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Background: In 1945 the artist and art collector J. Dubuffet coined the term Art brut for original works by psychiatric inmates that had been created outside of traditions and art movements. In the following decades these works were at the center of negotiation processes in which not only psychiatrists but also exhibition organizers, gallery owners etc. increasingly became involved. Objective: Based on the evaluation of four exemplary pairs of psychiatrists and artist patients (H. Müller-Suur—P. Goesch; M. in der Beeck—E. Spießbach; J. Porret-Forel—A. Corbaz; L. Navratil—R. Limberger), this study explores the field of tension between art and psychiatry after 1945. Material and methods: The results of the subproject "Normal#Crazy Art. Works from a Psychiatric Context between Diagnostics and Aesthetics after 1945" of the German Research Foundation (DFG) research group "Normal#Crazy" (FOR 3031) are based on the evaluation of archival material, estates, interviews with contemporary witnesses and contemporary media. Results: It is shown that different attitudes of the psychiatrists towards "their" artist patients strongly influenced their entry into the art world. In this context, impulses from beyond psychiatry were important in order to expand purely diagnostic views of the works with other approaches. Discussion: The renewed interest in the individual creativity of patients after 1945 can be understood as a reaction to their dehumanization under fascism and National Socialism; however, the focus on the pathologized personality of artist patients could obscure alternative perspectives on their art, just as the disposal of their works by psychiatrists could hinder their dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a short review on a subject shared by dermatology and visual art - the centrofacial dermatosis rosacea. From the early renaissance paintings to the New Sobriety of the early 20th century, rosacea has been part of portraits and other types of paintings. This reflects the tight connections of dermatology and visual arts. Furthermore, training in arts can improve dermatological skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Open Science and, above all, the Open Access movement have their origins primarily in the STEM subjects. The movement is dominated by their publication cultures and the corresponding infrastructures. With the technical developments of the last three decades, both have been gradually translated from analogue to digital. But what if openness is not translated but rethought? The paper presents the differences, challenges, and special needs of the arts and point out possible solutions. For this purpose, topics such as diversity, infrastructure for multimedia materials or homogeneous data management will be considered. After a brief outline practical reports from the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch (HfS), the Hochschulübergreifendes Zentrum Tanz (HZT) and the Universität der Künste (UdK) will show the situations for artistic institutions and their way to openness. A change of perspective is indispensable for rethinking, which is why the STEM subjects should take the arts into account. With their diversity and creativity, they meet the challenges of the digital world with innovation and vision. The arts create a modern openness for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the origin of the trope of the crocodile bird in Egyptian culture and its dissemination in classical, Islamic, and Jewish traditions. It discusses whether the crocodile bird actually existed and which bird species could be identified with it. The text describes various versions of a story about the friendship between a crocodile and a bird that was widespread in ancient literature. It also points out that the trochilus may be mentioned in Byzantine poetry and in Horapollo's treatise on hieroglyphs. However, there is no clear evidence for the depiction of the trochilus in visual art. The article describes the origin and dissemination of the trochilus trope, a narrative about a bird that cleans the teeth of a crocodile. The story originated in ancient Egypt and was passed down in various cultures, including Greek, Roman, Islamic, and Jewish traditions. [Extracted from the article]

