Mythical, powerful, laden with meaning: this autumn, three different exhibitions - in Frankfurt, Basel, and Leipzig - are showing the great German painter's landscapes, portraits, and works done in exile. We'll decipher one of his most important works, the tryptich "Departure", executed in 1933. The whole of life, in one picture!

• 1/10/12
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Once a year, Guadalajara in Mexico becomes the capital of the literary world. The Feria Internacional del Libro that took place this week is the second-largest book fair in the world. Guest of honor was Germany, and among the literary luminaries attending the event was Herta Müller, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature.How is German literature seen in the Latin American literary world? And what sort of issues preoccupy its own writers - such as Javier Sicilia, poet, columnist and anti-drug-war campaigner. ARTS.21 finds out.

• 1/10/12
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It's well known that many Jewish scientists and artists fled Nazi Germany. Less well known is their cultural influence in the countries that took them in. A major study by the Moses Mendelssohn Center in Potsdam focuses on just that. We spoke with the Center's Director, Julius H. Schoeps.

• 1/10/12
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In our new series “The Class of 2012”, we pay a visit to universities across Germany to see how they’re nurturing the creative talent of tomorrow. This week we go to the German Film and Television Academy (dffb) in Berlin. Competition for places here is fierce, and getting admitted is an honor.But what happens with the students once they’re in? We talk to two young directors about their plans for the future.

• 1/10/12
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The Dogon culture blossomed in the spectacular rocky landscape of Bandiagara in what is now Mali. The natural and cultural heritage of the Dogon has been on the UNESCO world heritage list since 1989.More than 270 of the most beautiful objects from the region, including masks, sculptures and jewelry, are on show at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn. ARTS.21 visited the Dogon people in Mali.

• 1/10/12
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They're young and idealistic, they're the next generation in the arts: the students of the "Class of 2012." We traveled across Germany to speak with the up-and-coming creative talent in Germany, including dancers, pop musicians, writers, and more.Part 1 takes us to Offenbach, where two young product designers are hatching dreams of beautifying the workaday world.

• 1/10/12
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For author and typographer Judith Schalansky, the appearance of a book is almost as important as its content. In her hand-made books, the binding, illustrations and even the paper are her own creation.Her current novel, «The Giraffe’s Neck», paints a portrait of life in a declining town in eastern Germany.

• 1/10/12
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What does 'Architecture for All' mean in a city like São Paulo, the largest in Brazil? It's home to a population of 20 million, one third of whom live in the shanty towns known as favelas. An urban planner from Switzerland shows us how São Paulo is improving living conditions in the favelas and what the locals are doing to help.

• 11/6/11
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German architecture has an excellent reputation but it's not neccessarily all that widespread. Brazil, for example, is home to few examples of German architecture. A group exhibition at the São Paulo Biennale is set to change that. It showcases industrial sites, galleries and residential buildings made in Germany.

• 11/6/11
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Thomas Ruff’s larger-than-life portraits have earned him international fame, and a new exhibition in the northwest German city of Münster shows his passion for outer space. “Stellar Landscapes” reveals new worlds, including NASA images reworked by artists to give viewers the impression of traveling through the cosmos. ARTS.21 caught up with Thomas Ruff.

• 10/30/11
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No other country has a larger proportion of writers and readers than Iceland. The island nation is guest of honor at this year's book fair. Our reporters visited the land of geysers and trolls and found more there than just sagas and traditions.

• 10/16/11
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Whether in China, Algeria or Belarus, books can pose a threat to dictators, religious fanatics and ideologues. But critical texts still manage to reach the public time and again. How? And what sort of danger do authors and publishers face? We talk with Chinese dissident Bei Ling, Algerian publisher Boualem Sansal and Andrej Khadanovich from the Belarusian PEN Center.

• 10/16/11
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The world's largest book and media trade fair is taking place at a time of sweeping change. Is the good old book on the way out? Digitization is one of the hotly-debated topics at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Though not yet as popular in Germany as in some other countries, e-books are showing enormous growth, while printed books are selling less well.

• 10/16/11
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Eugen Ruge's autobiographical family saga is a novel about the former East Germany. It traces the story of a family from a staunchly communist couple and their discontented grandson who completely rejects the socialist system.The panel of judges praised Ruge's humor and craftsmanship, saying he had managed to "tame the experiences of four generations over 50 years into a dramatically refined composition". We meet the author at the Book Fair.

• 10/16/11
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»Eminent Architects« – Buildings and photographs by famous architects »Kinski - Vermächtnis« – A book on the legacy of actor Klaus Kinski »Deutschland. Ein Bilderbuch« – German post-war history presented as a comic book

• 10/16/11
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Who's going to win the prestigious German Book Prize? There are six novels on the shortlist. And this year's books couldn't be more different - they deal with the final years of East Germany, everyday life in the provinces, and stories about the globalised world. But there's a common theme: most of the authors draw on their own lives, looking back to the places and experiences of their childhoods.There's no clear favourite. ARTS.21 gives you the chance to make your own mind up, introducing you to all six books on the shortlist. The final decision is down to a jury of seven and they'll announce their choice of the year's best German-language novel at the start of the Frankfurt Book Fair on October 10th.

