Films — Culture

Tinned sardines are an icon of Portugal. We visit a family-run shop and one of the country's last artisanal canneries to discover why sardines are cherished by the Portuguese, how the industry started back with Napoleon and what is driving the revival of canned fish. Discover more from the country with [Portugal: The Monocle Handbook.](https://monocle.com/shop/product/2227005/portugal-the-monocle-handbook/)

Located in the northwestern corner of the Scottish Highlands, Gairloch is a coastal village of about 700 people that is known for its mountains, sea loch and rugged landscape. Monocle paid a visit to Two Lochs, reportedly Britain's smallest commercial radio station, which is nestled on Gairloch's shores, run by a handful of volunteers and has built a loyal fanbase of global listeners.

Peris Costumes is the world's largest company dedicated to selling and renting costumes for film, stocking more than 10 million garments. Monocle took a peek behind the scenes of its Madrid-based HQ to meet its artisans and see how the industry is booming, thanks to the rise of streaming platforms.

Finland is a swimmer's paradise and residents take to the water year-round. In colder months the practice often involves carving a hole into ice – a demonstration of “sisu”, the unique Finnish concept of fortitude in the face of adversity. Monocle joins journalist Katja Pantzar on an icy dip, to explore the mindset that dates back more than 500 years. Discover more stories and ideas from the region with ‘The Monocle Book of the Nordics', available now from [The Monocle Shop.](https://monocle.com/shop/product/2066359/the-monocle-book-of-the-nordics/)

We hit the road with journalist Egill Bjarnason, finding the best spots to grab a cone on a journey into the Icelandic custom of ‘ísbíltúr'. It's one of many Nordic lifestyle concepts that can teach us a thing or two about how to achieve a better quality of life. Discover more stories and ideas from the region with ‘The Monocle Book of the Nordics', [available now from The Monocle Shop.](https://monocle.com/shop/product/2066359/the-monocle-book-of-the-nordics/)

Nestled in the heart of the Aegean, the island of Ikaria used to be a secluded spot with a humble and unhurried way of life. Today, a third of the island's population lives to be more than 90 years old. We venture to the local kafeneios, wild beaches and abundant allotments to meet the bronzed seniors.

From gallerists to artists, collectors to auctioneers, we check in with industry players to find why – digital innovations or not – seeing art in real life matters, how the past year has shaken up the market and what exhibitions you should add to a calendar that's filling up nicely.

From gallerists to artists, collectors to auctioneers, we check in with industry players to find why – digital innovations or not – seeing art in real life matters, how the past year has shaken up the market and what exhibitions you should add to a calendar that's filling up nicely.

Despite the ubiquity of digital effects in cinema, Berlin’s Studio Babelsberg has preserved the craft of prop making. Its lifelike items continue to appear in some of the biggest movies today. We inspect the studio’s stunning hand-built sets and its museum-like archives.

We visit two bold companies finding canny ways to pivot their product for changing audiences. Transhelvetica, a Swiss magazine, and Spiritland, a London-based hospitality and audio venture, are each shaping the media landscape for the better.

In the second report from this year’s Venice Biennale, we head to the national pavilions to meet the artists and curators who are raising their countries’ profiles on the world stage.

We sit down with Ralph Rugoff, the artistic director of 2019’s Venice Biennale, to round up the highlights of this year’s event.

Monocle Films pays a visit to a restoration firm that has saved pieces by artists as diverse as Caravaggio and John Kirby.

We travel to Mipcom, the annual tradeshow in Cannes, to meet the movers and shakers defining the future of the film and television industry.

How do you unpack stories in the most engaging way while building a credible and comprehensive brand? Monocle Films showcases best design for paper and screen too.

Hauser & Wirth is an international art gallery with its heart in the countryside. We visit its premises in Somerset to review a weird and wonderful show that looks at our relationship with the land.

In the latest episode of our ‘Secret to...’ series, Alexander Gilkes, co-founder of online auction house Paddle8, unveils the alchemy that surrounds the world of collecting art.

This contemporary art exhibition opened in Athens this year, as well as its home town of Kassel in Germany. It features artwork and performances from global artists about boundaries, displacement and the relationship between Greece and Germany.

Set in a glittering archipelago, Stockholm is one of our favourite summer getaways. Monocle's travel guide will help you locate Stockholm’s best hotels and most delectable restaurants, and show you what else to discover tucked away from the Swedish capital’s charming waterfront. Published by Gestalten, The Monocle Travel Guide to Stockholm is available now at [The Monocle Shop](https://monocle.com/shop/books/travel-guides/the-monocle-travel-guide-stockholm/).