In times of increased societal expectations of art, art education, like art, is affected by increased pressure on the content of its production. Their quality suffers as a result. Counselling and supervision of students therefore have new tasks. The text presents essential insights into the tense relationship between content and form and derives from these perspectives for action for successful university teaching in art education and didactics. These are illustrated by two examples of student art production in the concept of artistic education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of Documenta 15, the artwork created in self-responsible authorship was massively questioned in favor of a future in which art is produced collectively. In this regard, the educational potential of the work of art seems to be widely ignored. This testifies to an oblivion of the work, which ultimately risks an oblivion of art. This text, on the other hand, asks which educational processes can be connected with the work of art. In the receptive as well as in the productive elaboration of meaning in the tension between form and content, a culture of questioning is practiced, which, as an existential narrative ability, wants to strengthen the free, self-responsible personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Group interventions in occupational therapy (OT) are widely common in the field of adult mental health. This exploratory study examines which groups are actually offered in Austria, which competences OTs subjectively see in themselves, which further training needs they perceive, and which ideas they have for improving group interventions in their field of work. Method: As the first step in a mixed methods design, a scoping review on the topic of mental health group concepts in OT was conducted. With the aim of an explorative analysis, the answers of 92 OTs from Austria who work in this field of mental health were collected using an online questionnaire. Results: The majority of participants offer a wide variety of group interventions such as arts and crafts, cooking, or cognitive training. Concerning their skillsets, OTs see their strengths in relationship building and communication. Potential for development is perceived, among others, in conflict resolution. OTs wish to be heard more when it comes to decision making about group interventions in their respective places of work, for example concerning the balance of individual or group therapy, and the size of groups. Conclusion: Group interventions are an important tool for OT in mental health. OT students could be better prepared for conflict management and group dynamics in their basic training. Further training on specific group concepts and case discussions is desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, the highly original contribution made by Rudolf Haller to aesthetic studies and the philosophy of art is analysed. In particular, the volume Facta und Ficta (1986) is examined, which takes as its starting point the contrast between real and imaginary objects, including works of art. According to Haller, it is problematic to give a definition of a work of art because one can refer to very different creations, from poetic compositions to architectural structures and musical scores. Therefore, in post-Hegelian aesthetics, a dynamic consideration of art is important, which leaves room for empirical multiplicity and artistic variety without aprioristic preclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the pedagogical art theory of László Moholy-Nagy, a Hungarian artist and educator who combines various motifs such as reform pedagogical, Marxist, anarchist, scientific, and neo-humanistic approaches. Moholy-Nagy views art as a means of positively organizing individual and societal life. He sees the body as a collection of functional apparatuses that can be influenced by art. Art should not only influence consciousness but also the cells and organ systems of the body. Moholy-Nagy believes that the transformation of the body through art enables individuals to build a livable future. [Extracted from the article]

Comics are closely related to literature and the visual arts. However they are an independent art form. The aim of this article is to use selected examples to show how visual storytelling functions and especially what reception requirements they afford. At the same time the content of the selected comics opens up a perspective on the visual arts, its significance, its development, its possibilities of effect and meaning. Teaching methods accompany the reviewed comics and offer suggestions for practical follow-up activities – from elementary to secondary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the publication of two volumes on the history of Lower Austria in the 19th century. The volumes cover various aspects such as rule, economy, society, and community. The authors are renowned experts in their respective fields and provide a comprehensive overview of the history of Lower Austria during this period. The publication of the volumes represents an important initiative to promote understanding of the region's history. The book project "Lower Austria in the 19th Century" covers various topics such as transportation, mobility, communication, education, school, poverty, welfare, and social policy. The second volume contains 24 contributions on topics such as demographic development, migration, nobility, peasants, bourgeoisie, workers, relationships, social discipline, metropolis and countryside, representation, culture, architecture, and visual arts. The contributions are based on solid research but are also written in a way that is understandable for non-academic readers and supplemented with illustrations, tables, and graphics. The book project is considered successful and recommended. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the topic of polytheism in ancient Greece. The author argues that it is important to not only consider individual gods, but also the various configurations and relationships between the gods. A case study is presented on a decree from the city of Mytilene, which lists different gods. The article emphasizes the importance of examining such lists and configurations in order to deepen the understanding of Greek polytheism. The role of Zeus and other gods in different configurations is also discussed. The representation of the divine family in visual arts is also mentioned, emphasizing the need for further research to deepen the understanding of the complex portrayal of the gods in Greek mythology. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the new edition of the book "Art" by Clive Bell, which was published in 1913. The new edition by Stefan Majetschak in 2019 corrects translation errors and linguistic outdatedness and includes an extensive apparatus of footnotes. In his book, Bell develops a theory of visual art and defines the concept of "significant form" as a crucial characteristic of artworks. The text addresses the significance of the artist, the distinction between purpose and pure form in art, the connection between art and religion, as well as the relationship between art and history. Bell emphasizes the importance of form and design in art and expresses the desire for more popular, meaningless art as long as it is meaningful to the individual. [Extracted from the article]

