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Whales vs dinosaurs in art; A.Dot; Nick Laird; Igor Levit

We debate whether dinosaurs or whales have inspired the best art as a blue whale replaces Dippy the Dinosaur at the Natural History Museum.

As the Natural History Museum in London replaces Dippy the Dinosaur with a Blue Whale skeleton, we debate which animal group has inspired the best art. Broadcaster Matthew Sweet champions whales while historian Tom Holland is on the side of the dinosaurs, but who will convince Samira theirs is best?

Frank Ocean's ground-breaking album Channel Orange is chosen for our Queer Icons series by rapper A.Dot, who presents the 大象传媒 Radio 1Extra Breakfast Show.

Samira talks to pianist Igor Levit backstage at the Royal Albert Hall as he prepares to perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.3 in the First Night of the Proms tomorrow.

The poet and novelist Nick Laird's new book, Modern Gods, is set in Ulster and New Ulster, which is an imaginary part of very real Papua New Guinea. Despite seeming worlds apart, Laird explores the strange parallels between these contested tribal lands.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Hannah Robins.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Whales vs dinosaurs in art

    Duration: 08:34

  • Queer Icons - A.Dot

    Duration: 05:01

  • Igor Levit

    Duration: 06:28

  • Nick Laird

    Duration: 08:09

Whales vs dinosaurs in art

Whales vs dinosaurs in art
Hope, the blue whale skeleton聽that replaces Dippy, the cast of a Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton at the , London, is open to the public from 14 July 2017. Dippy聽is to tour聽the UK, visiting Scotland, Northern Ireland,Wales and five regions across England. 聽 Images: Main image above: Hope the blue whale skeleton in the NHM's Hintze Hall. Image credit: Trustees of the Natural History Museum, (2017) London 聽 Image to the left: Dippy in Hintze Hall 聽

A.Dot

A.Dot

picks 聽as her

Image: A.Dot

Nick Laird

Nick Laird

book Modern Gods is available now in hardback, Ebook and audible download formats.

Image: Nick Laird

Image credit: Zadie Smith

Igor Levit

Igor Levit

plays Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor at Prom no. 1 at the Royal Albert Hall, London on 14 July 2017, which is also broadcast live on , and聽 on television, where the first half is live on 大象传媒 Four, and the second half is on 大象传媒2.

Image: Igor Levit

Image credit: Robbie Lawrence

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Credits

Role Contributor
Interviewed Guest Matthew Sweet
Interviewed Guest Tom Holland
Interviewed Guest A.Dot
Interviewed Guest Igor Levit
Interviewed Guest Nick Laird
Presenter Samira Ahmed
Producer Hannah Robins

Broadcast

  • Thu 13 Jul 2017 19:15

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