Video and audio
Title
Date
Description
Pottery, Poetry, and the Act of Letting Go
October 2023

On this episode, of Time Sensitive from The Slowdown, Edmund de Waal talks with Spencer Bailey about his infatuation with Japan, his affinity for the life and work of the Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi, and the roles of rhythm and breath in his work.

Art Sense
October 2023

In this episode of Art Sense from Canvia, Edmund de Waal is interview by Craig Gould.

This Cultural Life
9 September 2023

For BBC Radio 4's This Cultural Life, Edmund de Waal discussed with John Wilson the formative influences and inspirations behind his practice.

De Waal's Itinerant Pots: Magdalene Odundo
19 May 2023

For BBC Radio 3's series The Essay, Edmund de Waal read five essays on migration, pots, and potters. In part five, de Waal reflects on a phone call with fellow ceramicist Magdalene Odundo and what it means to be a person who make pots.

De Waal's Itinerant Pots: The Fonthill Vase
18 May 2023

For BBC Radio 3's series The Essay, Edmund de Waal read five essays on migration, pots, and potters. In part four, de Waal connects the rising and falling fortunes of a very well-travelled piece of porcelain to those of his own family.

De Waal's Itinerant Pots: The Schindler House
17 May 2023

For BBC Radio 3's series The Essay, Edmund de Waal read five essays on migration, pots, and potters. In part three, de Waal considers the Schindler House in California as a symbol of migration, freedom and artistic self-determination.

De Waal's Itinerant Pots: Wedgwood
15 May 2023

For BBC Radio 3's series The Essay, Edmund de Waal read five essays on migration, pots, and potters. In part two, de Waal explores the connection between ceramics and stories, finding that porcelain is ‘full of rumours’.

De Waal's Itinerant Pots: Hans Coper
15 May 2023

For BBC Radio 3's series The Essay, Edmund de Waal read five essays on migration, pots, and potters. In part one, de Waal explores how the journey of German Jewish ceramicist and migrant Hans Coper has inspired his own creative practice.

You Begin to Tell a Story: Objects, Restitution, Repair
23 March 2023

In March 2023, de Waal was invited to speak at MFA Boston as part of the Ruth and Carl Shapiro Lecture series. The talk focussed on his artistic process, storytelling and the poetry of sculpture.

Princess
6 April 2023

In this podcast, presenter Anita Anand joins Edmund de Waal and author Livia Manera to uncover the mysterious story of an Indian princess who went from living a luxurious Parisian life as the daughter of a Maharajah, to being captured by the Nazi’s and perhaps even plotting against them.

Beyond Vessels
16 November 2022

Artists Magdalene Odundo and Edmund de Waal, both of whom appear in Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art at the Hayward Gallery, London, discuss clay’s intricacies as a medium.

Strange Clay, in the studio
October 2022

In this short film, produced by the Southbank Centre to coincide with the exhibition Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art (26 October 2022 - 08 January 2023) at the Hayward Gallery, London, Edmund de Waal talks about the power of clay as a medium and the importance of arts in education. Film by Joel Stagg and Florence Creffield.

Strange Clay, atmosphere
October 2022

De Waal discusses his installation, atmosphere, in this short film, produced by the Southbank Centre to coincide with the exhibition Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art (26 October 2022 - 08 January 2023) at the Hayward Gallery, London. Film by Joel Stagg and Florence Creffield.

Perdendosi: Edmund de Waal, Norman McBeath & Alexandra Harris
29 September 2022

Photographer Norman McBeath and de Waal was in conversation with Alexandra Harris, Professor of English at Birmingham University and author, discussing their collaboration on Perdendosi at the London Review Bookshop.

In conversation with Chad Coerver
19 June 2022

Edmund de Waal was in conversation with Chad Coerver, executive director of the Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco for the Jewish Learning Works Marsha Rivkind Raleigh Memorial Lecture.

Edmund de Waal in conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist
25 May 2022

Memory and archives are the main concepts of this conversation. In it, Edmund de Waal and Hans Ulrich Obrist converse, highlighting their work as artists and writers in relation to the above concepts.

Lettres à Camondo
May 2022

In this film, created by the Musée Camondo, Paris, Edmund de Waal reads from his book Letters to Camondo.

