What is ‘bare life’ and why is it such a popular subject in art? A meander along some examples produces a broad range of meanings, from a quest to find the essence of existence and social criticism, to a socio-psychological picture of fear.

The next Documenta has three leitmotifs. The second is devoted to the question, ‘What is bare life?’ METROPOLIS M asked two critics to give their initial reactions.

A murder committed by teenagers leads to a trial which holds a rock band mutually responsible for the crime – this is the theme of two recent installations by the English artist Banks Violette. Maxine Kopsa examines the extent to which these extremely refined installations are able to reflect the cruelty of life.

After seeing Roman Polanski’s film Repulsion (1965), Keren Cytter decided to make three short films based on that thriller. At METROPOLIS M’s request, she explains her motivations and lays out the whole trajectory: from her first impressions of the film and her adaptation to the horrific dénouement, at the point where life always triumphs over art.