Dialogues: The David Zwirner Podcast
Arts
About
What we talk about when we talk about art. Exceptional makers and thinkers across art, literature, film, fashion, music, and more come together to talk about what it means to make things today.
Episodes
- Bonus Episode | Anni Albers: A Life | Live with Nicholas Fox Weber
Nicholas Fox Weber, director of the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation, discusses his new biography, Anni Albers: A Life, in a live episode with Lucas Zwirner. Weber shares insights into the writing process and personal anecdotes about the Alb…
- Benjamin H. D. Buchloh on Gerhard Richter (Re-run)
Benjamin H. D. Buchloh joins Helen Molesworth to discuss Gerhard Richter's paintings, referencing Buchloh's extensive scholarly work on the artist and a recent exhibition of Richter's work.
- Michael Armitage
This episode features an interview with artist Michael Armitage, focusing on his distinctive use of materials and color, and his approach to storytelling. The discussion coincides with his major retrospective, "The Promise of Change," at P…
- Marcel Duchamp: An Artist, a Rumor, a Series of Questions Without Answers | With Rachel Harrison and Alex Kitnick
Artist Rachel Harrison and art historian Alex Kitnick discuss the Marcel Duchamp retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art. Kitnick teaches art history at Bard College, and Harrison is a Brooklyn-based artist.
- The Story of Walter Benjamin’s Final Days and His Cherished Paul Klee Drawing
Art historian Lisa Saltzman discusses Walter Benjamin’s final days in Paris and the network of intellectuals who saved his possessions, including a Paul Klee drawing, from WWII. The drawing inspired his famous text, Theses on the Philosoph…
- The Difficulty of Critiquing Black Artists | With Rachel Hunter Himes
Helen speaks to Rachel Hunter Himes, author of the essay “ Black Block ” in Triple Canopy, about the long history of black artists underserved by white critics, museums’ moral and political responsibility to the public, and more. Rachel Hu…
- Todd Haynes x Christine Vachon
Award-winning filmaker Todd Haynes and his longtime collaborator, film producer Christine Vachon, discuss their thirty-year creative partnership, from the emergence of the new queer cinema to the culture wars of the nineties. In 1987, Hayn…
- Rose Wylie x Russell Tovey (re-release)
We revisit a conversation from the first season of Dialogues with critically acclaimed painter Rose Wylie, OBE RA, and actor Russell Tovey. Rose Wylie is the subject of a major retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, on view fr…
- The Art of Installation with Amy Sillman and Donna De Salvo
Acclaimed artist Amy Sillman and curator Donna De Salvo join Helen Molesworth for a deep dive into how an art exhibition comes to life. Amy Sillman is widely recognized as one of the most significant painters of her generation. Amy Sillman…
- How Pee-wee Herman Brought the Avant-Garde to TV | with Matt Wolf
Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and producer Matt Wolf joins Helen Molesworth to discuss his latest documentary series, Pee-wee as Himself, a revelatory documentary about the late Paul Reubens . The HBO original two-part documentary Pee-wee a…
- The Myth of da Vinci
Every era has its own version of Leonardo da Vinci, according to art historian Stephen J. Campbell. Campbell joins Helen Molesworth to unpack the 21st century myth of the tech genius that surrounds the Renaissance artist. Stephen J. Campbe…
- How Museums are Funded, and Why They’re Vulnerable
Last week the Trump administration sharply escalated its impossible demands on the Smithsonian Institution. It's hard not to wonder when, rather than if this administration will come for the rest of our museums. With this in mind, Helen Mo…
- The Best Art Exhibitions of 2025
Helen Molesworth and Steve Locke sort through the many exhibitions of the last year to highlight their favorites, from Jack Whitten at MoMA and Stanley Whitney at the ICA/Boston, to Bo Bartlett and Lisa Yuskavage.