The challenge of the discovery and invention of ideas can be traced back to the literature of art in antiquity. But unlike modern creativity myths, literature of art deals with this problem in a close interplay of studying outstanding examples, training the imagination, analysing the framework conditions of design and extensive catalogues with problem-solving suggestions that have to be integrated into one's own work process. In this way, the literature of art proves to be a treasure trove for one's own teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary literature, theatre, and visual arts, one can observe an adaptation of traditional motifs, in particular the early modern trope of ›vanitas‹. Video art, specifically, has an affinity for the painting genre of still life which, within the context of the vanitas trope, is associated with moral, religious, and philosophical questions, and allows for the integration of divergent temporal modes. In this article, we look at both early modern concepts of time and recent theoretical approaches to examine how film and video techniques fashion time artistically, extending the temporality of static still lifes beyond their visual frame and resemanticizing, defamiliarizing, and even negating symbols of vanitas. We demonstrate how these symbols are employed in the contemporary visual arts to reflect upon transience and death, but also investigate the potential of new technologies to give aesthetic shape to the passing of time. This article presents a first systematization of vanitas still lifes in video art and provides insight into these multifaceted negotiations of a classic genre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Visual Thinking" in the magazine "Cosmetic Medicine + Aesthetic Surgery" emphasizes the importance of visual thinking in the fields of dermatology and aesthetic medicine. Approximately 60 percent of the population think visually, while only about 25 percent think exclusively in words. The brain processes visual impressions to about two-thirds of its capacity. Tools such as visualization, illustration, and sketchnotes can be used to make complex connections understandable. Engaging with visual arts, such as painting, can also develop and promote skills in dermatology and aesthetics. The author recommends books on the human skin in modern art as an introduction to the topic. [Extracted from the article]

This paper summarises and reflects on the workshop based publishing process of Windtunnel Bulletin no. 7, a collaboration of AG Kunst und Wissenschaft (a research in the arts and humanities study group funded by Ev. Studienwerk e. V. Villigst) and the Research Focus Transdisciplinarity ( fsp-t) at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). Thanks to receiving funding by the Andrea von Braun Stiftung the extensive project could be realized and reliably planned from an early stage on, especially with regard to financing one crucial aspect of the publication, i. e. graphic design. This paper presents the groups involved in the different phases of the publication process, which becomes described as a shared process of knowledge production among the arts, humanities and graphic design. Particular emphasis is placed on the interplay of content and graphic design, which has been decisive in shaping themes and direction of the publication. Windtunnel Bulletin no. 7 has been published in 2018 and is available in book shops in Brussels, Berlin, and New York. It is also available open access online: http://windtunnelbulletin.zhdk.ch [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My work intends to develop a language that mixes artistic practice with management strategies, a language that cannot be clearly identified. I dedicated the first year of my artist residency at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten to the exploration of a special area of art and management that brings artists in organizations for concrete collaborative projects. In the frame of the project „At risk“ I invited eight artists and managers to a risk analysis workshop. The question was: When an artist and a company begin with a collaborative project, what are the risks for the artist, what are the risk that the company takes? This workshop delivered precious insights to the participants and a large amount of material for further reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2010, English Theatre Berlin has presented productions dealing with the topic of science. In preparing these, the director, dramaturg and actors, for whom scientific issues are fresh territory, cooperate with scientists and advanced science students, who step out of the lab to explore both potential social and ethical aspects of their work and the stage as an equally new medium for science communication. The performance itself is the final part of the project, as a new means of science communication via the medium of theater. One of English Theatre Berlin's artistic directors, Günther Grosser, collaborates with Prof. Dr. Regine Hengge, who headed the Freie Universität's Microbiology Unit from 1998 to 2013 and now holds a similar position at the Humboldt-Universität Berlin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book "The Cradle of Islam: Mohammed, the Quran, and the Ancient Cultures" by Glen W. Bowersock deals with the emergence of Islam and the cultural and social conditions that contributed to it. It focuses on the coast of the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula on the Red Sea and the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. The book is based on the author's previous works and covers topics such as the conquest of Himyar in Yemen, the dominance of monotheistic religions, and the relationship between Ethiopia and Arabia. "The Syriac World" is an extensive collection of essays on Syrian culture, providing a comprehensive overview and filling a gap in modern research. It covers topics such as Late Antiquity, Islamic studies, Semitics, Bible studies, Classical studies, the written and visual arts in society, as well as the history of Central Asia, China, and India. The work contributes to the exploration of Syrian culture and its connections to the history and civilization of the Middle East. [Extracted from the article]

