meet a stuntman to find out more about the job and ask how stunts affect the legalities of film production.

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Venice Biennale 2024

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 18:35:46 +0000

We bring you our dispatch from the 60th edition of the world’s most prestigious art event, which takes the temperature of contemporary art right now. In the first of two programmes, we meet the artists behind the Ethiopian, South Korean and Romanian pavilions.

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Star style: the art of crafting a look

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:00:40 +0000

Robert Bound visits Tate Britain’s ‘Sargent and Fashion’ exhibition to explore the painter’s role as a pioneer of the art of styling. We also speak to Suzi Ronson about her memoir, ‘Me and Mr Jones: My Life with David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars’, and how she crafted many of the singer’s iconic looks. Plus, we hear from stylist Emily Evans.

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Maggie Rogers

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 16:52:24 +0000

We meet American singer-songwriter and producer Maggie Rogers, who shot to fame after a 2016 video showed her wowing Pharrell Williams with her track ‘Alaska’. In the years since, she has released two albums, amassed a legion of fans and a Grammy nomination. Her third record, ‘Don't Forget Me’, was written with co-writer and co-producer Ian Fitchuk over five days. Rogers discusses the process of making the album, its road-trip feel and the notion of genre.

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Spring preview

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 17:25:30 +0000

Toby Earle, Susannah Butter and Natty Kasambala join Robert Bound in the studio to discuss the best upcoming releases of this season in TV, books and music. These include the latest work from one of the UK’s most popular romantic novelists, the long-awaited debut album from an indie-pop darling and a drama starring Kate Winslet as the leader of an unnamed Central European nation.

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Maggi Hambling

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 10:13:52 +0000

In the course of her 50-year career, British artist Maggi Hambling has made a name for herself with her dynamic, expressionist paintings and often controversial public sculptures. Hambling joins Robert Bound in the studio to discuss everything from her new show in Hong Kong and her very first cigarette to the elusive nature of the muse.

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The Staves

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 15:47:48 +0000

Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor, the sisters behind English indie-folk band The Staves, join Robert Bound in the studio. Their John Congleton-produced fifth LP, ‘All Now’, is lyrically rich and full of moments of euphoria. They discuss how to work with your siblings, finding the confidence to make bold decisions and why they always return to an early influence: ‘Sister Act’.

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Lauren Oyler

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:04:15 +0000

Cultural critic and novelist Lauren Oyler’s essays and reviews have caused a stir online. She joins Robert Bound in the studio to discuss her new book of essays, ‘No Judgement’. Oyler muses on gossip, Goodreads, expat life in Berlin and her experience of trying ‘jaw yoga’ to ease her anxiety-fuelled teeth-grinding.

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Spain’s international contemporary art fair Arco Madrid

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 18:42:30 +0000

We head to the Spanish capital for a special edition of the programme from Arco Madrid. As well as being a major contemporary art market platform, the fair has a strong curatorial core and deep connections with the Latin American scene. We meet the fair’s director and one of its leading curators. Plus: we find out about a major merger in Spain and hear from the artist representing the country at this year’s Venice Biennale.

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‘Io Capitano', Lana Lubany and the first AI-created artworks

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 18:00:25 +0000

We meet the director and script consultant of ‘Io Capitano’, the stirring Oscar-nominated film that follows two Senegalese teenagers as they try to make their way from their homeland to Europe. Plus: we catch up with the Palestinian-American singer Lana Lubany, and find out about a computer program that used AI to create artworks 50 years ago.

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Hans Zimmer

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 17:39:02 +0000

Ahead of the release of ‘Dune: Part Two’, we speak to the legendary film score composer and music producer, Hans Zimmer. He discusses his love for Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, his approach to world building and how he was once fired by the BBC. Plus: ‘Monocle on Culture’ contributor Leila Latif shares her thoughts on the new film.

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Yoko Ono’s endless imagination

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:37:51 +0000

We head to London’s Tate Modern gallery for ‘Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind’. The UK’s largest-ever exhibition on the work of the artist and activist, it brings together her performances, films, music, photography and more. Robert Bound speaks to its curator, Juliet Bingham, arts journalist Andrew Male and broadcaster Jennifer Lucy Allan.

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The untold story of Cymande and the return of Pina Bausch’s ‘Nelken’

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:47:11 +0000

We explore the world of Cymande, a 1970s jazz-funk group that is the subject of a new documentary, ‘Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande’. Robert Bound meets band members Patrick Patterson and Steve Scipio, and catches up with the documentary’s director, Tim Mackenzie-Smith. Plus: as ‘Nelken’, Pina Bausch’s signature work of contemporary dance, returns to the stage, we hear from dancer Christopher Tandy.

