
Monocle on Culture
Robert Bound and guests explore what’s new in art, film, books, and media. Expect lively discussions, in-depth interviews, and expert insights.
Latest Episodes

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 Markus Klinko, who is responsible for a defining album cover…

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 a stone’s throw away from many of the artistic movements,…

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 of his album ‘Sleep’ and his hopes for the studio.

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 us how he created such a wealth of iconic looks.…

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 Molleson and poet Lidija Dimkovska.

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.

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: Grammy Award-winning musician Esperanza Spalding on what restorative art means to…

‘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 rise and fall of the band’s founding member Brian Jones.…

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 unfolds in the bars and hotels of South Korea’s capital.

Rodrigo y Gabriela
Over the past 20 years, Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela have strummed their way from busking on the streets of Dublin to superstardom. The Grammy Award-winning musicians join Robert Bound in the studio to discuss their latest album, ‘In Between Thoughts… A New World’.