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Undergraduate workshop with Alia Al-Senussi ('03 AM'04), CMES Scholar-in-Residence. The Middle Eastern cultural sector has developed rapidly in the 21st century, although not in the way one might think in relation to the wider art world. The use of the term ‘cultural sectors’ is more relevant than using a regional one-size-fits-all classification as individual countries in the region have taken different approaches to the art world. Examining the differences and similarities, this workshop will identify  models and consider their strengths and weaknesses in order to understand the ecosystems they operate in within the Middle East as well as within the wider art world—and how these act as  mirrors for other socio-economic issues and structures. In particular, we will look at countries which have only recently taken their first steps in writing policies and adopting strategic approaches to culture, such as Saudi Arabia which established a Ministry of Culture in 2018. Trying to identify the challenges that cultural leaders face, the workshop aims to draw attention to the essential elements required for the system to work, and what this means to society in general. In trying to answer these questions, we will refer to more established art worlds and ecosystems, drawing on relevant examples from the Western world amongst others. We will look at how museums, galleries, art fairs, patrons and collectors co-exist and complement each other, and where improvements to this ecosystem of relations could be invited, as well as what this means to politics and political systems.

November 1, 2019 – In conversation with Alia Al-Senussi, "The Art World Ecosystem: Politics, Morality and Controversies"

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