This article analyzes the similarity of the revolutions of 1917–1918 with earlier revolutions in Russia and Germany. Several common characteristics are noted: "theatricality", the connection of politics with Bohemianism, and politics' concealed connection with art. The revolution presents a theatre stage on which representatives of the Boheme play their dreams (and nightmares) out in politics. Furthermore, the article investigates methodological pluralism, which constitutes the philosophical foundation of Bohemianism. Finally, the author distinguishes two types of Bohemian politicians: the first type, a "fantasist, dreamer, poet," is represented by Kurt Eisner, whereas the other type, that of a "multi-souled artist" is represented by Fyodor Stepun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a report on pedagogy as art theory. Topics discussed here include education as an art, art of teaching and its meaning for the image of a teacher, and teacher training. Also being discussed are the topics like relationship between pedagogical theory and practice to address reflections on teacher image, and teacher training.

The process of preparing a lesson, like every other process of producing a piece of work, can be understood as an art or craft, guided by goals and rules, in the sense of the téchne/ars of classic antiquity. Actually, there has been a long occidental tradition to see didactics, the art of teaching, as a part of the arts, which had found its way into the teaching literature of the 19th century. This tradition ended with the reinvention of didactics as a scientific discipline which also separated the content of teaching from the methods of teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by the question of whether fictional texts can contain knowledge, the article discusses the relationship between art and knowledge or aesthetics and epistemology. The first part recalls the traditional characterization of aesthetics by Baumgarten: as a theory of the lower cognitive faculties and as a theory of the fine arts, aesthetics is expected to perform two tasks. It has to describe the lower cognitive faculties and it has to train and to improve them. While engaging with aesthetic objects in the broadest sense, we can learn something by involving the sensual faculties in a special way and refining them as skills. The second part of the article argues that reading fictional texts improves the perceptive faculties, as well as the skills of attention and imagination. The third part discusses the notion of non-propositional knowledge and its relevance to fictional literature as well as epistemology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an introduction to this issue of the journal that combines artistic works with other subject areas.

The article "Time in Art - Art in Time: A Search for Location" discusses various aspects related to addiction and art. It is pointed out that open therapy concepts, in which those affected can voluntarily enter and stay in therapy, may be groundbreaking. It also highlights the accelerated consumption of substances and the emergence of a leisure industry with many addictive offerings. At the same time, new forms of accessibility to support services for those affected are being discussed. It is emphasized that a partnership relationship between those affected and helpers, as well as the involvement of the environment, are important. Finally, the significance of time in visual art and architecture is also discussed, particularly in relation to the subjective perception of artworks and the timelessness of works. [Extracted from the article]

The goals of the conference "Experimentelle Ästhetik" (Experimental Esthetics) is to analyze the relationship between experiment and esthetics both systematically and in historical context. Esthetics as the science of sensual perception is founded on the numerous theories of esthetic experience, on events in nature and art, equally on everyday events and uncommon objects, situations and occurrences. In developing theories the focus in the past has rested largely on the peculiarities of esthetic experience while largely neglecting questions regarding status, methods and forms of representation of these experiences. Nevertheless, one can observe not only in the arts more intensive, willful and open-minded experimentation: Even in esthetics numerous forms of reflective experiments are in everyday practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the Schweizer Nachwuchsforum Bildforschung östliches Europa 2015, a conference that was held at the Universität Basel in Basel, Switzerland on October 2-3, 2015 is presented. Topics discussed include photography of the Russian Tsar empire, communication between art and government institutions, and attribution of figurative art. The symposium featured several historians including Uta Karrer, Olga Osadtschy and Lenka Fehrenbach.