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The Last Dinner Party

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 18:27:02 +0000

We meet Abigail Morris, Georgia Davis and Lizzie Mayland from UK indie band The Last Dinner Party. After signing with Island Records, the group won the Rising Star Award at the Brits and topped the BBC’s Sound of 2024 list – all without having released an album. Now that their debut, ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’, has arrived, Robert Bound meets them to discuss their influences, outfits and penchant for guitar solos.

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‘The Zone of Interest’

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 17:24:32 +0000

We discuss ‘The Zone of Interest’, the latest film by UK film director Jonathan Glazer. Loosely based on Martin Amis’s novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Rudolf Höss, camp commandant at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and his wife as they build an idyllic life for their family as the Holocaust unfolds. We speak to Christian Friedel, who plays Höss, and film critic Jason Solomons.

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A deep dive into the career and character of Werner Herzog

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 18:00:57 +0000

We dive into the unique career and personality of filmmaker Werner Herzog. We catch up with Thomas von Steinaecker, the director of a new documentary, ‘Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer’, which paints a portrait of the man behind the camera. Plus: we hear from one of Herzog’s friends and collaborators, Herbert Golder.

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Treading the boards in 2024

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 18:13:35 +0000

Nancy Durrant and Matt Wolf join Robert Bound in the studio to preview the very best theatre to look forward to in 2024. They discuss a lively ska musical, a new play about the architect of the NHS, a Broadway debut from one of America’s biggest comedic actors and much more.

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Looking ahead at the year in culture

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 18:23:01 +0000

Ashanti Omkar, Ossian Ward and Chris Power join Robert Bound in the studio to round up the TV shows, art exhibitions and books that you should have on your radar this year.

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Review: ‘The Boy and the Heron’

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 15:38:03 +0000

Film critics Simran Hans and Tim Robey join Robert Bound in the studio to review Hayao Miyazaki’s new film, ‘The Boy and the Heron’.

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Best of Monocle on Culture 2023

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 20:00:00 +0000

We bring you the best of this year’s Monocle on Culture, including singer Jessie Ware, ‘Oppenheimer’ director Christopher Nolan and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Colson Whitehead.

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2023 in review

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 17:57:46 +0000

Laura Snapes, Andrew Male and Leila Latif join Robert Bound in the studio to round up the best of this year’s albums, books and films.

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The best Christmas music of 2023

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 18:06:54 +0000

Georgie Rogers and Will Hodgkinson join Robert Bound in the studio for our annual review of the season’s best festive music releases, including albums and singles from Cher, Blue Man Group and Wheatus.

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200 episodes of ‘Backlisted’

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 16:37:27 +0000

We celebrate 200 episodes of books podcast ‘Backlisted’. Launched in 2015, it features books that have fallen out of fashion, favour or print. Alongside their guests, hosts John Mitchinson and Andy Miller breathe new life into these old books with generosity and warmth, creating the perfect environment to learn about your next favourite author.

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Review: ‘The Eternal Daughter’

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:51:07 +0000

British director Joanna Hogg’s ‘The Eternal Daughter’ stars Tilda Swinton as a mother and daughter pairing who book into a grand but chilly country house hotel for a birthday holiday. Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Clarisse Loughrey and Christina Newland to review the eerie new film, which swirls in a gothic fog.

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An encyclopaedia of The Cure and the surprising world of rabbi portraiture

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 18:16:53 +0000

We meet Simon Price, author of ‘Curepedia: An A-Z of The Cure’, a lavish new chronicle of all things related to the British rock band. Plus: we head to Los Angeles to delve into the world of rabbinical portraiture and meet a collector-turned-creator of the unusual works.

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John le Carré and the nature of truth

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 17:07:26 +0000

We discuss the world and words of spies on today’s show. Robert Bound sits down with Errol Morris to discuss his new film about John le Carré, ‘The Pigeon Tunnel’. Then John Mitchinson explores the author’s works and their legacy.

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Leading the charge: introducing the new Cadillac Lyriq

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 10:29:03 +0000

Alongside Monocle on Culture’s new partner, General Motors, we introduce you to the company’s first electric vehicle for the European market: the Cadillac Lyriq. In the first part of a special series of shows, we give you a flavour of the car, reflect on Cadillac’s impressive contribution to visual culture and dream up some future roadtrips.

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