Photographer peter piano bestie. To me there is something truly magical about a fast food stabbed. And looking at what the world of arts and culture has in store for us in twenty eighteen. But first we look back at twenty seventeen and odds twenty ones highlights of the in. January set the bar high with the opening of the elder villa mony in hamburg all the troubles with cost overruns and construction delays were as good as forgotten replaced by genuine excitement and an endless rush of visitors to concerts and the viewing platform. Pummelled has really reinvented itself as a city of culture. Berlin is still in the midst of construction in two years the form is scheduled to open in the newly reconstructed city palace and bring together the cultures of the world and now when we talk about large scale cultural projects we also have to include. Money was no object when architects joy move was commissioned to design the Louvre Abu Dhabi hundreds upon hundreds of loaned items from thirteen french cultural institutions are on display here. The louvre in paris sold the rights to use its name for thirty years for more than one billion euros. Cape towns new museum was much less costly the maka museum for contemporary art africa is the first of its kind on the continent. Its helps give african artists a confidence boost but it hasnt been without controversy since the people behind it all white. Everything different that was also the guiding principle behind the fourteenth document the worlds most important Art Exhibition took place in two locations in two thousand and seventeen its home of castle and the greek capital athens that was appealing but also quite expensive economically the documenter ended in the red distinctly it remains contentious. Politically motivated double exhibition its main themes were social criticism displacement and the plight of refugees this double documenter insisted the current contemporary art can also come from old dead artists the press were divided on the shows merits but more than one Million People flocked to see it in athens and castle. Twenty seventeen was also the year that a young german artist was celebrated imhoff she created work for the german pavilion at the venice be a nala that played with power and powerlessness despotism in. Violence resistance and freedom are impressive find our performance piece one the be an honest goldline award. Now turning to the man there were two this year over celebrated in is a big way. Twenty seventeen mark the five hundredth anniversary of the reformation so this year belong to Martin Luther among theologians skeptics he translated the bible from latin into german then he openly questioned the infallibility of the pope and with his famous ninety five theses he spoke the protestant reformation began five hundred years ago in the small city of witan bag all to Germany Europe and the. Numerous events and exhibitions paid tribute to that though Public Interest was over well. One writer was also talked about in two thousand and seventeen robert manasseh the viennese all therm made Literary History by writing the first novel about the European Union which promptly won him the german book prize once you read it youll understand why. Robert manasseh. The shift to the right in europe. National independence movements. And the strange congers from a saber rattling american commander in chief to an authoritarian turkish president. And all of that was of cost fodder for social media but the biggest topic there was something else. Women began fighting back in october dozens of women came forward accusing film o. Harvey weinstein of Sexual Harassment soon social media was flooded with the hash tag b. Two as women wrote that they too had been sexually assaulted or harassed soon other major figures in the world of film and politics were also implicated before twenty seventeen was through Time Magazine honored the silence breakers behind the me too movement as its person of the year seldom has a cash tag meant so much to so many. Draws to a close as turbulent as barry kosky. Bio it for me that was the premier of the year it provided a totally new look at the walk not biting and sarcastic. At the end of the show well tell you the highlights special looking forward to in two thousand eight hundred. Five artist five stories of people forced to flee their countries and of new beginnings a d w special after the escape. Knows what its like to start over from scratch she was nineteen when she came to germany the child of a german mother and a nigerian father shed had to fight for acceptance in her homeland of nigeria her mother laughed when she was just two so naked grow up with her father and stepmother. Her brother wrote a book that describes how their stepmother tormented and starved them back then naked was forced to do the housework here in hamburg her new home she likes to cook but it was a time when i didnt feel. Like a stranger here in the beginning you know coming here. Thinking half of my life that was half white and all that stuff. That. They call it half caste in our country. Which is in the name for people who are. Starting a new life in germany wasnt easy but make a learn german finished high school and went to university and she discovered her love of music her debut album victim of truth makes darvon soul with reggae and afro beat now thirty six nick has put out four more albums and tours europe in the u. S. Her songs deal with god and family as well as violence and social injustice in nigeria. In the city of console we meet another musician a hallmark met when he performs its an act of defiance against the wall yes i believe. That. A member of syrias palestinian minority a home might survive die as the bombs and hunger hes written a book about his experiences entitled verdun singham or and the birds will sing in it he describes his sheltered