Front Row Folgen

Shape of Light: 100 Years of Photography and Abstract Art, a new exhibition at Tate Modern, explores the intertwined stories of the two art forms from the early photographic experiments to the digital innovations of the 21st century. The two curators discuss the relationship between artists, including Jackson Pollock, Georges Braque and Bridget Riley, and photographers, including Man Ray and Edward Weston.Stephen Deuchar, chair of the judging panel for the Art Fund Museum of the Year prize, reveals the shortlist for this year's award. Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling was the bestselling novel of 2017 in Ireland, beating David Walliams to the coveted Christmas number one slot. The main character, Aisling, started life as a fake Facebook account created by two friends, Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen. They discuss bringing their surprise hit novel to the UK. The chief economist at the Bank of England has said that popular trends in streaming music can be as important indicators of upcoming consumer confidence as more traditional statistical methods. Can trends in happy or sad downloads really be a basis for fiscal strategy? The BBC's Economics Editor Kamal Ahmed looks at the possibilities of the arts for economic forecasting.Presenter: Kirsty Lang Producer: Edwina Pitman.

Plan B - the singer, director and actor, aka Ben Drew - releases his fourth studio album this week. Plan B discusses Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose, featuring songs that reflect how his life has changed since his last album six years ago. From Picasso to Grayson Perry, design critic Corinne Julius and the Royal Academy of Art's commercial director Jo Prosser discuss the history and trends in artists' work reproduced on homewares.We hear about a new exhibition of Chinese art exploring the portrayal of women - as wives, mothers, workers, and students - over the past 100 years, which opens tomorrow at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum.Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Julian May.

Avengers: Infinity War is released in cinemas today. Fans have been counting the days until the film's release, but what does this ambitious high-budget offering reveal about the state of the hugely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe? Mik Scarlet and Larushka Ivan-Zadeh consider the bigger picture.At a time when many libraries across the UK are facing an uncertain future, Salley Vickers has gone back to the 1950s for her new novel The Librarian. Salley, and Peter Gaw who runs Nottinghamshire's libraries, consider how the role of the library has changed and adapted to a modern world, and the challenge they face today. Two Welsh musicians - singer Kizzy Crawford and pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock - perform from their new album Cân Yr Adar, or Birdsong. They talk about their collaboration, which also involves Sinfonia Cymru, and how they were inspired by the landscape and wildlife of Carngafallt, the nature reserve in mid-Wales, known as the Celtic rainforest. Presenter Stig Abell Producer Jerome Weatherald.