Art Nexus, Redefining the Ecosystem

Identity: for us, by us

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National Identity, let alone regional identity, is complex within cultures across the globe. As the arts ecosystem in the Gulf shifts and expands, how does identity play its part? Such discussions are nuanced and multilayered, but Rahel Aima thinks, “There’s a lot more regional thinking in which the Gulf region is much more tightly defined. I think there is a growing emphasis on the gulf as a regional identity, as opposed to the legacy of Pan-Arabism and the Middle East.” Rahel expands upon this, “When people say ‘us’, there is a vague, I would say brownish, non-Western ‘us’ and there’s also a specific Gulf ‘us’.” 

     For Myrna Ayad, UAE identity is about the nation’s diversity. “Every time somebody from the leadership talks about over 200 nationalities being here, you can just imagine the wealth that we are indulging in. So what is it to be an Emirati? It’s being tolerant, it’s being respectful. It’s being open.” There is also the sense that this growing national identity around the ‘Gulf’ is being reflected in the art that is being made, “I think on the level of artists, it’s a personal identity that’s depending on place and not necessarily an ethnicity or your passport,” says Rahel, “though among Khaleeji artists, there’s recently been a particular emphasis on themes rooted in heritage and history like engaging with the natural environment—the desert, the mountains, the sea—and late stage British colonialism”. These projects have been characterised by long-running collaborations with established Western brands such as the Louvre and the Guggenheim.

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State support and patronage

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Gaith Abdulla believes that the primary focus of these mega-museum projects was to provide prestigious tourist attractions
to the city. As a result of this policy, Gaith believes that “the rest of the infrastructure or the more inward-facing element of that cultural development has been missing because it was focused on tourism.” Today, there are signs that this might be changing. 

     For Rahel Aima, in the last few years, The Department of Culture and Tourism has “stepped up”, by announcing in 2021 a further $8bn funding for the cultural and creative industries. (18) It’s been a profound change for Myrna Ayad, “I grew up here, I’ve been living in Dubai for 43 years. When I think about my childhood, there was no Ministry of Culture and Tourism when I was growing up, but to see these amazing initiatives issuing national grants, supporting the UAE’s presence at the Venice Biennale, funding residencies, supporting monographs, and supporting artists abroad—it’s incredible.”

     In KSA, art is being funded by public money rather than private, with currently little in the way of a commercial scene. Galleries focus on bidding for government projects rather than selling art. (19) The scale of the government’s investment has attracted allegations of art or culture washing, but Rebecca Anne Proctor believes that, “The Saudi government is not going to invest millions and millions of dollars into the creative industries without reason. It is to foster a parallel economy separate from its reliance on hydrocarbons and to transform and open Saudi society as well as boost tourism.” The grand plan, announced in 2018, is called ‘Vision 2030’. It is ambitious, but the jury is out as to whether it can be completely fulfilled, “Saudi doesn’t have enough budget to produce the entirety of its projects for Vision 2030—especially as new projects, including the World Cup and Riyadh Expo 2030 have been recently announced.” Additionally, the Gulf nation is still dependent on foreign direct investment (FDI). While FDI targets are up, they are still falling short of their 2030 goal. This year has witnessed cost-cutting as the Gulf nation re-prioritises its projects and state funding.” explains Rebecca Anne Proctor.