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Episode details

Radio 4,01 May 2018,30 mins

Tate Modern's Shape of Light; Art Fund Museum of the Year Prize 2018; Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling

Front Row

Available for over a year

Shape of Light: 100 Years of Photography and Abstract Art, a new exhibition at Tate Modern, explores the intertwined stories of the two art forms from the early photographic experiments to the digital innovations of the 21st century. The two curators discuss the relationship between artists, including Jackson Pollock, Georges Braque and Bridget Riley, and photographers, including Man Ray and Edward Weston. Stephen Deuchar, chair of the judging panel for the Art Fund Museum of the Year prize, reveals the shortlist for this year's award. Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling was the bestselling novel of 2017 in Ireland, beating David Walliams to the coveted Christmas number one slot. The main character, Aisling, started life as a fake Facebook account created by two friends, Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen. They discuss bringing their surprise hit novel to the UK. The chief economist at the Bank of England has said that popular trends in streaming music can be as important indicators of upcoming consumer confidence as more traditional statistical methods. Can trends in happy or sad downloads really be a basis for fiscal strategy? The BBC's Economics Editor Kamal Ahmed looks at the possibilities of the arts for economic forecasting. Presenter: Kirsty Lang Producer: Edwina Pitman.

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