Art with a Diplomatic Heart

Art and cultural diplomacy have found a home in the United Arab Emirates. The country has an eye on both traditional art forms like the paintings and sculptures present at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, as well as more up-and-coming methods such as street art and graffiti on the buildings of the Dubai Street Museum.

The Inside Middle East series explores the UAE art scene in their first episode, "Art with a Diplomatic Heart." This episode looks at the UAE government's cultural diplomacy efforts and how they relate to the country's overall goals.

As Minister for Culture and Knowledge Development, Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi reiterates the importance of the government's support of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, noting, "For us, we needed to have a universal and a global language, a story that is impactful, that resonates, that connects with people. So it is cultural diplomacy, it is part of a soft power, it is how we create a cultural revolution."

The full video, as well as an article on the topic, is available at the AfricaNews website.

Photo by Wikiemirati I CC BY-SA 4.0 (Image was resized and cropped)