Edmund de Waal and Sandee Brawarsky in Conversation
7 April 2022

For the James L. Weinberg Distinguished Lecture at the Jewish Museum, New York, Edmund de Waal was in conversation with author and journalise Sandee Brawarsky.

Always Authors
22 March 2022

In an episode for Always Authors, a new podcast featuring candid conversations between two authors, Edmund de Waal joins the acclaimed writer André Aciman in conversation about their work, lives, and favourite books.

their bright traces
9 March 2022

In this film, de Waal discusses his relationship with Korean ceramics and his exhibition their bright traces in Seoul.

Edmund de Waal in his studio
9 March 2022

In this film, made in conjunction with his solo exhibition at Gana Art, Seoul, Edmund de Waal discusses his making practice and the influence of Asian ceramics on his work.

Good for a single journey
6 March 2022

To mark the 70th anniversary of Jewish Book Week, Edmund de Waal will deliver the keynote address on the final day of Jewish Book Week.

On Rilke for the London Review of Books
23 February 2022

As part of London Review of Books’ That Year Again series, Ange Mlinko, Don Paterson and Edmund de Waal discuss Rilke’s ‘savage creative storm’.

The Hare with Amber Eyes: Viennese Jewish Families and how they are remembered
9 February 2022

A conversation with Edmund de Waal and E. Randol Schoenberg, Jewish genealogist and the well-known attorney who recovered the Klimt paintings from Austria. This event is part of the JewishGen series, run in conjunction with The Jewish Museum, New York and the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.

The Hare with Amber Eyes at the Jewish Museum
10 January 2022

Liz Diller and Edmund de Waal discuss The Hare with Amber Eyes exhibition at New York's Jewish Museum. This talk was part of the programme of the Lockdown University, set up by collector and philanthropist Wendy Fisher.

Place to Place
2 December 2021

Metalsmith Adi Toch joins Edmund de Waal in conversation at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

The Lure of Objects
9 November 2021

As part of the Charleston Literary Festival, Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria & Albert Museum and author of The Radical Potter: The Life and Times of Josiah Wedgwood, and Edmund de Waal explore their obsessions with ceramics and objects and how that has led to journeys into porcelain, abolitionism and the holocaust.

A Right Understanding
5 November 2021

Edmund de Waal will give this year's Ruskin To-Day Brantwood Annual Lecture celebrating the life, work and legacy of John Ruskin. For this lecture, de Waal examines Ruskin's legacy of thinking on technology, materiality, consumption and value. De Waal will also reflect on how Ruskin has influenced his own artistic practice.

The Collectors
31 August 2021

As part of Jewish Book Week, Edmund de Waal will be in conversation Washington Post Paris Correspondent James Mcauley, chaired by Anne Sebba.

Objects of Desire
19 August 2021

In this event, de Waal unpacks his deep fascination with the objects in the Musée de Camondo and what they reveal about his own personal and cultural history – with Lennie Goodings, author of A Bite of the Apple: A Life with Books, Writers and Virago.

Edmund de Waal's Letters to Camondo
4 August 2021

In this episode of the Getty Art + Ideas podcast, James Cumo and de Waal discuss Moïse de Camondo’s story, its intersections with de Waal’s own history, and the emotional weight that objects can carry.

The Thinking Hand
30 June 2021

Richard Calvocoressi joins Edmund de Waal in conversation at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, to discuss This Living Hand, exhibition of Henry Moore's work, curated by de Waal for the Henry Moore Studios & Gardens.

This Living Hand
2 June 2021

A beautiful introduction to and overview of This Living Hand: Edmund de Waal presents Henry Moore.

After Vienna: Edmund de Waal and Tom Stoppard
2 May 2021

For the London Library Lit Fest, Tom Stoppard and Edmund de Waal came together in conversation to discuss some of the themes and concerns they share in their work, including diaspora, displacement, art and libraries and the cultural particularity of pre-War Vienna.

In Conversation with Theaster Gates
19 January 2021

Edmund de Waal and Theaster Gates, in their respective studios in London and Chicago, discuss their most recent exhibitions, their forebears in the world of ceramics, and the key role that history plays in their practices. Video: Pushpin Films; footage: Nick Foxall, Emile Kelly, and Chris Strong.

some winter pots
January 2021

This film looks at the making of some winter pots, the Gagosian's Davies Street gallery of vessels made by Edmund de Waal during the first UK lockdown.

