Reviews For Immaterial: 5,000 Years of Art, One Material at a Time

Well not really the production overall, just the narrator’s exaggerated intonations, fry, etc. Sounds like a Daily Show parody of the current sound of documentary podcasts. Tone it down and it’ll be easier to listen to. It is boring material to many people, but speaking like you’re a second grade teacher won’t change that.
Fascinating story, beautifully told
Fascinating, poetic, beautiful.
Really drawn in by the content, interviews, and sounds of this podcast. We haven’t had one drop in over a month, looking forward to new episodes and hope this isn’t going to fade away.
i was pulled in episode after episode by the sound design, and found myself learning so much, seeing so many things in new ways. this is a beautiful gift to anyone who is curious about the magic of the physical world and the beauty of the human imagination.
This is a great podcast! Instead of just dryly talking about the collection, this podcast examines the materials used in art making and the sometimes complicated history of those materials. It's also a beautifully sound designed podcast and a pleasure to listen to.
I’ve listened to all the episodes so far (“linen” is the latest, as of this writing). I’ve really enjoyed the podcast. It appreciates the art and materials on an aesthetic level, and also — the two are intertwined — their histories. There are some fascinating backstories in here, and they go deep with some stuff. The episode on CLAY takes us on a journey to Mexico, and we meet a contemporary maker of “búcaros” — clay jars — a tradition that’s been around for hundreds of years. The episode on JADE talks with several Maori people talking about jade pendants, and they gets into some fascinating stuff about the role of museums, taking care not only of the physical artworks but of the metaphysical properties of the art. The episode on CEMENT was also super-interesting, and talked among other things about how cement is the material of empires (or colonizers), they pave roads and make buildings as a way of establishing their economic presence and dominance. The podcast invites us on some very cool journeys. At its best, it makes good use of sound and soundscapes, to put us in the scene. I like the host and her presenting style. Her voice reflects her curiosity, interest, and how she savors the art and the stories behind it.
Goes perfectly with Aria Code from the other Met. Quality cultural programming is the nourishment we’re starving for!
The episode on concrete deals with a fascinating topic but I could not make it through to the end. As an adult, listening to the host of this podcast is excruciating. She seems to be speaking to a five-year-old child. I can’t find anything in the description here suggesting this is a kids’ podcast, but maybe I missed it.
I am loving and binging this podcast but if the host could please pronounce ancient without the extra emphasis I would really appreciate it 🤣 especially since she says it about 100 times per episode. I hate to be this person but it’s driving me crazy. The concrete episode was especially good. Do textiles next!!
I so want to like this podcast, but it’s so slow and it often feels as if the narrators are explaining things to a child. But it is easy to follow and has some interesting information.
I’m looking forward to this - what a way to forget our troubles and the pandemic, looking at the physical world’s substance and how humanity makes art from these substances. This feels like it’s going to be both deep, and light.
Love it, great sounds, very nubile, full of tenacity