Promoting a Contemporary Arab Image – the 3rd Annual Harvard Arab Alumni Association Conference
May 24th 2008 to May 27th 2008Bashar Al Shroogi spoke at the 3rd Harvard Arab Alumni Association Conference in Amman Jordan. The panelists discussed the trends underway in the Arab world to "Promote a Contemporary Arab Image". The four panel discussions explored what is being done to change the image of the Arab world through finance, the private sector, civic engagement and art.
The following questions were examined on the art panel:
- Are we witnessing a revival of art and cultural production in the Middle East?
- How is all of this changing the "image" of the Arab world vis-a-vis the international community?
- How are indigenous cultures being represented in such transnational interactions?
- Are there regional intra-Arab differences in the way that art is being produced and consumed and if so, what effects might that have on the construction of a pan-Arab image?
- Are we seeing a new role for the Arab artist? What are some examples of innovative ways of engaging with critical political and economic issues through art?
