
Monocle on Culture
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.
Latest episodes

Jun 17, 2024 • 31min
‘Bye Bye Tiberias’, artist Zanele Muholi’s new exhibition and a novel by Gabriel García Márquez’s grandson
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 10, 2024 • 28min
Richard Linklater
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 3, 2024 • 28min
The inescapable influence of Franz Kafka
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’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 27, 2024 • 27min
Venice Biennale 2024, part 2
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 20, 2024 • 29min
Art legends Gilbert & George, Tunis’ new cultural scene and singer-songwriter Richard Thompson
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 13, 2024 • 30min
Fraud and fortune in today’s art market
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 6, 2024 • 29min
‘The Fall Guy’ and a celebration of stunt performers
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 29, 2024 • 28min
Venice Biennale 2024
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 22, 2024 • 31min
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 and the Spiders from Mars’, and how she crafted many of the singer’s iconic looks. Plus, we hear from stylist Emily Evans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 15, 2024 • 28min
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 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.