Intelligence Squared: Arts & Culture Intelligence Squared

In this episode, Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries Hans Ulrich Obrist moderated a conversation between philanthropist and Creative Director of Lopud 1483 Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, artist Olafur Eliasson and President and CEO of World Monuments Fund Bénédicte de Montlaur. Together they discussed Francesca’s restoration of the 15th-Century Franciscan monastery Lopud 1483 in Croatia. They also talked about the relationship between art, history and botany at Lopud, and the broader significance of rejuvenating neglected historical sites. 
To see Lopud 1483, or to watch an extended version of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/videos/living-heritage-restoring-life-to-lopud-1483 
To step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For millennia, female power has been portrayed, mediated and exerted through visual art. But to what extent have women been packaged to fit a male template? And how much have they been able to control their own image? In today’s episode, which was originally recorded as a live event at Sotheby’s in London, Sotheby’s specialist Holly Braine was joined by Britain’s best known classicist Mary Beard for a conversation about how Western culture has represented powerful women through the ages. They discuss sculptures of ancient goddesses like Aphrodite and Athena, depictions of Queen Elizabeth I as ‘Gloriana’, and contemporary portraits of cultural icons and politicians. 
To see the works discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended version of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/sothebys-talks/women-and-power-how-have-powerful-women-been-represented-in-western-culture 
And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, art historian Katy Hessel is joined by former National Gallery London curator Letizia Treves and Sotheby’s Edoardo Roberti for a conversation about the pioneering 17th-century artist Artemisia Gentileschi, whose work – in which she painted subjects that were traditionally the preserve of male artists, and intended for the male gaze – has inspired some of the greatest female artists of our time.
This podcast was originally recorded to celebrate the opening of the National Gallery’s exhibition ‘Artemisia’, which ran from October 2020 to January 2021, and was sponsored by Sotheby’s. 
To see the works discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended edition of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/sothebys-talks/museum-spotlight-artemisia-gentileschi-the-greatest-female-painter-of-the-17th-century
And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The idea of the artist’s muse conjures up a glamorous but passive woman portrayed by a male artist. Yet many women who are commonly identified as muses have been talents in their own right; they are creatively inspired as well as sources of inspiration for others. In this episode, photographer Mary McCartney, Golden Lion prize-winning artist Sonia Boyce, and the Daily Telegraph’s fashion director Lisa Armstrong sat down at Sotheby’s in London for a conversation celebrating female creativity, and how women have used art, fashion and photography to reframe the role of women in art as both subject and image-maker. 
To see the works discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended edition of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/women-in-art-from-image-to-image-maker 
And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marina Abramović is one of our greatest living artists: an art world icon and a performance art pioneer. In 2023, Marina presented her solo exhibition After Life at the Royal Academy and  became the first female artist in the institution’s 250-year history to fill the entire gallery space with her art. Will Gompertz was joined by Sotheby’s Marina Ruiz Colomer and Marina Abramović for a conversation about her life and work, and what it means to be a female artist more broadly.  
To see Marina’s work discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended edition of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/sothebys-talks/contemporary-conversations-marina-abramovic 
And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, which was originally recorded as a live event, we are joined by two literary icons for a conversation about the beloved 19th-century novelist Jane Austen. Helen Fielding is the creator of the multi-million selling Bridget Jones novels and films, and Gill Hornby is the author of the bestselling Miss Austen, and The Story of Jane Austen. Along with Dr. Kalika Sands, a specialist from Sotheby’s Books and Manuscripts department, Helen and Gill sat down at Sotheby’s in London for a conversation about the enduring appeal and contemporary significance of Jane Austen, and the impact she has had on their own life and work. 
To listen to an extended edition of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/how-jane-austen-changed-my-life 
And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices