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I must start with the fact that it took me a little bit of time to get on the podcast train. I wasn’t sure I would like it. I felt weird about listening to someone talking about something but not being part of the conversation. Actually, my love for “audio” learning is a bit of a convoluted story and starts with me prepping for surgery and a long hospital stay during which I wasn’t sure I could read (due to heavy medication…) and trying to find things I could do. It started with two audiobooks that I LOVED (which one – dm me to know!). And then I discovered podcasts, some seriously good ones that I would put on during my rehabilitation walks and would keep me motivated despite the cold or just not feeling like exercising. It was the beginning of a journey, of a world that opened up so much to me!  

The first thing that I learned is that podcasts are fabulous companions – you can put them on while cleaning your house, driving out of town, during your daily commute, on a walk, during your workout, to calm your brain and do so many other things. I listen to so many hours of podcasts in the past 15 months. It is insane, I could never have read as many books and with that, I learned TONS! Here are my recommendations to kickstart your art history journey, grow your knowledge and feel like you got an education quickly, and most often for free, simply by listening to someone who did hours of research and wants to make art history accessible.  

Podcasts are listed here in alphabetical order:  

ArtCurious

“ArtCurious Podcast where we explore the unexpected, the slightly odd, and the strangely wonderful in Art History.” 

We like:
This podcast is by one of our book club invites Jennifer Dasal! Incredibly well researched, in 30 minutes or so you will learn a lot about a particular topic and definitely up your art trivia skills. Dasal goes into dept about the art history, bridging (what can sometimes be a) dusty topic with some unexpected twists and turns. This podcast is already in its 10th season and with almost 100 episodes we are sure you will find something to kickstart your art history journey from Van Gogh to Leonardo to Modigliani to much more.  

We would like: 
More episodes about women artists and fewer advertisements – but we also acknowledge the need to sustain a living so… good content comes with a (small) price tag.  

Art Fraud 
We like:
Hosted by Alec Baldwin and with the collaboration of Michael Shnayerson, writer at Vanity Fair and author of Boom: Mad Money, Mega Dealers, and the Rise of Contemporary Art (which we recommend reading!) this investigative podcast goes deep down into one of the scandals that have shaken the art world the most in recent years: The Knoedler scandal. It is opinionated, with many guests’ appearances from art world experts, to a family of artists and much more as well as the important contribution of Glafira Rosales herself – it is rich in information. We particularly appreciate that the history starts from the early days of the Knoedler to give us more insights into Ann Friedman’s background till how this Art Fraud unravelled. The cherry on top of the sundae is definitely the last episode in which they diverge and start digging into other art fraud and art scandals.  

We would like: 
More of it, more investigation of other art fraud, of other art scandals from the briefly mentioned Inigo Philbrick debacles and many possible others.  

Last SeenSide note: this was my first ever podcast – it is the podcast that made me dive into the world of podcasts!  

We like: 
It was produced before the Netflix special that came on our screen from Netflix and follows a couple of interesting books on the matter but it adds something special – interviews with some of the main protagonists. This podcast feels like a thriller movie and unravels at a speed that just makes you want to binge listen to those.  

We would like: 
That the paintings were found and have many more episodes that tell the rest of the story. But realistically, we would like more episodes, in the same vein as the little special one that they did for the Amber Room.  

The Freakonomics: The Hidden Side of the Art Market – Episode 484-485 & 486
We like:
The enthusiasm, the guests and interviewees, and the fact that the podcast is pretty straightforward and easy to understand. From is art and asset class, how do auction work and a deeper dive into Alice Neel’s work, this short series is informative and a good place to start if you are unfamiliar with the art market or just want to hear the dark secrets from some very well-known author? 

We would like:
More episodes in the series – they are well researched and the questions are great – why only 3?  

The Art Angle 
We like:
This weekly podcast is brought to your ears by Artnet News, and we absolutely love the variety of subjects they are discussing in a timely manner: they are both a great length, roughly 30 minutes (for most of them) and very actual. Despite this fact, the older episodes are very good to listen to too. It is a quick in-depth way to keep up with a 24/7 cycle of art news. It is brought to you in a very down-to-earth fashion, which is easy to get up to speed or catch up.  

We would like:
Once again, more diversity – but to be honest they are one of the most balanced ones!  

Art for your ear By The Jalouse Curator 
We like:
That The Jalouse Curator (TJC) is a curator, a book author and an artist of her own rights, she is also a sensation on Instagram. You will hear fun things, a lot of behind the scenes – it is raw and honest. Most are taking the form of an interview between TJC and an artist or someone else in relation to a specific topic. While it won’t up your art history game, after all, it is a pretty contemporary art focus, it will inspire your tons.   

We would like:
That some episodes would be cut into two parts due to their lengths. While many are around the 1h mark, some are over 2 hrs. The level of energy varies from one to the other – and the sound isn’t always the best, there is coughing and little bits that could have been edited out (it would also have been more concise) but you always can make it.  

The Art History Babes 
We like:
That it feels like you have a conversation with friends and that you are back in (grad) school, there is a lot of laughter, it is very low key (warning: some episodes have been recorded under the influence of alcohol – if this isn’t your gem or a trigger – might want to skip it!). Still, it is decently informative and they point out a fair number of interesting books and great sources of information. We love that it is a bunch of “girls, of babes” that are reclaiming art history and taking a more diverse, more open art history approach.  

We would like:
A little bit more rigorous sometimes… While they seem to be very quick on their Google search abilities, it sounds. As well as shorter episodes – some are over 2 hrs. and could have been edited downs. Despite all of that, they are pretty great and easy to listen to.  

Bonus point – they wrote a book and it is adorable! Stay tuned – it might become a book club book at some point! 
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Dr Great Art!
We like:
How short those are – it’s like, you don’t want to vacuum or clean the bathroom, but one episode in your ear and before the end of it your unpleasant task will be done. It is a bite-size that you can listen to while doing little actions. It is a great way to up your game, little by little and to assimilate fun, short and very well researched information without too much time commitment.  

We would like:
Something a little less dry – but again they are short. While it is very academic, it is informative – again they are from artist and art historian Dr. Mark Staff Brandl.  

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Did we miss some? Let us know by leaving comments on social media!

Also, if there is any topic you would like me to write about – connect with me via LinkedIn, on social media or by sending me an email at el@nic.art!

Enjoy, beautiful creative and art lovers!