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Olympia is a classic Venus with a 19th century twist. She caused quite a stir, as Édouard Manet painted her as a prostitute waiting for the client. 

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Olympia by Édouard Manet

Olympia is a classic Venus with a 19th century twist: she's a prostitute

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Is Saint Thomas' touching of Jesus' wounds homoerotic? It's certainly in stark contrast to Mary Magdalene, who is told not to touch him and spends the rest of her life living in a cave.

The incredulity of Saint Thomas - Caravaggio

Is Saint Thomas' touching of Jesus' wounds homoerotic?

In Ovid's Metamorphoses, Jupiter transforms into a swan to have sex with Leda. In this work, the painter takes the opportunity to explore the sensuality of the encounter, working with colours and fabrics to convey pleasure.

Leda and the Swan by Paolo Veronese

The painter explores the sensuality of the encounter between Leda and Jupiter

Written in the Middle Ages, the accounts of the life and death of the saints occupy an important place in the Catholic tradition, especially accounts of their torture... JK, this is actually an episode about BDSM. But no worries! We're just doing soft stuff.

San Sebastian by Perugino

Is this an episode about Catholic saints or BDSM? Maybe... both?

Hercules is known as an allegory of strength and virility. But his love life doesn't quite match up to that, with the exception of his relationship with Xena, the warrior.

Hercules and Omphale by Pierre Paul Rubens

Hercules is known as an allegory of strength and virility. But his love life doesn't quite match up to that

In the 1980s, a Japanese television channel financed the restoration of the Sistine Chapel and during that restoration, workers discovered the garish colours and parts of the body that had since been covered up. So which version of the painting is more important to preserve?

Original Sin by Michelangelo

The Sistine Chapel could have looked very different...

Depictions of Venus and nude women in general in art can be considered objectifying and insulting. In 1914, a suffragette even slashed a painting in the National Gallery in protest. But Venus is perhaps more inclusive than she looks at first glance. 

Aphrodite's Child

Depictions of nude women can be objectifying and insulting. But Venus is perhaps more inclusive than she looks

An author once described this work as a portrait of a woman done by a painter who had forgotten to paint the feet, legs, thighs, stomach, hips, chest, hands, arms, shoulders, neck and head. 

The Origin of the World by Gustave Courbet

At first glance, it's an image of innocence. A motherly milkmaid pouring out the milk in a kitchen, preparing snacks from our childhoods. But there's actually far more to her than meets the eye.

The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer

A famous image that at first glance looks totally innocent, but is in actual fact full of innuendo

Diana, the mythological goddess of the hunt, lives with her band of nymphs in the forest, free of men. Representations of her in painting are a contradictory mix of fantasy and repulsion. These nympths are both virgins and lesbians, naked and threatening, seductive and violent.

Diana and Callisto by Le Titien

Representations of Diana in art are a contradictory mix of fantasy and repulsion. 

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Young Korean musicians have been taking the world of classical music by storm. A new generation are winning the big prizes and pursuing successful careers in Europe and around the world. What makes these Korean classical artists so good? A documentary following the rising stars of K-Classic

The Korean Musical Mystery

Generation K-Classics

Tempelhof, Berlin’s disused airport close to the city centre has been housing refugees in a welcome centre since 2015. A focus on residents’ daily lives of waiting for applications to be processed and for dreams to become reality.

Berlin Tempelhof

Tempelhof, Berlin’s disused airport close to the city centre has been housing refugees in a welcome centre since 2015. A focus on residents’ daily lives of waiting for applications to be processed and for dreams to be made reality.

Field of Dreams

Four women comic book artists from the Arab World, Tunisian Nadia Khiari, Lebanese Lena Merhej, Moroccan Zainab Fasiki and Egyptian Deena Mohamed open the doors of their studios and tell us about their experiences and their struggles. Ten years after the beginning of the Arab Spring how can they express themselves in the medium as Arab women?

Four women comic book artists from the Arab World open the doors of their studios and tell us about their experiences and their struggles. 

4 Arab Women Comic Book Artists

With Estonia celebrating 30 years of independence this year, TWIST goes to Tallinn to discover the city’s cultural scene. Featuring writer Sofi Oksanen, artists Flo Kasearu and Timo Toots, the Estonian Voices ensemble and rapper Tommy Cash

Estonia: Young, Digital, Provocative

With Estonia celebrating 30 years of independence this year, TWIST goes to Tallinn to discover the city’s cultural scene.

TWIST

The earthquakes that shook central Italy in 2016 were catastrophic for its cultural heritage. Hundreds of churches collapsed burying untold numbers of priceless artworks in the rubble. Work to save and restore this cultural heritage is a long and arduous task.

Rescuing Italy’s Cultural Heart

After the Quake

Since 1945 the democracies of Europe have lived in peace. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine has shattered our ideas of peace. Can we still dream of paradise and a future free of violence? Twist explores these ideas in Berlin and at the Venice Biennale.

Paradise Lost?

Can we still dream of paradise and a future free of violence? Twist explores these ideas in Berlin and at the Venice Biennale.