The article discusses the conference "Künstler im Nationalsozialismus," held in Munich, Germany, between November 1, 2013, and November 3, 2013. It discusses presentations by several scholars including Wolfgang Ruppert, Nikola Doll, and Maria Gross concerning the history of art development in Germany between 1933 and 1945.

"Between dogs and lions". Two stone troughs with sculptured decorations were seen at Susa in the first half of the 19th cent. AD and are now lost. Ker Porter and Loftus published drawings of them respectively. For a long time they were regarded as one and the same piece, differentiated only through the styles of the drawings. But it is obvious that the organization of the relief and the species of the animals are different. Both troughs show naked men lying on their backs, the animals, dogs resp. lions, touch them on their heads. It seems that this imagery allows a glimpse at the idea of human after-life in early Elam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This article describes the implementation of a qualitative study on the fundamentals of the occupational intervention known as "The Tree Theme Method®" (TTM®), which is used in the psychiatric field in Sweden. This study was in the course of a bachelor thesis of the author of this article. The TTM® was developed by the occupational therapist PhD Birgitta Gunnarson by means of her dissertation. In the course of this method clients are motivated to tell their life-stories and to find positive perspectives for their lives. Aims: The aims of the study are to elevate the strengths and weaknesses on the one hand and on the other hand the level of client-centeredness of the TTM®. Methods: A case-study based on the concepts of the TTM® was conducted. Expert interviews were run with swedish occupational therapists as experts who use this method. The resulting data were evaluated using the Strengths-Weakness-Opportunities-Threats-Analysis (SWOT). The extent of client-centeredness was analysed on the basis of categories, which characterize client-centeredness. The categories were created by reference to the concepts for client-centeredness praxis by Law [1]. Results: The SWOT-Analysis led to a preponderance of the strengths of the TTM®. Another evaluation showed that this method is client-centered. Conclusion: This study shows that the TTM® with its strengths and positive effects on clients, could be a gain for occupational therapy out of Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A report is offered from a November 29-30, 2011 conference in Potsdam, Germany on the art collections of East Germany. Topics of presentations given included the architectural development of the former East German city of Potsdam after the end of socialism, the art decoration found in East German embassies, and a digital collection of the art of East German artists.

A report is offered from a December 9-10, 2011 conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on the history of Dutch painting. Topics of presentations given included artistic representations of natural disasters in prints and paintings, the social network of painter Rembrandt van Rijn, and the economic conditions of the Dutch art market.

The article reports on a conference on the history of Poland, held in Darmstadt, Germany, from August 29 to September 4, 2011. Presentations discussed such topics as Polish bureaucrats during the administration of Poland by Austria-Hungary in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Polish-German diplomatic and cultural relations in the 20th century, and 20th-century Polish music and art.

