In the early years of the 20th century, his art made him the darling of the bourgeoisie, his war experience later made him a dissident, and his political stance ultimately made him an artist in exile – Heinrich Vogeler's life story is a radical search for meaning in times of great upheaval. It raises universal questions about the understanding and responsibility of art, which are discussed in interviews with contemporary artists and cultural workers, building a bridge to the 21st century and the concept of art in the present. The time levels as well as fictional and documentary recordings merge with interviews, archive images and Vogeler's painting in the film to form an organic whole.