Burning the Books
15 December 2020

Richard Ovenden, director of the Bodleian Libraries, explores the historic destruction of libraries and archives with Edmund de Waal.

At a Distance Podcast
15 December 2020

On Contemplating Life Through Pottery and Poetry: Edmund de Waal discusses the psychological value of human touch, the intimate relationship between pottery and poetry, and the importance of kindness as a societal response to the pandemic.

cold mountain clay
December 2020

This film explores the exhibition cold mountain clay, at Gagosian Gallery, Hong Kong. Video by Pushpin Films; footage: Emile Kelly and Nick Foxall.

Hear Now: Whitechapel Gallery Podcast
November 2020

Edmund de Waal joins Iwona Blazwick to discuss the exhibition Kai Althoff goes with Bernard Leach, shown at the Whitechapel Gallery in 2020.

Living with Ruskin
20 October 2020

The influence of John Ruskin is far reaching and for each artist, writer, educator and thinker who encounters his work, he means something different. Join Edmund de Waal and Ruskin expert, Professor Tim Barringer, for an intimate conversation about their relationship with Ruskin's ideas and who they understand him to be in an age of change.

tacet
5 October 2020

An exploration of Edmund de Waal's exhibition at the New Art Centre, Wiltshire. Film by Giza Films.

Library of exile: writing experiences of migration and exile
7 September 2020

This timely and urgent discussion explored how literature can represent the experience of migration and exile.

The Modern House Podcast
23 April 2020

In episode four of The Modern House Podcast, co-founder Matt Gibberd speaks to Edmund de Waal about his work, life and home, as well as his top three living spaces around the world.

library of exile: Edmund de Waal in conversation with Maiko Tsutsumi
17 January 2019

A part of the library of exile is a collection of 18 plates that Edmund de Waal bought at auction, from the collection of the Jewish von Klemperer family, who fled Dresden in 1938 and whose collection was confiscated and handed over to the porcelain collection. During the bombing in 1945, they were badly damaged. De Waal asked Japanese artist Maiko Tsutsumi to visibly reassemble her using the traditional Kintsugi technique with gold lacquer. In this conversation, the two artists talk about cooperation, traditional technology and the importance of the place.

library of exile: Edmund de Waal, Zuzanna Janin, Mark Justiniani and the Damascus room in Dresden
16 December 2019

This video explores Edmund de Waal's installation library of exile at the SKD, Dresden.

Meet the artist: Interview with Edmund de Waal about the 'library of exile'
16 December 2019

In this interview, Edmund de Waal discusses his installation library of exile, in the second location of its tour at the SKD, Dresden.

In Conversation: Edmund de Waal and Sally Mann
8 November 2019

In this video, Sally Mann joins Edmund de Waal onstage at the Frick Collection in New York to converse about art, writing, and the importance of place in their respective bodies of work. The conversation was presented in association with the exhibition Elective Affinities: Edmund de Waal at the Frick Collection.

Only Artists
9 October 2019

Writer Tracy Chevalier met Edmund de Waal at his studio for BBC Radio 4's Only Artists programme.

The Artistry of Edmund de Waal
25 June 2019

Part of the Aspen Ideas Festival, Adam Gopnik joins Edmund de Waal to discuss how are stories told – and what power and inspirations lie in ancient art forms reinvented.

Steel Light: Materials and Memories
30 May 2019

In this lecture, in conjunction with his current exhibition at The Frick Collection, New York, Edmund de Waal explores his long relationship with the Frick and his response to particular places, objects, and paintings within its galleries. He also reflects on the meanings of collecting within his own life and artistic practice.

Elective Affinities - Edmund de Waal at the Frick Collection
29 May 2019

Looking at the inspiration and technical process leading up to Edmund de Waal's exhibition of sculptures installed throughout The Frick Collection, New York. Site-specific works made of porcelain, steel, gold, marble, and glass are displayed in the museum's main galleries alongside works from the permanent collection.

breath - the making of the artist's book
18 February 2019

At the heart of the exhibition at Ivorypress, Madrid, is an artist’s book: a project that has spanned many years, looking hard into what books are, how they feel and their presence in the world. It is an homage to Romanian-born poet Paul Celan, a book about slowing down.

breath - exhibition
18 February 2019

breath is an exhibition in three parts across Ivorypress’s three different spaces: the publishing house, the exhibition space, and the bookshop. In this film, de Waal discusses the works created for this exhibition.

