We look ahead to the most exciting books, films and exhibitions in 2025, from the first international retrospective of a beloved US artist to a political thriller so potent that its director was forced to flee his home country. John Mitchinson, Francesca Gavin and Simran Hans join Robert Bound in the studio to let you know what should be on your cultural radar in the coming months. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hello and welcome to Monocle on Culture.
I'm Robert Bound.
On today's show, we're highlighting the books, films and exhibitions that you should have on your radar as we roar into 2025.
However you get your cultural fix, be it sauntering through an art gallery or reading in the bath, my panel of experts have got you covered with their recommendations on the lineup today we've got a brand new book by a pre Goncourt winning French novelist, the first international retrospective of a beloved American artist and a political thriller so potent its director was forced to flee his home country.
It's powerful stuff, so let's get cracking.
Joining me in the studio today are Francesca Gavin, writer and artistic director of Vienna Contemporary, John Mitchinson, the co founder of Unbound and co host of the backlisted podcast, and the freelance film critic Simran Hands.
Welcome everybody to the show.
Hello.
Hello.
We've got the A team assembled as people, as regular listeners will know, especially regular listeners at this time of year.
When we round up the year, we look ahead to next year.
We've got the proper brains.
Trust in Fran.
We're going to start with you and Noah Davis, who's gracing the Barbican next February.
So this is amazing.
This is the first proper retrospective.
He died in 2015, I believe.
He was a black American artist, painter, not originally from la, but very well known for being intertwined with LA and setting up this incredible art space called the Underground Museum where there would be exhibitions, like even a collaboration with like museum level stuff, residencies.
It was very much like a grassroots kind of space and he was an exceptional painter, like the most beautiful figurative work I think that actually emerged.
I saw a piece for 2015, I didn't buy it for four grand and I still kick myself.