Twist

As a show of solidarity, Europe is displaying the colours of Ukraine, a country whose desire for democracy and freedom is perceived as a danger by Vladimir Putin's Russia. The pursuit of freedom is the subject of this episode of Twist. A desire shared by artists from all over the world.

The Pursuit of Freedom

The pursuit of freedom is the subject of this episode of Twist. A desire shared by artists from all over the world.

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On 22 July 2016 a German high-school student David Sonboly killed nine people in a seemingly random attack in a Munich shopping-centre. Why do some young people become mass murderers? A look at radicalisation within extreme-right groups online.

Youth Violence Online

Why do some young people become mass murderers? A look at radicalisation within extreme-right groups online.

Like. Hate. Die

Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish perform at Hellfest 2022.

Nightwish

Hellfest 2022

Anglo-French guitarist Laura Cox presents the Scorpions, probably the most successful German rock band ever, headlining at Hellfest 2022. For more than five decades the German five-piece has been producing international hits and have sold more than 100 million records.

Anglo-French guitarist Laura Cox presents the Scorpions, probably the most successful German rock band ever, headlining at Hellfest 2022. 

Scorpions

In Europe, the last primary forests are found almost exclusively in the mountains in the east or south-east of the continent. These virgin forests have never been exploited or cut down, and have remained as they have always been. Few studies have been done on this forests, which are presumably havens of biodiversity. We go on a research trip to the Dinaric Alps in Albania.

The Green Lungs of Europe

We go on a research trip to the Dinaric Alps in Albania

Geo Reportage

Why does the European Union allow deadly pesticides banned at home to be exported to developing countries? Brazil, especially, uses large quantities of harmful pesticides imported from Europe with terrible effects on the population’s health.

Why does the European Union allow deadly pesticides banned at home to be exported to developing countries? 

Pesticides: European Hypocrisy

The Russian enclave of Kaliningrad sits between Lithuania and Poland. Once German East Prussia, it is now home to 1 million Russian citizens. What is life like in this small territory now practically cut off from its EU neighbours since the war in Ukraine began?

Kaliningrad: Putin's Enclave

The Russian enclave of Kaliningrad sits between Lithuania and Poland and is now practically cut off from its EU neighbours since the war in Ukraine began.

ARTE Reportage

The trio led by Matthew Bellamy is one of the most explosive and creative forces in rock music over the past two decades. There is no one else quite like Muse. Be impressed by their committed performance at Berlin’s Tempelhof Sounds Festival.

Tempelhof Sounds 2022

 There is no one else quite like Muse. Be impressed by their committed performance at Berlin’s Tempelhof Sounds Festival.

Muse

According to the latest calculations by the OECD, South Korean women could live to be over 92 years old on average in 2070, and men over 89. That would be a world record. What's the secret?

South Korea: An Obsession With Health

South Koreans are on track to be the longest-lived people in the world

As Lithuania stops Russia from transporting goods by train through its territory to Kaliningrad, a focus on the history of this singular Russian territory.

The Kaliningrad Affair

Mapping the World Essentials

Sheffield natives Bring Me The Horizon bring their heterogeneous metal sound to Hellfest 2022.

Bring Me The Horizon

In an historic turnaround, Sweden and Finland want to join NATO thus ending their decades-long neutrality. The war in Ukraine has reawakened fears of the Russian neighbour.

Finland and Sweden Opt for NATO

In an historic turnaround, Sweden and Finland want to join NATO thus ending their decades-long neutrality. 

Just a few weeks before the release of their new album, The Sick and the Dying… and the Dead! Thrash metal stars Megadeth perform at Hellfest 2022.

Megadeth

Dutch band Epica returns to Hellfest to present Omega, a new album showing off their inimitable symphonic heavy metal sound.

Epica

The philanthropic foundation set up by US billionaire Bill Gates quietly co-finances experiments with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in several African countries. In the age of philanthropic capitalism, billionaires "save the world" and make money in the process. But who is helped the most, ordinary Africans or the food industry?

 In the age of philanthropic capitalism, billionaires "save the world" and make money in the process. An investigation into GM experiments in Africa.

Africa, GMOs and Bill Gates

Mixing punk and old-school metal, Welsh band BFMV are set up to tear up Hellfest 2022.

Bullet For My Valentine

JInjer are Ukraine’s official ambassadors of metal. Led by the voice and charisma of singer Tatiana Shmayluk, they are bringing their special blend of progressive groove metal to the world.

Jinjer

Punk rock fans note: The Offspring have released a new album: The Californians perform tracks from their latest work at Hellfest, Let the Bad Times Roll.

The Offspring

Folk, americana, country, rock - the music of The Lumineers is the sound of America. But with III, they take a darker turn as they explore the issue of addiction in three acts, and prove that they are so much more than Ho Hey.

The Lumineers, performing live in Paris, take a darker turn with their record III, which explores the issue of addiction in three acts

The Lumineers at the Zenith in Paris

Drockick Murphys are perhaps the most Irish of American bands. The Bostonians baptize their new album Turn Up That Dial at Hellfest 2022.

Olympia by Édouard Manet