If one enters a museum nowadays, one is soon confronted with a glass barrier. Mona Lisa is in the Louvre behind bullet-proof glass, Nofretete found her place in the Neues Museum in Berlin in a glass case standing on a spring-mounted fundament. They are art objects, admired, adored, loved, hated and sometimes destroyed. We may be touched by them, but they are not to touch (any more) for us. But the more the art objects recede the more assassination attempts on art are to be observed. What if anything have visits of museums with psychoanalytic sessions in common? Is there anything we can learn from assassination attempts on art or is it right to put them down as incomprehensible acts of seriously disturbed personalities? Art objects just as psychoanalysts have the power to allow aesthetic, e.g. sensual experiences which are able to change the person but in contrast to the notion of beauty linked repeatedly to aesthetics, these changes may also be disturbing. Entering a psychoanalytic practice just as entering a museum creates a tension between the sensual presence of the objects, their seductive potency, their invitation to be assimilated sensually on the one side and the simultaneous sensual deprivation, the imperative of distance and the prohibition of touching. Considering this aspect one seldom hears about attacks on psychoanalysts or on their inventory but it happens. Margaret Little informs about such attacks during her analysis with Winnicott. What is destroyed if a picture is destroyed? Are such assassination attempts attempts to provoke a sensual reaction, confirming the existence and the effectivity of the subject? Searching for answers to this question is a possible substantiation for endless new theories about who might have been the real model for Mona Lisa. This approach tends to see a picture purely as a sign referring to a signifié, perhaps to be protected against the sensual presence of the picture. Accordingly, psychoanalytic theories could also be considered as far as they are really above the ethically necessary imperative of the continuous reflection, to serve as glass plates behind which the analyst can seek shelter but which can also trigger in the patient an enormous desperation and destructiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Trundholm sun chariot is characterized by extraordinary aesthetics. The front and the back side of the Trundholm disc represent through their difference in brilliance and decoration a separate concept -- the Sun and the Moon. The analysis of these exquisite decorations demonstrates that the Bronze Age people had profound astronomical knowledge of the movements of these heavenly bodies. Taken together, the front and the back side of the disc form a complete picture, one which already contains the Metonic cycle. The mathematics of the ornamentation on both sides is also of great potency and beauty. The Trundholm disc is thus the key to understanding the Nordic style and its underlying creation myth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of one of the most prominent pieces of the Oceanic Collection in the Ethnologisches Museum Berlin, the feather cloak from Hawai'i, shows the different uses and interpretations which ethnographic objects undergo through their long history in European museums. This appropriation of objects from a far distance, lately as a feather assemblage for a modern art installation reducing the cloak to its material substance, has to be seen in a long and tormenting history of misunderstandings and misallocations in the discourse between Hawai'i and Europe. The feather cloak is also part of the culture change which occurred on these islands at the beginning of the 19th century and documents the history of these islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Friedrich Gundolf's scientific works abandon a perspective centred on materials and facts, and focus their attention on ideas and forces, on the figure of the poet as the creative man, on the 'whole' [das Ganze] and the 'all-human '[Gesamtmenschliches], on the 'absolute' [Absolutes] and "superior" [Überragendes], on art and the artwork itself instead of focusing on presuppositions, sources, relationships etc. Thus art must again be recognised for its own value, and must be a reality and a truth, and regarded as the 'power of life' [Lebensmacht]. Gundolf considered art /poetry -- as well as the history of literature -- as above all the shaping of the living spirit, embodied in the 'Great Man' [Gesamtmensch]. From beginning to end, these measures of value which distinguished Gundolf's life and scientific activity lead back to the doctrine of his master Stefan George. According to George, the scientific ideal, which must serve 'life', must find its primary source of inspiration in art. A conception of art as an instrument for a hoped renovation -- independent of any isolated aesthetic principle - constitutes a directive also for Gundolf as Stefan George's disciple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper sketches the historical development of the German essay in the 20th century. The starting point are theoretical considerations on the essay as a literary genre. The main characteristics of the essay are than illustrated on representative German essays which are examined on social - political background. The historical determination of the German essay in the 20th century causes its thematic characteristics: politics and art. The scope of the paper is to illustrate the relationship between art and the social and political reality and to explain the interaction of art and politics as depicted in various essays throughout the previous century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews several articles which appeared in the periodical "Circolo Medievistico Romano," including "Leggere i testamenti pisani, 1350-1420" by Sylvie Duval on January 23, 2014, "Giovanni Burckardo e l'immagine dei curiali tedeschi a Roma nel primo Rinascimento," by Tobias Daniels on February 19, 2014 and "Committenza artistica nelle signorie urbane dell'Italia centrale alla fine del Medioevo," by Jean-Baptiste Delzant on March 18, 2014.

The article presents a report from a May 29-30, 2015 conference in Berlin, Germany on the sociocultural influences of ancient naval power. Topics of presentations delivered included the naval power studies of researchers Alfred T. Mahan, Stansfield Turner, and Colin S. Gray, the depiction of Roman naval power in the book "Mare liberum" by Hugo Grotius, and the adoption of the Roman god of the sea Neptune by the Dutch navy and Dutch art of the 16th century.

