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German is not the first language you'd expect to find behind a global TikTok hit, which is why the success of "Gut genug" is even more surprising. The track was a collaboration between Berlin-based producers KitschKrieg, indie duo Blumengarten and rapper Shirin David. Now, millions of social media users worldwide have featured the song in their videos — although many of them don't understand a word of German. Despite that fact — or perhaps because of it — the song has become a hit. The hook sticks in your head and is easy to sing along to. Blumengarten singer Rayan croons it in a high, expressive voice, and the melody carries a message that transcends language. It offers comfort, reassurance and the desire to simply be accepted; things that are felt all over the world. 'Doobie Scoot C...

Anish Kapoor can demand quite a lot from his audience. For some, gazing into dark whirlpools, into the blackest of black, may be unsettling, depending on one's state of mind. Added to that is dark red wax, one of his favorite materials: It symbolizes flesh and blood. Associations that cut straight to the core. And yet, the artist seems cheerful and relaxed talking about his work. At times, however, it makes even him feel a little uneasy. Take, for example, the major exhibition of his work currently on view at the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, Germany. In an interview with ARD, he walks around "First Body," a sculpture made of resin.  "It is, if you like, fleshy. Sort of doing this rather strange thing," he laughs, as his shoulders shudder. Anish Kapoor's 'First Body' is currently on sho...

"La Caverne du Pont Neuf," an installation in Paris by French street artist and photographer JR, has opened on Monday after a delay because strong winds had damaged the artwork. It is on show until June 28.  With the largest project of his career to date, JR has said that he aims to shift how people experience France's capital. It's an ode to late artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "The Pont Neuf Wrapped," which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025. Images of rugged rock make up the installation titled "La Caverne du Pont-Neuf," rising above the river in black and white to cover the 232-meter-long (761-foot-long) bridge. The "cave" is made up of 80 canvas arches filled with air.  JR also took inspiration from the quarries in the Paris basin from which the bridge's stones were ext...

Anish Kapoor can demand quite a lot from his audience. For some, gazing into dark whirlpools, into the blackest of black, may be unsettling, depending on one's state of mind. Added to that is dark red wax, one of his favorite materials: It symbolizes flesh and blood. Associations that cut straight to the core. And yet, the artist seems cheerful and relaxed talking about his work. At times, however, it even makes him feel a little uneasy. Take, for example, the major exhibition of his work currently on view at the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg. In an interview with ARD, he walks around "First Body," a sculpture made of resin, and says: "It is, if you like, fleshy. Sort of doing this rather strange thing," he laughs, as his shoulders shudder. Anish Kapoor's 'First Body' is currently on show...

Can the music of Johann Sebastian Bach encourage dialogue? Absolutely, says Burkhard Jung, lord mayor of Leipzig and former president of Eurocities, a network of major European cities. In his opening address at the 2026 Leipzig Bachfest, he cited the fast-paced nature of our modern lives, where so much happens simultaneously. "The world is full of voices, but they don't really talk to one another," Jung emphasized. Bach's music is polyphonic; layers of distinct voices with their own melodies, all given equal importance as part of the piece as a whole. Sometime these voices take turns in a kind of question-and-answer interplay; sometimes they follow one another at intervals — as in a fugue — or they go their own melodic ways, only to come together again at the end. "In Bach's works, one ca...

Are we alone in this universe? Amid all the unanswered questions related to alien life, Steven Spielberg has more than any other filmmaker shaped the vision that humanity's first encounter with extraterrestrials could be a peaceful and profound experience — as opposed to a threatening invasion. Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) are iconic movies that fundamentally redefined the science fiction genre. Just like those films, "Disclosure Day" has been described by its lead star, Josh O'Connor, as "a film about hope and humanity and understanding," fitting right into the filmmaker's wondrous view on the phenomenon of extraterrestrial life. 'Overwhelming circumstantial evidence' In "Disclosure Day," O'Connor plays the role of a ...

Why is a sex doll in the German president's primary official seat? Set in a suggestive pose, the green bronze cast reproducing the torso of a Japanese sex doll has made headlines and grabbed attention on social media. The sculpture by Alexandra Bircken, titled "Eva," is just one exhibit among many more contemporary artworks that are on show in the highly symbolic political space associated with the German presidency and state ceremonies, Bellevue Palace. The two-week pop-up exhibition, titled "Freiraum Kunst" (Art as Free Space), runs from June 13-28. 'Eva' by Alexandra Bircken has sparked a conversation on how intimate themes also have a social and political relevance Image: Thomas Brinkmann"We need art," German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the press at a preview ahead of th...