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
Have we reached peak biennial?
When almost every city in the world seemingly has one, what is the role of the biennial? We wonder who does this soft-power attraction best and which parts of the world benefit from them…
Why would you read a manuscript?
It’s not often that you get your hands on a manuscript, whether it’s the first draft of a novel or an ancient text etched on vellum. On the show today we get to know…
Why do we love quizzes so much?
Robert Bound is joined in the studio by John Mitchinson, question-writer for British quiz show ‘QI’, and Mark Mason, writer of upcoming book ‘Question Time’, to discuss the enduring and global appeal of the…
Do we need protest songs now more than ever?
This year has been one of divided politics, from Brexit to Trump, so is it time to take a stand? We look at the history of the protest song and discuss the musicians vocalising…
How funny is the presidential race?
How has the media satirised the two most talked-about names of the year: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump? We discuss the highs and lows of late-night TV sketches, speak to ‘The Atlantic’ and ‘New…
Why are we so morbidly fascinated?
We explore the theme of morbid fascination with collectors of weird and wonderful objects in New York and a professor who has been studying why we are so compelled to watch things that frighten…
Where else can you show art?
We take a whistle-stop tour of art galleries in alternative places, from the back alleys of Belgrade to an elevator shaft in New York via a house in London and even down the line…
How do you forecast the weather?
What’s the process of predicting the weather and delivering it to the public? From the findings of the Met Office in the UK to Australian presenter Livinia Nixon in Melbourne, we meet the people…
On the fringe of Frieze
We round up the exhibitions that took place outside Regent’s Park during last week’s Frieze Fair in London. We stop by White Cube to speak to Christian Marclay, take in a one-night-only show based…
Autumn preview
We look ahead to the final few months of 2016 in film, music and books with our panel of experts: film critic Karen Krizanovich; Will Hodgkinson, chief rock and pop critic for ‘The Times’;…
