26 June 2023
Episode 611
31 minutes
Photo: David Corio
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. Plus: Monocle’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco and film critic Christina Newland share their thoughts on how divas intersect with society.
26 June 2023
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
Monocle on Culture - latest episodes
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…
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…
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…
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…
‘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…
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…
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…
Jeremy Deller
Conceptual artist Jeremy Deller is a winner of the coveted Turner Prize and has represented Britain at the Venice Biennale. He joins Robert Bound in the studio to discuss his new book,’Art is Magic’, a vibrant catalogue of…
Jessie Ware
British singer-songwriter Jessie Ware is famed for her catchy songs and hit podcast ‘Table Manners’. She stops by Midori House to chat to Robert Bound about the making of her new album, ‘That! Feels Good!’.
What to read this spring
Mia Levitin and John Mitchinson join Robert Bound in the studio for the definitive guide to what to read in the coming months.
Dameer, ‘Cairo Conspiracy’ and the Tenderloin Arts Festival
We meet Tarik Saleh, director of ‘Cairo Conspiracy’, a thrilling new film that explores the relationship between Egypt’s religious and political elites, and speak to up-and-coming Bangladeshi musician Dameer. Plus: we head…
Give up the day job?
For many budding creative types, being tethered to a day job is a sign of not having “made it” in your chosen discipline. But what if the relationship between artists and their day jobs is more complicated than that? On…
Meet me on the dance floor
We head onto the dance floor as Robert Bound explores the need to carve out spaces to move and what dancing can tell us about ourselves. We meet Emma Warren, author of ‘Dance Your Way Home: A Journey Through the Dancefloor’…
On Collecting: Erving and Joyce Wolf
In the latest episode of Monocle’s production for Sotheby’s, we learn about oil and gas pioneers Erving and Joyce Wolf, who were passionate collectors of American art and design. Over a marriage spanning seven decades, the…
