Greenwald Publishes Article on Art and Culture in the Middle East
Michael B. Greenwald (Pardee ’07), Lecturer at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, recently published an article on contemporary arts and culture in the Middle East.
Greenwald’s article, entitled “The New Race for Contemporary Arts Dominance in the Middle East,” was published by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
From the text of the article:
A new war is brewing in the Middle East in the fields of art and culture. Following years of instability and ethnic strife in the Middle East and the security consequences of the Arab Spring, Green Revolution, and the Islamic State, the traditional Middle East art leaders in Tehran, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, and Damascus have taken a backseat to the Gulf States.
The region’s traditionally conservative Gulf monarchies have bolted on to the scene, with an explosion of capital investment in museums, airports, architecture, art shows, and universities, to the tune of billions of dollars. Their aspirations are fueled by a competition to become the contemporary art and culture hub of the Middle East.
These projects are being driven by a combination of societal prestige, enrichment, education, and economic diversification. If successful, these projects can increase high end tourism creating positive ripple effects inside local economies. Some observers see expression for youth as a deterrent to Islamic Terrorist groups. Local contemporary artists have emerged such as Ahmad Mater and Abdulnasser Gharem (Saudi); Abdullah al Saadi and Hassan Sharif (Emirati); Wadha al Suleati, Sophia al Maria, and Wafika Sultan al-Essa (Qatari).
Michael B. Greenwald is currently a Senior Vice President of Tiedemann Advisors and is responsible for working with clients and prospective clients and assisting with the Firm’s business development efforts. Michael is also the Senior Advisor to the President and CEO Fred Kempe of the Atlantic Council. Learn more about him here.