An iPhone showing the Immaterial podcast art for Season 2 - white "Immaterial" logo text superimposed on a close-up of colorful feathers.

Immaterial

5,000 years of art, one material at a time

Stories of the materials used in making art are often as thought-provoking and illuminating as the objects themselves. From The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Immaterial is a podcast that examines the materials of art and what they can reveal about history and humanity. Each episode looks at a single material, exploring the qualities and meanings that are often overlooked.

View previous seasons
White "Immaterial" logo text superimposed on a close-up of colorful feathers.
Audio
Revealing the stories behind the building blocks of creativity.
May 24
Detail of Adam's face.
Audio
Making and breaking legacies.
June 4
Sky with puffy blue and white clouds. A light blue sky peeks through the top right corner of the image.
Audio
Giving form to a feeling.
June 18
South-facing view of The Met exterior steps from the 5th Ave plaza. Sunlight hits the building facade, and the steps bustle with seated and standing visitors.
Audio
Behind the scenes at The Met.
July 2
Detail of a vibrant quilt made up of squares with narrow, rectangular strips of alternating colors.
Audio
Threads of identity.
July 16
Detail of lacquered tray with scenes from Virgil’s Aeneid. The section depicts figures fighting on horseback, ships at sea, and ornate floral motifs.
Audio
Beyond superfoods and infomercials.
July 30
Close up of ocean debris, including shells and rocks, against glittering black sand.
Audio
The archaeology of rubbish.
August 13
Detail of a guitar backside. The shiny mahogany wood has varying shades of brown, creating an almost marbled effect.
Audio
The most musical tree in the world.
August 27
Detail of a clock face with gold-colored accents, roman numeral numbers, and a counter for the date.
Audio
Keeping digital art alive.
September 10

About Season 2


What is hiding in the material choices of artists and makers?

Credits


Immaterial
is produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Magnificent Noise.

Host: Camille Dungy

Production staff includes Salman Ahad Khan, Ann Collins, Samantha Henig, Eric Nuzum, Emma Vecchione, Sarah Wambold, and Jamie York. Additional staff includes Laura Barth, Julia Bordelon, Skyla Choi, Maria Kozanecka, and Rachel Smith.

This season would not be possible without Andrea Bayer, Inka Drögemüller, and Douglas Hegley.

Sound design by Ariana Martinez and Kristin Mueller

Original music by Austin Fisher

Fact-checking by Mary Mathis and Claire Hyman

Graphic Design: Mortimer Lebigre and Kamomi Solidum

Marketing, Communications, and Social Media: Ann Bailis, Meryl Cates, Claire Lanier, Taylor Latrowski, Jonathan Lee, Tiffany Lucke, Micah Pegues, and Gretchen Scott

Special thanks to Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong.

Immaterial is made possible by Dasha Zhukova Niarchos. Additional support is provided by the Zodiac Fund.


A chalk-line illustration of an art detective points her magnifying glass at a microscope; hands reach towards the microscope while a crew of bugs and a fingerprint ghost look on
The science behind the art (and the art behind the science!) at The Met.
A new podcast about the art and legacy of the Harlem Renaissance
Grid of nine black and white photographic portraits of artists
What artists see when they look at The Met