From: sevenload on Sat, Oct 09 2010 3:26 PM

A short movie on how other cultures are similar to our own

From: sevenload on Thu, Oct 07 2010 3:13 PM

Judging by the 2010 German Book Prize shortlist, German literature is becoming increasingly international.Three of the six nominees were not born in German-speaking countries, and their novels reflect their respective Czech, Hungarian and Israeli roots. The jury has welcomed German literature’s ...

From: sevenload on Sat, Oct 02 2010 7:33 PM

Find more info and the archive at speakingenglishpodcast.com

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:21 PM

Germany is in the middle of a long heat wave! Most people eat ice cream, sunbathe or find relief in a cold lake. But what types of arts can cool you down in hot weather?Our ARTS.21 reporter finds out what Berliners are reading, watching or listening to this summer. We find the best books in the ...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:21 PM

The crisis has hit the stage. Instead of the classics the Theatertreffen stage festival here in Berlin is exclusively made up of works by contemporary writers. Arts.21 surveys this year’s showcase festival of German theater.

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:21 PM

From Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe, 70 architecture students were tasked with designing new visions for Dessau at a summer school run by the Bauhaus-Dessau Foundation. The city in eastern Germany is in desperate need of some fresh ideas: Dessau, once famous for the Bauhaus School, is ...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:21 PM

The Frankfurt skyline is shaped by towering structures made of glass, steel and concrete. It can’t compete with the cityscapes in New York or Tokyo, but it's one-of-a-kind here in Germany.With four new skyscrapers in the works, the view in Frankfurt is set to become even more dynamic. Our r...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:20 PM

The multi-media opera "Amazonas" claims that the survival of this green lung will decide the future of our planet. The opera’s world premiere is taking place at Munich Music Biennial.It traces the history of the Amazon from the perspective of European explorers and conquerors and from the standpo...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:20 PM

Claire Huangci is just 19 years old, but her interpretations of Chopin are already considered to be world-class.The American pianist with Chinese roots has already won a number of awards, including first prize at the International Chopin Competition in Darmstadt. She’s currently studying in Hano...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:20 PM

Many of Germany’s best-known poets and thinkers also liked to kick back with a glass of good wine. It's no wonder that one of the country's most beautiful literary bike paths leads right through the heart of wine country in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg.Our ARTS.21 reporter se...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:20 PM

Until five years ago, German jazz was very much a niche market. However, since Jazzahead - a music trade fair in Bremen - opened its doors, everything has changed.Even the music itself is changing. Influences from all over the world are making jazz a decidedly successful German export.

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:19 PM

Johannesburg is still considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Guidebooks warn visitors about two areas in particular: Soweto and Hillbrow. That’s exactly where the theater project X-Homes leads us.It's an attempt by a German theater group to bring rich and poor together. Bu...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:19 PM

More than half the people in the world live in cities, many of them in megacities that are growing at a rapid pace.The theme of EXPO 2010 is "Better City, Better Life". One of the main themed pavilions — 'Urban Planet' -- was designed by the German company TRIAD.

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:18 PM

Paris is refined, Milan elegant. London and New York set standards in fashion. But let’s be honest: the real heart of the fashion world beats in Berlin! You just have to know where to find it: such as in Berlin's hidden courtyards or ecologically sound products at the refined Adlon Hotel in...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:18 PM

Long seen by gallery owners as dead wood, sculpture is now taking over the art market. The demand is growing and prices are climbing. Maybe that’s one reason that more women have taken to hammering and molding.70% of sculpture students are female. They are working with new materials and discover...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:18 PM

David Chipperfield is one of the most important architects of our time – even though his architecture is anything but vain and conspicuous. He works with clear lines instead of elaborate effects, building the perfect containers for the world’s best museums.In June, Chipperfield was presented the...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:18 PM

Exhilarating Istanbul, the bombastic Ruhr Valley: 2010’s European Capitals of Culture are beating their chests. What about Pécs in Hungary?We visited the smallest of this year's line-up. We found a charming architectural jewel — with traces of its vibrant cultural past. An ARTS.21 rep...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:17 PM

The House of Wettin dedicated itself to an unparalleled display of splendor. The dedication to the arts of the monarchs of Saxony lent a baroque aura to the court and to the entire city of Dresden, as well as the most splendid collection of art in Germany.We celebrate Germany’s unofficial cultur...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:17 PM

Benjamin Stein is a computer specialist, management consultant and novelist. Born in East Berlin, Stein’s new novel is titled «Die Leinwand», which is scheduled to appear as «The Canvas» in English translation.The story can be read from the front or the back, with the novel's two narrators ...

From: sevenload on Sun, Aug 22 2010 9:17 PM

Cities are shaping the face of the planet more and more. They mean security, freedom and prosperity, change and turmoil.The Berlin photo agency Ostkreuz has documented the development and decay of cities in a long term project. The pictures they have produced lie between utopia and nightmares.