大象传媒

Your daily journey into global arts, culture and entertainment, with Harriett Gilbert and Mark Coles.

Tehran Art Boom
The Iranian curator Fariba Farshad talks to The Strand about how much the art scene in Tehran has changed since the revolution and why Iran is currently experiencing a contemporary art boom.

Bauhaus Movement
Founded in pre-War eastern Germany, the Bauhaus movement, with its emphasis on minimalist functionalism, was a key influence in modernist design and architecture. In April Bauhaus will be celebrating 90 years since the first Bauhaus exhibition and the founding of the Bauhaus arts and architecture school. But although the movement is important historically, does it have any place in the modern world?

Staff Benda Bilili
The debut album from Staff Benda Bilili is already being called one of the best of 2009. It features a group of paraplegic musicians who live in Kinshasa zoo and have created a unique and energetic sound. Their album features the young musician Roger Landu who Mark Coles first discovered back in 2007. The Strand talks to film-maker Renaud Barret about this amazing group and the documentary he is making about their life and work.
Their album Tres Tres Fort is out now on Crammed Discs.

Amit Chaudhuri
We feature Amit Chaudhuri's new book 'The Immortals' - the story of a dynasty of Indian musicians conflicted by love of music versus the need to make money.