Monocle on Culture

By Monocle

What's Monocle on Culture about?

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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Monocle on Culture episodes:

04.22.2024
Star style: the art of crafting a look
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...
04.15.2024
Maggie Rogers
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...
04.08.2024
Spring preview
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...
04.01.2024
Maggi Hambling
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...
03.25.2024
The Staves
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...
03.18.2024
Lauren Oyler
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...
03.11.2024
Spain’s international contemporary art fair Arco Madrid
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...
03.04.2024
‘Io Capitano', Lana Lubany and the first AI-created artworks
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...
02.26.2024
Hans Zimmer
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...
02.19.2024
Yoko Ono’s endless imagination
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...
02.12.2024
The untold story of Cymande and the return of Pina Bausch’s ‘Nelken’
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...
02.05.2024
The Last Dinner Party
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...
01.29.2024
‘The Zone of Interest’
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...
01.22.2024
A deep dive into the career and character of Werner Herzog
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:...
01.15.2024
Treading the boards in 2024
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...
01.08.2024
Looking ahead at the year in culture
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
01.01.2024
Review: ‘The Boy and the Heron’
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’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12.25.2023
Best of Monocle on Culture 2023
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12.18.2023
2023 in review
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12.11.2023
The best Christmas music of 2023
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12.04.2023
200 episodes of ‘Backlisted’
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...
11.27.2023
Review: ‘The Eternal Daughter’
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...
11.20.2023
An encyclopaedia of The Cure and the surprising world of rabbi portraiture
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...
11.13.2023
John le Carré and the nature of truth
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. See...
11.08.2023
Leading the charge: introducing the new Cadillac Lyriq
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...
11.06.2023
Turin, from dawn to dusk
‘Monocle on Culture’ hits the road and heads to Turin for the most exciting cultural week in the Italian city’s calendar. We roam around the contemporary art fair, Artissima, and meet its director, as well as a Turin-based gallery and...
10.30.2023
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Hiroshi Sugimoto is famed for mixing wit and commentary with exquisitely tuned craftsmanship and bold conceptual thinking. The Japanese artist is the subject of a new exhibition at London’s Hayward Gallery. We speak to Sugimoto, plus the show’s curator, Ralph Rugoff, and...
10.23.2023
Review: ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
Critics Hannah Strong and Tim Robey join Robert Bound in the studio to review Martin Scorsese’s latest film. ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is an American epic based on David Grann’s book of the same name. It tells the true...
10.16.2023
Twenty years of Frieze London
We raise a glass to celebrate Frieze London’s 20th anniversary. François Chantala of Thomas Dane Gallery tells us what it’s like to have taken part since its very first edition, while we ask up-and-coming galleries and artists how significant Frieze is to...
10.09.2023
Autumn album releases
We showcase three new releases: a country-inspired tour de force by Canadian singer-songwriter Bahamas, a new collection by shoegaze pioneers Slowdive and the second record by synth-pop group Nation of Language. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10.02.2023
Short stories with Tessa Hadley and Lawrence Osborne
We explore the medium of short stories through the prism of two new collections by two UK writers. Tessa Hadley’s new book, “After the Funeral”, is characteristically full of sharp observations about personal and familial relationships. Meanwhile, Lawrence Osborne’s “Burning Angel...
09.25.2023
‘Stop Making Sense’ and the enduring appeal of the concert movie
We celebrate the 40th anniversary of ‘Stop Making Sense’ – Jonathan Demme’s film with Talking Heads – which is often regarded as the greatest concert movie of all time. Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Will Hodgkinson and Simran...
09.18.2023
Feist, São Paulo’s art scene and ‘Fremont’
This week we take a spin around the Americas. Sheena Rossiter speaks to indie-pop singer Feist at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. Then we head to Brazil to explore São Paulo’s art scene and catch a new film depicting the...
09.11.2023
Review: ‘The Fraud’, Zadie Smith
In more than two decades since Zadie Smith burst onto the literary scene with her debut novel, ‘White Teeth’, her books, essays and short stories have continued to enjoy commercial and critical success. Her latest novel brings to life the...
09.04.2023
Look ahead to autumn: TV, books, art
Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Scott Bryan, Holly Black and Chris Power to share the TV, art exhibitions and books to watch, see and read this season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
08.28.2023
Summer blockbusters: How did they fare?
As summer comes to an end, we look back at the season’s biggest blockbusters. Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Alex Ritman of ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ to discuss how the films fared at the box office and what...
08.21.2023
Colson Whitehead
Over the years, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Colson Whitehead, has turned his hand to non-fiction, zombie thrillers and historical fiction. His new book, ‘Crook Manifesto’, is the second in his Harlem Trilogy, which is set on the chaotic streets...
08.14.2023
John Carroll Kirby and Sylvan Esso
While John Carroll Kirby is celebrated for the catalogue of stars with whom he has played or collaborated (a list including Solange, Frank Ocean and Harry Styles), he is also renowned for his solo work. We catch up with the Grammy-nominated...
08.07.2023
‘Talk to Me’
Critics Christina Newland and Karen Krizanovich join Robert Bound to review new Australian horror film ‘Talk to Me’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
07.31.2023
Summer sounds
Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Natty Kasambala and Kate Hutchinson to discuss the songs that encapsulate the sound of summer 2023, which of this year’s festivals guarantee a good time and the best upcoming album releases. See...
07.24.2023
Christopher Nolan
Acclaimed writer-director Christopher Nolan is known for his spectacular and layered storytelling and preference for analogue cinematic methods. Robert Bound sits down with the filmmaker to discuss his new film ‘Oppenheimer’, which tells the story of the man widely regarded as the...
07.17.2023
How to design an album cover
This week we ask: how do you design an album cover? We meet Anton Corbijn, the photographer and director of ‘Squaring the Circle’, a new documentary that tells the story of legendary design studio Hipgnosis. We also hear from photographer...
07.10.2023
Ryuichi Sakamoto in mixed reality
We meet Todd Eckert, the director behind an extraordinary new mixed-reality performance that brings to life the music of the late Ryuichi Sakamoto. Plus: Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Roddy Maude-Roxby, a nonagenarian artist who has been...
07.03.2023
Max Richter
We head to the Oxfordshire countryside to visit Studio Richter Mahr, a state-of-the-art studio and production facility built by British-German composer Max Richter and his partner, artist Yulia Mahr. Robert Bound sits down with Richter to discuss his recent Glastonbury performance, the creation...
06.26.2023
Viva la diva!
We visit a new exhibition at London’s V&A; dedicated to all things diva. Curator Kate Bailey joins Robert Bound to discuss how the show celebrates the power and creativity of iconic performers across the ages, while fashion designer Bob Mackie tells...
06.19.2023
Literature in London
Robert Bound is joined in the studio by Ted Hodkingson, head of literature and spoken word at London’s Southbank Centre, to discuss how he went about programming the venue’s summer literary events. Plus: we hear from writer and broadcaster Kate...
06.12.2023
Anselm Kiefer’s ‘Finnegans Wake’ and fake artworks at The Courtauld
Francesca Gavin joins Robert Bound to review German artist Anselm Kiefer’s new exhibition at White Cube Bermondsey, ‘Finnegans Wake’. Plus: we meet the curators behind a new exhibition in which all is not as it seems. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
06.05.2023
Beatie Wolfe’s “sonic self-portrait”, Hong Kong Mixtape and Esperanza Spalding
We head to Toronto to find out about a new documentary that examines the internal struggles of the creatives impacted by Hong Kong’s national security law. We also catch up with artist and musician Beatie Wolfe at the London Design Biennale. Plus:...
05.29.2023
‘The Stones and Brian Jones’
Acclaimed documentary film-maker Nick Broomfield is known for his intimate portrayals of his subjects, often ill-fated musicians. His back catalogue includes documentaries about Whitney Houston and Kurt Cobain. Now he has turned his attentions to The Rolling Stones and the...
05.22.2023
Review: ‘Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret’ and ‘Return to Seoul’
Robert Bound is joined in the studio by critics Simran Hans and Tim Robey to discuss two new films: a tender coming-of-age tale adapted from a book by one of America’s best-loved children’s authors and a moving exploration of identity that...