Contrary to the world-as-play, the Agon is above all an existential phenomenon that is characterized by the human presence. The agon differentiates itself from conflict in that it takes place according to rules and develops as horizon in the dynamics of victory. Its origin brings with it an existential modification of existence in general, inasmuch as play is the general way of life for Greek society. The tight-knit coalescence between agon and poetry shows, for instance, its deep affiliation to Greek cultural form. The agon is regarded by Nietzsche as a self-evident path of philosophy for the Greeks, and it is from himself also in the modern form further practiced. The agon moves in the same direction as the world-as-play, and lies in an analogy with it -- although both are very different from one another. In this constellation of regarding the world as play and the life principle of the agon, the phenomenon of art develops by the Greeks, and the tragedy itself will be a part of this constellation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the ancient Greeks Nietzsche seeks a way of thinking other than the metaphysical. Next to the pre-Socratic thinkers, Greek art (tragedy) as living art proves to be paradigmatic for non-metaphysical philosophy. The feast reveals an original relation to understanding tragedy. The festive encounter between Man and Existence occurs in celebration. Phenomenologically speaking, celebrating means being free to sing, to dance, to turn into a "work of art". The opposition of the feastly and the ordinary leads us to the rift between "questionable" and aesthetically "justified" existence. This relation to existence binds art and celebration in an existential manner. Tragedy arises from the Dionysian goat's condition of ecstatic transformation (Dionysian choir) -- from the festivity that forms in the "spirit of the music". Tragedy plays the feastly manifestation of life on stage. Man justifies himself in the tragic manifestation as aesthetic appearance, in so far as he understands that there is no other "justification" for life other than appearance per se. In this manner, the living art proves to be the way to the "justification" of existence. The experience of art remains paradigmatic for Nietzsche's philosophy, because thinking for Nietzsche means not the knowledge of truth, as with metaphysics, but rather a way to the fulfilment of existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of Jacob Böhme on early Romantic art and its philosophy has been largely neglected by modern scholars, even though tracing the impact of Böhme's writing opens a wide range of new interpretations and leads to a deeper understanding. Phillip Otto Runge's life, his theory and works bear testimony to Böhme's importance. The article is divided into five sections: The historical and biographical background (1) forms the basis of describing Runge's demand for a new form of art ("Neue Kunst") (2): Art is considered as the revelation of God and the artist as its tool, while the artist's imagination creates the insight of God. It is the artists' duty to re-create the diverging harmony of man and cosmos in the sense of an artistic-spiritual revolution. Due to his early death, Runge managed only partly to put his ambitions into practice, notably in the Morning of his Four Times of a Day (Die Vier [Tages-] Zeiten) which was the only one of the four copperplate prints that was finally painted in colours. In its copperplate version (3), Runge uses rich symbolic features that show both his theoretical ambitions and Böhme's influence. The author argues that Runge's work reflects Böhme's ideas of God and the Holy Trinity, angels, the creation of the world, and "Christosophie". In order to understand the full impact of Runge's works, it is also necessary to explain his theory of colours (Farbentheorie) (4). Colours are perceived to be "signature rerum" which indicate the possibility to return to God. Runge's theories of light, the trinity of the primary colours and the harmony of colours as well as their application (transparent or non-transparent) are based on Böhme's spiritual ideas. The final chapter of Runge's life as well as of this article is dedicated to the coloured version of the Morning (Der Kleine Morgen) (5). The author shows how the element of the female figure, which strongly suggests Böhme's idea of "Sophia", is central to the painting. In recognition of all the features previously explained, the author provides a holistic interpretation of Runge's life work that includes and goes beyond previous interpretations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay is about guidance and orientation systems in libraries and wants to point to the aspects which are responsible for clients to find their destinations in an easy way. It begins with the psychological bases for spatial orientation, before the architectural and interior design possibilities are examined. Then the basic principles for the design and placement of orientation systems (signs, electronic navigation systems and print products) are shown. The last part shows, what libraries can do themselves and in cooperation with specialists and how they should proceed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]