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“Are we running out of water?” Our current issue on a highly topical theme

Without water, life on our planet would be impossible. An issue on the complicated relationship between humans and the big blue. What are the resources we can count on? Which lessons are to be learned from earlier droughts?

With contributions by Ben Okri, A.L. Kennedy, Katerina Poladjan, and Aditi Mukherji, among others. Find your German language print copy in our online shop or read it online in English!  



You can’t drink gold

Thirty years ago, one of the largest gold mines worldwide was built in the Peruvian Andes, poisoning water resources in the region. Farmer Máxima Acuña de Chaupe has campaigned against the damages 
by Máxima Acuña de Chaupe

Swimming in Patagonia!

How does it feel to jump into a lake of melted snow in the South American summer? Poet Leo Boix about the beauty of Lake Nahuel Huapí and feeling reborn after a swim in the freezing water
by Leo Boix

The wave

Suthu Magiwane is one of very few black female surfers in Durban. But out in the water, identity doesn’t matter. About a surfer’s life in South Africa
by Suthu Magiwane

African literature now. Behind the scenes

Countless stories from sub-Saharan Africa testify to the diversity of current literary production on the continent. This year in particular, African authors have been able to win important international prizes. 

But how does new literature gets published and disseminated across the continent? How can young authors connect with a global audience? In our new collection, several authors from Southern Africa discuss the circumstances of writing and getting published, and getting in touch with their readers. A cooperation with the African Book Festival Berlin (August 26th-28th, 2022).

 

A novel from South Africa

[Translate to English:]

South African literature slipped from the international gaze after the end of apartheid. Books by black authors in particular rarely reached foreign readers. Now festivals, small publishers and the film industry are finally changing the picture

By Niq Mhlongo

The rise of African Zines

[Translate to English:]

Print was long the natural habitat of African literature but online literary magazines are emerging as a new home for the continent’s countless stories

By Joanne Hichens

On the road

[Translate to English:]

What do you learn when you travel? And why should you set out at all? South African writer Lerato Mogoatlhe has traveled to thirty countries on her continent in fourteen years – and learned a lot about herself in the process

By Lerato Mogoathle

Latest

Therapeutic bum wriggling

[Translate to English:]

French dancer Maïmouna Coulibaly took to African dance to process traumatic experiences of repeated sexual violence and a conservative upbringing. Her “Booty Therapy” is an international success

By Maïmouna Coulibaly

“London’s despicable skyline”

Are skyscrapers symbols of modernity or playgrounds for rich investors? Writer Will Self on walking in London and how international capital has completely changed his home city

By Will Self

The return of the Philippine dynasties

[Translate to English:]

Ferdinand Marcos, son of the ex-dictator of the same name, becomes the new president of the Philippines. A disinformation campaign on social media helped elevate him to the post — as did the country’s long history of dynastical power structures

By Nicole Curato

Black and white thinking: How cultural battles define our societies


In a recent speech at a conservative conference in the US, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has declared a “culture war” against liberals. The general political discourse has significantly changed over the past years. It is not in civil debates that differing views are exchanged anymore. Instead, sharp battle rhetoric is broadcast on social media or in public rallies. 

In our themed issue „Black and white thinking”, we look at these heated discussions about “right” and “wrong,” cancel culture and identity politics, and ask how we can establish a common ground – a set of basic values which people might agree on across the political spectrum, even when they disagree on many other things. 

„Changing our mindset“

Who has the right to speak and what can be said? Philosopher Svenja Flaßpöhler and sociologist Naika Foroutan discuss inclusive language, and the fight for equality. A conversation
with Naika Foroutan and Svenja Flaßpöhler

Western nonsense

In Russia, the term “new ethics”­­ is used to describe the set of liberal values which aim at a more inclusive society. Interestingly, both pro-government and opposition forces are reacting fiercely to such campaigns
by Alexander Finiarel

“We are constantly misrepresented”

Have we forgotten how to argue? Racism researcher Ibram x. Kendi on polarized debates, personal hostility and his own prejudices. A conversation
with Ibram X. Kendi

The KULTURAUSTAUSCH world map

All of our articles and photos at one click

Eye on Taiwan. Reports from our archive

High on Treasure Hill

In the center of metropolitan Taipei, the Treasure Hill area grew from self-made huts for working-class families. In the 1990s, the settlement was to be demolished. But then, the city of Taipei changed course and turned it into an artists' residence. Today, artists and designers from many countries work here. A report
by Carina Rother

Chickens versus loneliness

The number of elderly people in Taiwan is rising fast. How do they live and what is their role in society? Steve Luis wants to use the networking potential of technology and usher older people into the digital age with “Fun Aging”. Huan-Ching Yang gets the elderly enthusiastic about sustainable animal husbandry with her garden project
by Gundula Haage

Back to the roots

Verdant forests, migration, and the longing for a past which is now over: In her book “Two Trees make a Forest”, Canadian environmental historian and author Jessica J. Lee embarks on a journey into her family's past, through the varied landscapes of Taiwan and ultimately to herself.
by Jess See

Summer read: “The city was empty”

“Smidovych’s story began when he was going out to look for drinking water one day, one day with a leaden sky, a day just like this.” A literary and visual journey in eight chapters, written jointly by eight authors from around the world, including Serhij Zhadan, Ben Okri, Claudia Piñeiro and others



The big photography interview

The Centenarians of Ikaria

How people age is determined by their genes and by their living conditions. Andrea Frazzetta has photographed centenarians on the Greek island of Ikaria, where a surprisingly large number of people grow very old.
an interview with Andrea Frazzetta

Photographing with protective goggles

Polish photographer Natalia Kepesz travelled to her hometown of Złotoryja in southwestern Poland for her latest works. She also documented a new Polish trend, military summer camps for local children. 
an interview with Natalia Kepesz

“It is common knowledge who is menstruating”

According to the “Chhaupadi” custom in Nepal, girls and women who are menstruating are considered impure and must be isolated. Maria Contreras Coll spent a year in Nepal and documented this tradition for her photo project “Journey to Impurity”.
an interview with Maria Contreras Coll

News from ifa

Research: External Cultural Policy in 31 countries

The growing importance of external cultural policy, increasing number of countries with explicit External Cultural Policy (ECP) strategies, and more competitive geopolitical climate brings with it a greater need for more comprehensive, systematic and up-to-date information. The ECP Monitor provides information on key data such as the economy and geopolitical position of selected countries.

Reasons for hope. An interview with the German ambassador to Haiti

Crime, natural disasters, assassinations of presidents: Haiti is in a never-ending political crisis. What is Germany undertaking to support this country politically? Ambassador Jens Kraus-Massé talks about the difficult establishment of constitutional structures and why he believes there’s still reason for hope.

Exhibition: A look at ifa’s art collection

In a new exhibition series, ifa Gallery Berlin sheds light on the institute's extensive collection of art works. In the current exhibition “Spheres of interest,” contemporary artists such as Isaac Chong Wai, Lizza May David and Wilhelm Klotzek, take a look at one specific work from the collection, including classics by Hannah Hoech, Käthe Kollwitz or Joseph Kosuth.