- Kerry James Marshall, Modern Master
Helen Molesworth invites curator Mark Godfrey and artists Arthur Jafa and Steve Locke to discuss the work of Kerry James Marshall on the occasion of his acclaimed survey exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. Kerry James Marshall…
- Special Episode | On Diane Arbus with Francine Prose, David Salle, and Neil Selkirk
Helen is joined by writer Francine Prose, artist David Salle, and photographer Neil Selkirk for a conversation about Arbus’s singular importance. Francine Prose’s new novel, Five Weeks in the Country , will be published in May. David Salle…
- The Infinite Yayoi Kusama
An episode dedicated to Yayoi Kusama: arguably the most famous artist in the world and yet among the most indefinable, elusive, and transformative. Helen Molesworth is joined by scholar Jennifer DeVere Brody, art critic Johanna Fateman, an…
- An Art Historian’s View of How We Got Here with Jonathan Crary
Helen Molesworth speaks to art historian and culture critic Jonathan Crary, whose recent books Scorched Earth and 24/7 constitute both a polemic against what he calls the “internet complex”—and a diagnosis of where society is now. Jonathan…
- Dispatch from a Humanities Field in Crisis | with Darby English
With higher education facing existential threat under the current administration, Helen Molesworth speaks to art historian, critic, and educator Darby English about the difficulties of understanding this precise moment and the importance o…
- Joan Mitchell at 100 with Julie Mehretu and Eileen Myles
On the occasion of Joan Mitchell’s centennial year, Helen Molesworth speaks to artist Julie Mehretu and poet Eileen Myles about what Mitchell’s life and work means to them. Julie Mehretu, (b. 1970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) is an artist who l…
- Julianne Moore
Academy award-winning actor and writer Julianne Moore goes in depth on her craft, the art of filmmaking, and passion for design. Julianne Moore has starred in numerous award-winning films since the 1990s, most recently in Pedro Almodóvar’s…
- Annabelle Selldorf, Architect to Artists
Celebrated architect Annabelle Selldorf on her life and work, which includes numerous cultural spaces, from commercial galleries to major museums. Selldorf Architects's most recent project, a critically acclaimed expansion of the Frick Col…
- Re-release: The Legacy of Ruth Asawa
Helen Molesworth invited artists EJ Hill and Sarah Sze to listen to archival audio interviews with Ruth Asawa and discuss her ideas and art. Ruth Asawa: Retrospective, the first major posthumous retrospective of the artist, will be on view…
- Candy Darling, More Than a Warhol Superstar
A revealing look into the real life behind the icon and Warhol Superstar Candy Darling. Cynthia Carr, author of the acclaimed Fire in the Belly: The Life and Times of David Wojnarowicz discusses her newest biography: Candy Darling: Dreamer…
- The Untold Story of Black Mountain College
The history of a radical cooperative farm at Black Mountain College that defined both daily life and pedagogy at the birthplace of American art education. David Silver, an expert on the farm at Black Mountain college, tells the story of ho…
- Anni Albers: Her Life, Her Work, Her Words
Helen Molesworth explores the life and work of Anni Albers in the artist’s own words, with rare archival interviews with Albers and insights from artists Kristine Woods and Diedrick Bracken and art historian Julia Bryan-Wilson. Affinities:…
- From DAS MINSK: The Sound of Noah Davis
A conversation about the late artist Noah Davis, the sounds he left behind, and the ones he imagined. Join podcaster and curator Helen Molesworth, professor and writer Tina M. Campt, pianist and artist Jason Moran, and director and curator…
- The Art of Rivalry with Wesley Morris
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times critic Wesley Morris comes on the podcast to unpack the long history and current state of artistic rivalries, from Leonardo daVinci and Michelangelo to Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
- The Unconstitutional War on Trans People
Helen Molesworth hosts a special episode, starting with a conversation with leading ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio and followed by an interview with artist Laurie Simmons and activist Maryhope Howland. Chase Strangio is the Co-Director of the…
- The Best Art Exhibitions of The Century (So Far) | with Steve Locke
As we turn the page on a quarter century, Helen Molesworth and the artist Steve Locke look back with a highly opinionated list of their favorite art shows of the last 25 years.