The Gomes Lecture
15 February 2019

The annual Gomes Lecture, at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, delivered in February 2019 by Edmund de Waal, was entitled In Touch: Objects, Families, Stories. Previous lecturers include Neil McGregor, Sandy Nairne, and Professor Alison Richard.

The Art Newspaper Podcast
30 November 2018

Edmund de Waal joins Ben Luke on The Art Newspaper's podcast to discuss the journey of his netsuke collection and the current state of nazi-loot restitution.

– one way or other –
31 October 2018

This short video taken at the Schindler House, Los Angeles, documents Edmund de Waal’s architectural intervention – one way or other –

Wayne McGregor rehearses Yugen with The Royal Ballet
12 March 2018

Wayne McGregor rehearses Yugen with The Royal Ballet. This new production, designed by Edmund de Waal, celebrates the centenary of iconic composer Leonard Bernstein's birth.

I walk the line: Art on the border
16 January 2018

The inaugural Roth Lecture at the Albertinum in Dresden was given by Edmund de Waal. De Waal's talk, I walk the line: Art on the border, was delivered in January.

Morandi / Edmund de Waal, Artipelag, Stockholm
7 April 2017

At Artipelag, Stockholm, Edmund de Waal discusses his work, his relationship with the work of Giorgio Morandi, and the installation of the exhibition of both artists' work there in 2017.

During the Night, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
October 2016

Alongside the exhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Edmund de Waal talks about the themes of anxiety and fear behind the objects chosen for the exhibition.

Frieze Art Fair, London
October 2016

For Frieze Art Fair 2016, Gagosian Gallery presented a solo exhibition of Edmund de Waal's work. Here, he discusses the body of new works made for the fair.

Interview with Edmund de Waal for "Kneaded Knowledge"
28 September 2016

This ceramics exhibition at the Kunsthaus, Graz, featured Ai Weiwei and Edmund de Waal as curatorial and artistic partners. For Kneaded Knowledge they joined the museum's curator, Peter Pakesch, to engage in a dialogue on the handling of ceramics across times and cultures. Here, de Waal discusses the project.

The Alan Howard JW3 Speaker Series
7 June 2016

For his talk entitled 'On Homelessness', Edmund de Waal talks about place and displacement in poetry and the visual arts, from the German poet Paul Celan, to his own work as an artist and writer.

The Artist Project, Metropolitan Museum of Art
29 February 2016

The Artist Project is a 2015–2016 online series in which artists are invited to respond to objects in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's permanent collections. For this edition, Edmund de Waal examines a Ming Dynasty porcelain ewer in the shape of a Tibetan monk's cap. 

The White Road, Getty Center, Los Angeles
12 January 2016

In a special event hosted at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, Edmund de Waal talks about his book, The White Road.

The White Road, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas
21 November 2015

At the Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Edmund de Waal talks about the research and writing of his book The White Road.

The White Road, The Menil Collection, Houston
20 November 2015

Co-presented by Inprint and the Menil Collection, Houston, Edmund de Waal discusses his book The White Road.

The White Road, Art Institute of Chicago
19 November 2016

At the Art Institute of Chicago, Edmund de Waal discussed the process of writing his book The White Road.

The White Road, New York Public Library (Part 1)
16 November 2015

Part one of this event at the New York Public Library, Edmund de Waal talks to Paul Holdengraber about his book The White Road.

The White Road, New York Public Library (Part 2)
16 November 2015

The second part of of this event at the New York Public Library, Edmund de Waal talks to Paul Holdengraber about his book The White Road.

In the studio with Will Rycroft
26 September 2015

A unique view inside the studio of Edmund de Waal where he talks to Will Rycroft about his lifelong obsession with porcelain clay and why shards have become an integral part of his work. 

white, Royal Academy, London
25 September 2015

To coincide with his unique project in the Library and Print Rooms of the Royal Academy, Edmund de Waal talks about the interweaving of books, sculpture, paintings and photographs and the impact that white objects have on their surroundings.

The White Road, Editor's Notes
22 September 2015

Ahead of its launch by Chatto & Windus, Publishing Director Clara Farmer talks about being the first person to read The White Road.

