Tuesday 28 December 2010

Kuwait donates to the Institut du Monde Arabe - Paris

The Kuwaiti Ambassador to France and Dominique Baudis, director of IMA
photo by the institut du monde arabe
A generous act: 3 million euros from the state of Kuwait to the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in Paris given in october 2010. There is no doubt that Kuwait can achieve a lot in promoting art and culture from the Arab world. The IMA has a simple function: show the French and the Western world what the Arab world stands for in creativity, history, music, arts, archeology, cinema, and many more. Their other function is interactivity and understanding.
Kuwait participates actively in that sector with their benevolent gesture.
But how can one reconcile that act with the fact that the Architectural school at Kuwait University does not have a budget for their library?
What is considered more important: public image for the outside world or nourishing creativity within?

4 comments:

waleed said...

Nourishing creativity within. Bahrain won first prize in the Venice biannale as the best nation pavilion. Nurture your people they will give you publicity.

Deema said...

true,
no money management, means no employment management..

many people are placed in the wrong places.

sarah said...

but lack of money has never really stopped creativity.
It seems that the availability of money on a different realm produces much frustration and lack of recognition.
but should that discourage artists?

waleed said...

Abundance of money in the gulf has created a culture of buying. So when you want culture you buy it not make it. The relative lack of money in Bahrain has paid off cause the are making culture not buying louvres