Panellists after the session Pic: Alexandra Evangelista/The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: The complex role of art in promoting dialogue and diversity has come under the microscope in a panel discussion on the second day of the Doha Forum 2024.
In this discussion, four experts involved in the field offered various perspectives and shared innovative strategies for engagement, while elevating the power of art to create a more interconnected world.
On the outset of the conversation, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Ecuador H E Romina Muñoz Procel spoke of how art and culture can be effectively utilized for diplomacy in strengthening international relations and collaboration. She emphasized Ecuador’s ongoing efforts to promote intercultural dialogue and underscored their commitment to making cultural services more accessible, particularly to vulnerable communities across the country.
In a recent discussion on the role of art in fostering global exchange, Qatari artist Bouthayna Al Muftah emphasized her contribution to cross-cultural dialogue through a recent collaboration with Aubusson Tapestry, part of Qatar’s ongoing Years of Culture Initiative. Reflecting on her work, Al Muftah noted, “Though my work is inspired in local traditions and heritage, the theme is universal, therefore this cross cultural dialogue is highlighted in the shared human experience.”
She also stressed, “Art and design has the power to express, and document, and brings people together in conversation and draws upon universal experiences.”
Among the topics of discussion is the shifting role of museums—the trends and their redefining roles as institutions that are becoming more than a place that preserve and present art but also as a space that creates and nurtures dialogues.
Representatives from Qatar’s upcoming museums, the Art Mill Museum and Lusail Museum, explored the role of museums in an age of fundamental change, and how it stays more relevant than ever.
Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at Art Mill Museum, Caroline Hancock commented on the timeless role of museums in the face of technological advancement, stating, “Today’s world makes so much accessible but museums remain a place for experience, a place for deep encounters, for learning and unlearning and a place for empowering very, very diverse audiences.
Museums are really a place where you can explore your own identity, but also learn so much about other cultures.”
Director of Lusail Institute, Dr. Alain Fouad George spoke about the Lusail Museum, which is slated to open in 2030, and how it will become a place of discussion between East and West as it will house the world’s largest collection of Orientalist paintings. In his discussion, he also delved into the changes that museums undergo at every stage in history and how it reflects a society’s latest trends.
As the panel concluded, moderated by the Senior Advisor for Academic and Cultural Affairs, at Qatar Museums Dr. Jelena Trkulja, the weight of art’s ability to bridge cultures and foster dialogue has taken a more vital role in an era surrounded by pressing global issues. The conversations between panelists underscored the ever-evolving role of both artists, institutions, and museums in shaping a more connected and understanding global community with art as its bridge.
