At the outset, ornaments from foreign cultures are generally signs with symbolic content, which are transformed by repetition into decorative forms devoid of meaning. The individualisation seen in recent years activates the original significance of the ornamental form. Helmut Federle's monumental Asian Sign explores this complex interrelationship between ornament and symbol (Ill.) Among other things, it thematises the understanding and lack of understanding of the art of remote cultures - a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly central because of globalisation. By the reverse token, young artists in the third world are using their "own, alienated ornament" as a weapon in the struggle for post-colonial aesthetical correctness. Works by artists (for example, Kaipel Ka'a) committed to this cause are shown close to modern masterpieces by artists such as Matisse and Klee.