The Czech National Symphony Orchestra has struck an international chord, with its redoubtable musicianship attracting big-name pop and music-score clients from Ennio Morricone to Sting.

Wonderfruit is a festival like no other; a beacon of peace and calm where hedonism takes a backseat. Time to ditch the city attitude, grab a yoga mat and watch the sun go down in the Thai countryside.

What’s the future of media? We take a look into the art of original reporting and see why we devour stories in different ways.

Monocle's first media summit looked at the most influential brands shaping the media landscape and asked whether there is still money to be made from print. Here's our pick of the evening's highlights. [Book your ticket](https://monocle.com/shop/events/other/the-monocle-media-summit-2018/) for the second annual Monocle Media Summit.

For a long time Berlin lacked the wealth and stability of other capital cities so ingenuity prevailed. It's now known as a place where creativity is fostered, resourcefulness encouraged and originality embraced. Published by Gestalten, The Monocle Travel Guide to Berlin is available now at [The Monocle Shop](https://monocle.com/shop/books/travel-guides/the-monocle-travel-guide-berlin/).

Dubbed the new Berlin, Leipzig is home to an increasing number of galleries and project spaces – but the city still has lots of space for inexpensive artists’ ateliers.

From design to art, magazines to furniture, we all know the pleasure of collecting. But how do we ensure that passion beats pure investment? This was the question that Robert Bound posed to the speakers at this year’s Quality of Life Conference in Vienna.

From glitzy dance numbers and well-loved show tunes to conga lines, entertainment is key to cruising success. Monocle's Robert Bound grabs a lounger and joins in the fun.

With the success of Pixar came an avalanche of computer-generated animation but not all animators are following the hi-tech pack. Monocle Films travels to the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and southern England in search of storytellers who think outside the computer box.

Singapore is not used to letting people do whatever they want and thus it has been stuck with a moribund art scene. But the opening of the new National Gallery aims to change perceptions of the city-state both at home and abroad; Monocle takes a look at a fast-emerging art scene.

It is undoubtedly one of the more inhospitable places on Earth but take a look: there is a trove of stories to be told about the vast and varied Canadian Arctic.

For Monocle's Quality of Life Conference in Lisbon, Robert Bound put the spotlight on five things from the field of culture that are worthy of an encore. Sit back for cool museums and steamy cinema experiences.

Miami was all washed-up but then a new breed of art galleries and a boatload of art collections sailed in, aided by the fair winds of Art Basel's Miami fair and the lure of the tropics. Monocle's culture editor finds out how this big, bad city turned into a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed art town.

Since 2008, Prix Pictet has championed and rewarded photojournalists and photographic artists who shed light on environmental issues. Monocle films takes a look at this year's exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum in London.

Art is about more than just a nice painting – it can be a tool for understanding the many brushstrokes of life. So says philosopher Alain de Botton, who's co-curating a new exhibition in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam called Art is Therapy. Monocle's Robert Bound met De Botton in the Rijksmuseum to learn more about his artistic treatment.

There is a weight of passion, wit, intellect and fun to be found on Italy's screens, in its speakers and in its print. Monocle delves into the quirks of the country's news and entertainment, and finds the best of its leaders and merchants.

Punctual? Rigorous? Romantic? What does it mean to be typically German? Rolf Sachs, a half-German, half-French artist and designer with a wry eye and a scarf made from dusters, explores the clichés that form his notion of a nation in a new exhibition at MAKK, Köln's Museum of Applied Arts. Culture editor Robert Bound went along to sort the ‘schadenfreude' from the 'sehnsucht'.

The Arctic has inspired the world for centuries with tales of adventure and exploration. Monocle heads to Denmark to see the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art’s current exhibition, Arctic, that seeks out the past and present of this mythic place.

Learning from a master is a privilege in any sphere. To nurture ideas for the arts, Rolex’s Mentor & Protégé initiative has been teaming world-leading practitioners with promising prodigies around the globe. Monocle's culture editor, Robert Bound, recently hopped to Venice to learn more about this year’s programme.

Locarno is the romantic heart of the film festival circuit. Monocle put a rose in its buttonhole and sat in its own director's chair on the shores of Lake Maggiore to assess the aesthetic and commercial importance of the festival on it's 66th birthday.

We head to Hollywood to shoot the world's most celebrated photographic art fair, this year taking place for the first time at Paramount Pictures Studios in LA.