What links Egon Schiele and Jean-Michel Basquiat? This exhibition showed me that despite being one century apart, coming from different cultures and backgrounds the two artists shared quite a lot. Both criticized their societies as well as ironized about themselves despite their existential anguish; they possessed sure brush-strokes and a frenetic creativity. Both also died way too young: Schiele (1890-1918) in the Spanish flu and Basquiat (1960-88) in an overdose.

France and Japan celebrate their 160’s jubilee of diplomatic relations through several programs, shows and exhibitions this year. One of the most magnificent being the one with the painter Jakuchū at Petit Palais, in Paris.

Kraitz tries to answer or rather ask that question during this autumn’s exhibition at Sven-Harry’s Museum, in Stockholm.

Fecris (www.fecris.org ) international, yearly, conference about manipulative cults took place in Riga. The theme was “education and cults”: a wide subject that led to new insights, as well as to many question marks.

An innovative way to discover art, through sound and light, is spreading in France. It started a few years ago in Provence’s low mountains, Les Alpilles, situated in the South. This innovation is lately also making a buzz in Paris.