The first modules of the exhibition have been available online since 18 September 2013. The portal was created under the auspices of the German Exile Archive 1933–1945 at the German National Library, and work on expanding it will initially continue until the end of 2014. The exhibition is available in German and English.

“Arts in Exile” expressly sees itself as a network project; more than 30 domestic and international research institutions, archives, museums and initiatives have contributed research findings and general content to the virtual exhibition. The mission of the virtual exhibition is to show the many facets of exile experienced by artists and to anchor them in today’s culture of remembrance. “Arts in Exile” has chosen a special approach to the phenomenon of exile by focusing on the period from 1933 to the present day. The subject of exile is particularly portentous in Germany, as it encompasses two diametrically opposed phenomena: while thousands of artists were forced to flee into exile during the Nazi dictatorship from 1933 to 1945, the Federal Republic of Germany later became a country in which persecuted artists sought refuge. Germany is still a refuge for people fleeing persecution today.

The exhibition concept makes use of the technical possibilities offered by the internet and groups the exhibits in curated galleries. Each item in the exhibition is linked with others, giving each user the opportunity to explore and find their own way through the exhibition.

On 18 September 2013, the virtual exhibition was activated online at the Federal Chancellery by former Minister of State for Cultural Affairs Bernd Neumann and Director-General of the German National Library Dr. Elisabeth Niggemann. In 2012, 745,000 Euro was provided from the budget of the Minister of State for Cultural Affairs in order to set up the exhibition. This was followed by another 2 million Euro for digitising the exhibits.