What's Monocle on Culture about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Monocle on Culture episodes:

Star style: the art of crafting a look

Maggie Rogers

Spring preview

Maggi Hambling

The Staves

Lauren Oyler

Spain’s international contemporary art fair Arco Madrid

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

Hans Zimmer

Yoko Ono’s endless imagination

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

The Last Dinner Party

‘The Zone of Interest’

A deep dive into the career and character of Werner Herzog

Treading the boards in 2024

Looking ahead at the year in culture

Review: ‘The Boy and the Heron’

Best of Monocle on Culture 2023

2023 in review

The best Christmas music of 2023

200 episodes of ‘Backlisted’

Review: ‘The Eternal Daughter’

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

John le Carré and the nature of truth

Leading the charge: introducing the new Cadillac Lyriq

Turin, from dawn to dusk

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Review: ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

Twenty years of Frieze London

Autumn album releases

Short stories with Tessa Hadley and Lawrence Osborne

‘Stop Making Sense’ and the enduring appeal of the concert movie

Feist, São Paulo’s art scene and ‘Fremont’

Review: ‘The Fraud’, Zadie Smith

Look ahead to autumn: TV, books, art

Summer blockbusters: How did they fare?

Colson Whitehead

John Carroll Kirby and Sylvan Esso

‘Talk to Me’

Summer sounds

Christopher Nolan

How to design an album cover

Ryuichi Sakamoto in mixed reality

Max Richter

Viva la diva!

Literature in London

Anselm Kiefer’s ‘Finnegans Wake’ and fake artworks at The Courtauld

Beatie Wolfe’s “sonic self-portrait”, Hong Kong Mixtape and Esperanza Spalding

‘The Stones and Brian Jones’

Review: ‘Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret’ and ‘Return to Seoul’

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