Frieze Talks, Frieze Art Fair, London (Part 1)
18 October 2014

Part One of this talk featuring Edmund de Waal and Paulus Rainer, deputy head of the Kunstkammer at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, about the plans for his curated exhibition of 'anxious objects'.

Frieze Talks, Frieze Art Fair, London (Part 2)
18 October 2014

Part Two of this talk, part of the Frieze Talks series, un which Edmund de Waal and Paulus Rainer, discuss de Waal's exhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Frieze Talks, Frieze Art Fair, London (Part 3)
18 October 2014

The third section, of this talk between Edmund de Waal and Paulus Rainer, at Frieze Art Fair, 2014.

Frieze Talks, Frieze Art Fair, London (Part 4)
18 October 2014

The final section of Edmund de Waal's discussion with Paulus Rainer.

In conversation with Alun Graves, V&A Museum, London
20 May 2014

To celebrate the launch of the Phaidon monograph, Edmund de Waal speaks to Senior Curator at the V&A, Alun Graves, about his life and works. 

What Do Artists Do All Day? BBC Four (Part 1)
6 November 2013

The first part of a documentary film following Edmund de Waal in his studio preparing for his 2012 exhibition, a thousand hours, at the Alan Cristea Gallery in London.

What Do Artists Do All Day?, BBC Four (Part 2)
6 November 2013

The second part of the BBC4 documentary film following Edmund de Waal in his studio preparing for his 2012 exhibition, a thousand hours, at the Alan Cristea Gallery in London.

a local history, Alison Richard Building, University of Cambridge
3 April 2013

a local history, is a permanent installation made by Edmund de Waal for the Alison Richard Building at the University of Cambridge. Here, de Waal discusses this work.

a local history, Alison Richard Building, Cambridge
8 February 2013

A talk by Edmund de Waal about his first public art commission, a local history, installed at the Alison Richard Building for the University of Cambridge.

In Praise of Shadows, Kettle's Yard, Cambridge
23 May 2012

In this illustrated lecture at Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, Edmund de Waal talks about the connection between making, writing and archives.

Sunday Sermon Series, School of Life, London
14 October 2012

In this Sunday Sermon, Edmund de Waal takes the audience on a journey along the fine line that separates the tactful from the tactless. 

Excerpt from The Hare with Amber Eyes
12 April 2012

An excerpt from the audiobook of The Hare with Amber Eyes.

Contemporary Art Lecture, Slade School of Fine Art, London
18 January 2012

Edmund de Waal discusses the research and writing of his bestselling book, The Hare with Amber Eyes

Book Lust with Nancy Pearl
13 October 2011

Nancy Pearl talks with Edmund de Waal about The Hare with Amber Eyes for Seattle Channel's Book Lust show.

Edmund De Waal: LIVE from the NYPL
3 October 2011

At the New York Public Libary, Edmund de Waal reads from The Hare with Amber Eyes and discusses the book with Paul Holdengräber.

The Hare with Amber Eyes, Dublin Castle, Ireland
8 June 2011

In this special talk at Dublin Castle, Edmund de Waal reveals the stories behind his book The Hare with Amber Eyes. This talk was supported by the Crafts Council of Ireland.

French Passions series: Edmund de Waal on Proust
7 April 2011

At the Institut Français, London, Edmund de Waal discusses Proust with Boyd Tonkin, literary editor of the Independent.

Public reading and interview
8 June 2011

At Dublin Castle, Ireland, Edmund de Waal reads from The Hare with Amber Eyes.

A closer look at the netsuke
25 January 2011

Looking at the netsuke that inspired The Hare with Amber Eyes.

The Hare with Amber Eyes: A reading from the book
25 January 2011

A reading by Edmund de Waal of his book The Hare with Amber Eyes.

5x15
17 January 2011

As part of the 5x15 events series at The Tabernacle, London, Edmund de Waal explains his collection of 264 netsuke, describing how these tiny 17th century ivory objects are both loseable and forgettable, he goes on to tell of their biographical significance.

In conversation with AS Byatt, Siobhan Davis Dance Studio, London
27 November 2009

In this series, Conversations on Making, Edmund de Waal and AS Byatt have a conversation about their own creative processes. 

Signs & Wonders
Summer 2009

Edmund de Waal discusses this major permanent installation at Victoria & Albert Museum, London.