upbringing in what was then a peaceful syria his blind father who made Musical Instruments and his friends in damascus he recounts how the rebellion began the horrors of the war and his dangerous escape to germany. But time and again his music gave his people solace and encouragement and music literally saved a life he played amidst the rubble in the bombed out streets of his neighborhood you tube videos made the pianist of yarmuk world famous. He kept on playing during the gunfights in the ruins of Yarmouk Islamists captured and destroyed this area of damascus. And this is. Me saying. Then in twenty fifteen i as burned his piano and am fled syria he had to leave his wife and two children behind him. Are two of the five artists who tell us their stories in the t. V. Documentary and online special feature after the escape. Sasha astonishing each was born in bosnia but his family fled during the civil war in the early one nine hundred ninety s. In germany he began writing fiction and in twenty fourteen blunder leipzig book fair prize for his novel before the feast. Antonio scar matter left chile following the military coup of nine hundred seventy three he settled in berlin and exile became a major theme in his writing only in one thousand nine hundred nine after the end of the military dictatorship could he return home famous Childrens Book author judith fled nazi germany a mother saved one of her first drawings by packing it in a suitcase. Back to matt a year and a half ago he was able to bring his family from syria to germany. Is a trained music teacher hed never planned to become a professional peronist. Today its too close up for me to play. With a beautiful friend we will play a song. From germany make some things happen maybe we can change this crazy war going. In late twenty fifteen am was awarded the International Beethoven prize for human rights for his efforts. Because. The law. In some way to play. Only why bring him to stay in my country. For proof. Has made peace with our past in nigeria and lets our shannon and her life story through her songs. I hope when it first does that means it. Is able to. Turn then. Other peoples lives. That touch them. Moved their motive power. In a spiritual way. After the escape but d. W. Multimedia special about people who fled their homelands and rebuilt their lives elsewhere giving others the courage to do the same. Weve got lots more arts and culture for you. Follow us on facebook. The address d. W. Culture. Time now to head to hamburg for an exit mission of work by photographer peter. That explores the aesthetics of the ordinary. Pater b. L. Of rescue isnt searching for subjects that catch the eye photographers from glossy magazines probably wouldnt notice the images he says he spent five years capturing what represents heimat home and came back with thirty thousand pictures. As photographic series is called despite a high marked second home anyone expecting sentimental coziness be disappointed. This is a list of the hopeless pessimistic mind. What im doing is meant to be pessimistic and. Its just to counter this happy clappy feel good stuff that we get otherwise. All we have to do is look around advertising posters its always hostile fossil Beautiful People if you look at city p. R. Left over themselves with loads of inaccurate adjectives that my work is something you actually see its verifiable not something you were led to believe in. At least its a world that appears authentic. Though. Theres nothing slick about as he doesnt use photoshop hes interested in everyday life takes pictures of places that to many look more like nowhere then somewhere. A decade ago conveyed a very different image of germany and his first series entitled simply heimat. It was full of romantic landscapes the dwarfed people to insignificance. This seeming innocence that the first series had with the landscapes and these tiny figures in the cortex its naturally interrupted by this and other parts of the country we live in theyre run down streets places that we dont go to in hamburg either. This image may be plain but it is a puzzle that inspires the imagination kind of people who live here. Thats a very poetic moment in there for me but all in all this something ironic to. And i think this interface between irony and confession and the embrace of something that many people see is ugly to me theres something truly magical about a fast food stand from its path especially at just over half of fast food stand can also evoke the idea of home his subjects are often found in overlooked places in limbo sidestreets and backyards far away from the usual sights to seeing. Home can be anywhere. I might add to your mother smiths home always involves memory and experience as a person has had. This part will someday represent home for a few kids theyll remember specific smells the exhaust from the ships hanging in the air and the vegetation and when they somewhere at some point encounter the same smells it will remind them of home and everyone has their own individual sense of home because it is always something that is actually taken along in memory. In the ongoing and the photographer who studied Political Science and sociology is now working on a new project in hamburgs brand new half in City District the transformation is taking place here that interests him hes intrigued not so much by the before and after but the spaces in between. Ascii and artist in search of authenticity. So what awaits us in the year to come. Gives us a sneak preview. Are. Talking to claires most recent work is pearl in bad along the most expensive german t. V. Series ever. The director owes his big breakthrough to a small film run lola run after which he went on to big Budget International productions the film come to quote has won numerous prices throughout his career and now he can award a few to others too and