Cultural History

Historical events and our knowledge of them mould our understanding of today’s world. The interdisciplinary authorship of this volume focuses on the connection between past and future. A bold and unusual publication whose approaches and themes extend from biographical experiences via intergenerational exchange to the discussion of current social phenomena.

"Landscapes of Extraction" explores the art of mining, the transformative industry of the American West, competing in sublimity and striking colour with the natural scenic landscape on its own terms. These landscapes of enterprise altered the natural environment on a spectacular scale, with open pit mines, coal tips and oil rigs.

"Global Luxury in Renaissance Venice" offers an unprecedented exploration of maiolica in the Serenissima set in a vibrant context of hybridity and exchange. Versatile and receptive to all forms of decoration, the medium of maiolica offers a unique point of entry into Venice’s material world as it was shaped by Mediterranean trade and local luxury production.

The reconstructed Berlin Palace in the heart of the German capital is both a monument of Baroque architecture and a vital new cultural building in the city. The art history, architecture and sculpture of the palace’s masterful façades by Andreas Schlüter are brought to life here in words and pictures.

This magnificent book sheds new light on the celebration and uses of marble in art and literature and on the iconic potential of the stone. With 240 color illustrations, it showcases the marble cladding of architecture, the carving of marble and painting on stone, their political and philosophical connotations, and the de- and re-materialising of marble made possible by digital technology.

Which influences between the West and the Far East have shaped the history of dance? A vivid chronicle of artistic contacts between the cultures has developed, from early performances of Asian dancers at colonial exhibitions in Europe and pioneers of modern dance via first happenings of Japanese Butoh dancers to contemporary performances.

The artists featured in "The Black Index" – Dennis Delgado, Alicia Henry, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle, Titus Kaphar, Whitfield Lovell and Lava Thomas – build upon the tradition of Black self-representation as an antidote to colonialist images. Their translations of photography challenge the medium’s long-assumed qualities of objectivity, legibility and identification.

"Art Along the Rivers" coincides with the Missouri state bicentennial. It presents extraordinary objects produced or collected within a 150-mile region around St. Louis. Beginning with the ancient Mississippian culture followed by the Osage, French, African American, German, British, and artists today, these communities developed rich artistic traditions that have vibrant legacies.

Paul Cézanne, Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet and many others – between 1936 and 1956 the Swiss industrialist Emil Bührle (1890– 1956) assembled an impressive collection around French Impressionism. As the owner of the largest weapons factory in the country he had close links to the historical events of the period from World War II to the Cold War.

The elephant is a much-admired animal, but it is also endangered. The ivory from its tusks has been in great demand across the centuries and throughout all cultures. What sort of material is it? How has it been used in the past and the present? And what can we do today to protect the world’s largest mammals from poachers? This lavishly illustrated volume embarks on a journey through cultural history and takes up a contemporary position.