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Maurizio Cattelan at Blenheim Palace, Ad Astra reviewed, Japanese Culture, Shakespeare Folio discovered

Cattelan's solid gold toilet has been stolen from Blenheim Palace and an introduction to Japanese culture ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

A solid gold toilet reputedly worth £4.7 million has been stolen from Blenheim Palace. It's part of the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's new exhibition Victory is Not an Option which remains open and combines a retrospective of his work along with some new pieces made especially for the Palace. Art critic Jacky Klein reviews and reports on the latest from the theft.

Brad Pitt stars in the film Ad Astra as an astronaut on a mission to Neptune in order to save the planet from destruction. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh reviews this epic space odyssey.

It's believed that John Milton's personal, annotated copy of an early Shakespeare folio has been discovered. The folio includes sophisticated marginalia that could shed light on the development of Milton as a poet and academics say it could be one of the most important literary discoveries of modern times. Cambridge University fellow Dr Jason Scott-Warren explains his astonishing find.

As the Rugby World Cup heads to Japan, we get a personal introduction to current Japanese culture from Junko Takekawa, from the Japan Foundation, and Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, academic and curator of the recent Manga exhibition at the British Museum.

Presenter: Kirsty Lang
Producer: Hannah Robins

Available now

28 minutes

Meet the Booker Prize shortlisted Authors

Meet the Booker Prize shortlisted Authors

The Booker Prize is one of the biggest literary prizes in the world and Front Row is delighted to announce that we’re offering listeners a chance to meet this year’s shortlisted authors to ask them about their shortlisted novel.

So if you’re reading, or interested in reading any of the six books – from Margaret Atwood to Salman Rushdie – get in contact.Ìý

Tweet us @±«ÓãtvFrontRow or emailÌýfrontrow@bbc.co.uk. Let us know which author you’d like to meet and send us one question you’d like to ask.

Maurizio Cattelan at Blenheim Palace

Maurizio Cattelan at Blenheim Palace

- Maurizio Cattelan at Blenheim PalaceÌýruns until 27 October 2019.

Images:

Main image above:Ìý An installation image of America, a solid gold fully-working toilet by Maurizio Cattelan

Image credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Image to the left: An installation image of Novecento, a taxidermy horseÌýby Maurizio Cattelan

Image credit: Tom Lindboe, Courtesy of Blenheim Palace Art Foundation

Ad Astra

Ad Astra

is in UK cinemas from 18 September 2019, certificate 12A.

Ìý

Image: Brad Pitt in Ad Astra

Image credit: 20th Century Fox

Ìý

Japanese culture

Japanese culture

Find out more about Japanese cultureÌý - visit events in London and Cardiff

- list of events

Image: An Orochi (Giant Serpent) in an Iwami Kagura (shrine ritual entertainment from the Iwami region of Japan).

Image credit: Ai-Kikaku

Ìý

Broadcast

  • Tue 17 Sep 2019 19:15

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The best of British culture live and on demand.

Inspire

Inspire

A season discovering where artists find inspiration and helping listeners get creative.

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