- Has Contemporary Art Lost Its Edge? | With Dean Kissick
Helen Molesworth speaks to Dean Kissick, author of The Painted Protest , a polemic piece on the state of contemporary art in this month’s Harper’s Magazine that has had a lot in the art world talking. Dean Kissick is a writer, contributing…
- Special Episode | On Richard Serra with Hal Foster
Art historian and critic Hal Foster joins Helen for a live conversation on Richard Serra (1938–2024) at David Zwirner New York. They discuss Foster’s decades-long engagement with Serra’s work and the artist’s enduring legacy. This conversa…
- Re-release | Luc Tuymans and Timothy Snyder
We revisit an episode from Season 5, a conversation between artist Luc Tuymans and the eminent Yale Historian Timothy Snyder. The two discuss history, truth, and lies, and art’s singular ability to live between them all. Timothy Snyder is…
- The Problem of Taste: On the Late, Great Dave Hickey with Jarrett Earnest
Writer, curator, and editor Jarrett Earnest joins Helen to discuss his most recent edited volume of writings by the iconoclastic, enduring art critic Dave Hickey, titled Feint of Heart: Art Writings, 1982-2002 . Out now from David Zwirner…
- Special Episode | Alice Neel in the Queer World with Hilton Als
New Yorker critic Hilton Als joins Helen to discuss his exhibition, Alice Neel in the Queer World , on view at our Los Angeles Gallery through November 2nd, 2024. Alice Neel in the Queer World is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogu…
- Luca Guadagnino and Michaël Borremans (Re-run from Season 7)
A conversation between the Academy award-nominated writer, producer, and director Luca Guadagnino and the Belgian painter Michaël Borremans on the relationship between painting and film. They muse on the specificity of light to their mediu…
- Episode 67 | Grace Wales Bonner and Horace Ballard
Acclaimed fashion designer and curator Grace Wales Bonner is joined by the scholar and curator Horace D. Ballard. In a wide ranging conversation on art and fashion, they unpack the nuances of style, medium, and intentionality in art. In ad…
- Episode 66 | R. Crumb’s Radio Music Hour
In this very special episode, artist and legendary record collector R. Crumb visits his friends and fellow rare music enthusiasts John Heneghan and Eden Brower to listen to 78 records from Heneghan’s sprawling collection. John Heneghan is…
- Episode 65 | John McCracken and Minimalism Now with Cauleen Smith and Michael Govan
Artist Cauleen Smith and Michael Govan, Director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, join Helen for a live conversation in the garden at David Zwirner Los Angeles. Held on the occasion of the exhibition John McCracken, they explore th…
- Episode 64 | On Hilma af Klint with Julia Voss and Briony Fer
An episode on the art and life of Hilma af Klint featuring art historian Briony Fer and af Klint’s biographer, Julia Voss. Briony Fer is an art historian and professor at University College, London, and curator of the 2023 exhibition Hilma…
- Episode 63 | Claire Messud and James Wood
For the third interview in her series with creative couples, Helen spoke to the first couple of American fiction: literary critic James Wood and award-winning novelist Claire Messud.
- Episode 62 | Hua Hsu
Writer and critic Hua Hsu received the Pulitzer Prize for his 2022 memoir Stay True . Helen and Hua discuss the challenges of writing about the past as it was experienced as your younger self, and how writing itself is an act of rememberin…
- Episode 61 | Hank Willis Thomas and Rujeko Hockley
In the second episode in Helen’s interview series with creative couples, the artist Hank Willis Thomas and curator Rujeko Hockley get intimate about the unique challenges and rewards of being married and working in the same field.
- Episode 60 | On Vermeer
Was Vermeer really the artist behind some of his most well-known works? The question has lingered at the margins of art history for years and was resurfaced during the Dutch master's blockbuster retrospective at the Rijksmuseum in 2023. He…
- Episode 59 | Ira Sachs
Ira Sachs's 2023 film Passages won wide acclaim for its portrayal of human desire. Helen goes deep with the filmmaker on the psychology of his finely wrought characters and the many influences that inform his work.
- Episode 58 | Laurie Simmons and Carroll Dunham
In the first episode of Helen’s series of interviews with creative couples, artists Laurie Simmons and Carroll Dunham give an unvarnished look into nearly five decades of partnership. The veteran artworld pair share how they’ve managed it…
- Episode 57 | George Clinton and Lauren Halsey
Artist Lauren Halsey and George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic open up about their friendship, from their first meeting to ongoing and fruitful collaborations since. They discuss metaphor, the collective, and of course, the power of the…
- The Best Art of 2023
Helen and Steve Locke discuss the best—and most unexpected-–art shows they saw in 2023, from global exhibitions to gallery shows in New York.
- Manet's 'Olympia' Comes to New York
What does it mean to a painter of modern life? Helen & Steve Locke discuss artistic rivalry, leisure, and labor politics in Manet/Degas , a historic exhibition pairing two giants of the 19th century, on view at the Metropolitan Museum of A…
- Criticism for Difficult Times | With Helen Molesworth
In dark times, reading criticism can be a ballast. In this mini-episode , Helen and Steve Locke return to some of their favorite texts and writers, from Walter Benjamin to W.E.B. DuBois.
- The Legacy of Ruth Asawa | Special Episode
On the occasion of Ruth Asawa’s solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, artists EJ Hill and Sarah Sze talk with Helen Molesworth about Asawa’s legacy. This episode features the late artist’s voice, courtesy of audio from the…