february his head of the jury of the Berlin InternationalFilm Festival at the belly nahla right here on pot some up lots from berlin to the well sasha has also managed that their choreography will be a topic of conversation in two thousand and eighteen two. Sasha violence has gained International Renown with her brand of a. G. Which the physical theatre. Shes conquered major european stages with her trademark choreographic offer of work frequently brings dumps into dialogue with architecture the. The susser but says Dance Company is one of the most popular in the world and twenty eighteen it marks his twenty fifth anniversary will be at the party the the. The the big thing in art these days is performance but the question is how far can it go as far as violence against the artists own body will get some answers starting in late april from a major solo show and were well familiar with the artist. No one else has radicalised performance up like Marina Abramovitch shes interested in loss memory pain trust what human. Eans can ensure of what theyre capable of. In april the blunders const hollerin bomb will be devoting a major retrospective to this exceptional artist berlin is big here but frankford promise is even more art in two thousand and eighteen the citys planning three cultural highlights. An extensive exhibition of works by flemish baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens opens at the state of museum in february. And the t. V. Carlos will be showing installations by the celebrated South African artist william country. The sherman will host a multimedia show of work by postpunk underground bike home. So ahead for frankfurt and for venice the tourists throng city where the architecture. No way at the end of may this time the theme is free space. Twenty one is especially looking forward to seeing the german contribution which is being curated by an unusual team politician. And the founding trio of the graft Architectural Firm in berlin. For eleven years money on a bit love was federal commission for the stasi records agency. Graft architects have designed apartment buildings museums bars public buildings and Affordable Housing that common theme in venice is the expiration of limitations of the opening up of the world and the fears that result from isolation and marginalise ation. By the way the venice architect to be an artist at the end of may weve also circled may third. In our two thousand and eighteen cultural calendars on that day two hundred years ago con marx was born the legendary philosopher economist and social critic. He was the hero of the Labor Movement in the Nineteenth Century and a passionate critic of bush while society come marx together with his friend treating gangers became the most influential theorists of socialism and communism marx his main concern was the inequality created by capitalism. Its astonishing but true marx foresaw many of the problems we face today can we learn from him its worth reading his works at any rate and marks his bicentennial hes a good occasion for that his birthplace of korea will be honoring him with a major exhibition happy birthday karma its. Two thousand and eighteen also marks a major anniversary for an entire social movement inspired by karl marx the Student Movement whose members are known as the sixty eight generation. These young people protested against conservative social structures the vietnam war repressive sexual morals and the failure to effectively address germanys nazi past thousands of students took to the streets in the events of nine hundred sixty eight came to define an entire generation for. This era produced exceptional artists such as sigma pahlka. And joseph boys rebellion and the people change the federal republic of germany was it all for the better for all the sixty eight is responsible for a loss of social values a drop in the birth rate and a crisis in education but the era did produce really great music. Really great vibe so i wish that for all of us in two thousand and eighteen happy new year stay healthy and stay with us susan. Get me some on the. Part of god and that brings us to the end of this edition of fox twenty one. Next week we get into the holiday spirit with musicians from germany and ukraine. Till then goodbye and alfie doesnt. Hold up in the earth steady burn from playing. The moment death stand. For the its not just preening spinning bells in the lesson for a city. With high tech. To make trains the last. Thing in the future the first fifteen minutes on d w. What drives the economy. Does the economy drive people. Made in germany always has its finger on the pulse. Of the markets the minister. And go to. Germany. To dublin. Images from an isolated country. Images from north korea any telling photographer captured fascinating shots of every day life in a regimented society. An exclusive peek behind one of the last iron curtain its. A north korean dog starting december twenty eighth on t w. They live to surf. Danger lurks in the water we were there for you alone surfing into waste and and polluted water not only being the witness but a thousand victims i mean with you troubles all gastric troubles. And basically this a sort of always moment in back up on their simple others on a shelf. These we do these things and you know its sad to go somewhere every day and see more of them from issue to time sort of assumed gives me everything with the waves the wind might have to give Something Back to me and i feel obliged to miss him to many of the others just. One quick. Surfers fighting against unseen pollution the suv starting january seventh on g. W. Is a d w news live from berlin Australian Police arrest a man accused of acting as an agent on behalf of north korea they speak to try to broker the fail of missile components and cold for third parties in indonesia and vietnam will go live to sydney