• 10/2/11
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It's a unique exhibition - many of the works of 19th century Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai have never before been seen in Europe. Now Berlin's Martin Gropius Bau is putting on a show of his life work.Hokusai is considered one of the greatest artists of the 19th century - the European Impressionists admired his light brushstrokes, his woodcuts and the gentle colours of his pictures. Nowadays, comicbook artists across the world see him as an inspiration - Hokusai is seen as the inventor of manga. ARTS.21 looks at how obsessed the Japanese were with combining the styles of Europe and Asia.

• 10/2/11
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The National Youth Orchestra of Iraq may not have the best instruments, but when they're practising Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major their enthusiasm is contagious. The young musicians are also rehearsing works by an Arab and a Kurdish composer, which were specially commissioned by Deutsche Welle.Shiites, Sunnis, Christians, Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens are all looking forward to performing together abroad for the first time. On October 1 the youth orchestra will take to the stage at the Beethoven Festival in Bonn. ARTS.21 pays a visit to Iraq to watch the musicians rehearse.

• 9/25/11
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To mark its selection as one of this year’s two European Capitals of Culture, the Estonian capital Tallinn is staging 7,000 events. They are primarily designed to attract nationals, but visitors from elsewhere are welcome, too.Among them is Munich author Sarah Portner, who received a grant to become the city’s first chronicler. Her blog takes her around town, from the center to the artistic port district, where there are few tourists to be found.

• 9/11/11
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From their inception, Apple computers were always more than just machines. They combined high levels of functionality with the design taste of the times.One of the latest additions to the company’s repertoire is Jonathan Ive’s sleek aluminum laptop, which adds style to even the scruffiest office. Now Apple has become the subject of an exhibition in the German city of Hamburg. ARTS.21 went to visit “Stylectrical,” as the show is called, and became familiar with iPad finger-painting.

• 9/11/11
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The Goethe-Institut's latest project in Buenos Aires is called ''Ciudades Paralelas'' or ''Parallel Cities.'' The program allows young Germans active in theater to confront Argentina with the reality of it's recent past. Arts.21 joins the journey - and goes globetrotting with Goethe one last time.

• 9/4/11
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Germany and Vietnam have a special relationship. Over 100,000 Vietnamese live in Germany and German culture is popular in Vietnam. In our summer series we travel to the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, and ask what's behind this fascination with everything German. We pay a visit to the Goethe Institute there, which has become a popular meeting spot for young artists and musicians.

• 8/28/11
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In a town of 2,000 in the high desert in Texas lies the art oasis Marfa. The artist Donald Judd founded it in the 1970s as an alternative to the trend-obsessed scene in New York. His idea was to create a fusion of art and nature.ARTS.21 reporter Max Hofmann visits Marfa, its German director, its artists, and the astonished townspeople.

• 8/24/11
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At the "Move" exhibition currently showing in the Haus der Kunst in Munich, visitors are actively encouraged to do everything that's normally forbidden in galleries - they can touch the exhibits, play with them and even climb them. The show explores the interaction between art and dance since the 1960s, and after a successful run in London, it's now getting Munich into a sweat.

• 8/24/11
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The Surrealists introduced dreams and the unconscious to art. Surrealism can be both intriguing and disturbing, posed between the bizarre and the banal.An exhibition at the Schirn art gallery in Frankfurt takes a comprehensive look at this major art movement, and features 180 sculptures and objects by artists including Dali and Man Ray.

• 8/24/11
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These days, the appeal of museums isn't restricted to their exhibitions. Often, these are overshadowed by the actual buildings. Top architects vye for the privilege of designing new museums, and major events such as the 'Long Night of Musems' in Berlin attract thousands of visitors.ARTS.21 spoke to an expert on architectural history and a philosopher about why museums have become so exciting.

• 8/24/11
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War broke out in what was then Yugoslavia twenty years ago. Of all the republics that formed after the collapse of this once multinational state, Serbia's road to stability has been rockiest. This year, it was chosen by the Leipzig Book Fair as special guest country.We take a look at how Serbian writers are processing the country's past and indeed their own, and also find out what issues they're dealing with today. ARTS 21 catches up with authors Vladimir Pištalo and Milena Marković.

• 8/24/11
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The Biennial in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates is the most important exhibition of contemporary art in the Gulf region. The upheavals in the Arab World can be felt here, too. At its opening, people demonstrated in solidarity with the protesters in Bahrain.New, unaccustomed voices in a region where it is not a matter of course for artists to make political statements. ARTS.21 was on hand and reports.

• 8/24/11
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