art & culture

At the time, the field of mosaic conservation and documentation was still very much in a nascent phase both at the University of Damascus and at Syria’s museums, and digital archiving [...] gradually replaced the antiquated system of index cards. It was an ambitious initiative that was moving apace until the sirens of war brought it all to a halt in 2011.

The Thailand embassy in Doha is planning to organise a series of cultural activities and events in the coming months to celebrate the 89th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej on December 5. “The recent ‘Muaythai Roadshow in Qatar’ last month was a huge success in promoting traditional Thai boxing in the country and we plan to organise such [an] event again,” Thai ambassador Soonthorn Chaiyindeepum told Gulf Times.

he American Federation of Arts (AFA), Asia Society, the Chinese Museums Association, and the Nanjing Museum are pleased to announce the U.S.-China Museum Summit will take place in New York City from September 25 to 28, 2016, bringing together museum directors and cultural leaders from both countries. Participants will explore opportunities for cultural exchange...

“Under this programme, Martha and Tinashe will be provided with an opportunity to explore Indian culture and expose Indian children to their country’s art, culture, history, language, music and dance. The internship will be at Ryan International School, Chandigarh and Delhi.”

A Jewish-American businessman and the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem co-organized what they said was the first art show by Israelis ever to take place in the Balkan nation of Montenegro. [...] “Art is the universal language and it plays a unique role in bringing peoples and cultures together,” Emilfarb said in a statement about his reasons for bringing Israeli art to Montenegro.

Performing on Sunday on the stage of the Ramat Gan theater in central Israel, Taiwanese art students showcased their country’s folk-inspired dance and culture, as part of a project initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei. Before visiting Jerusalem yesterday, they performed their show in Jordan, and in the coming days will take the act to several Northern African states.

Edinburgh Skyline in Watercolor Background, by Paul Rommer

In the wake of the Edinburgh International Culture Summit, how can we think about cultural diplomacy?

In the last two or three years, there have been positive social changes in the culture industry. Viet Nam has taken advantage of the UN cultural agency UNESCO’s convention on the protection and promotion of diversity 2005 to promote the culture industry in the country. [...] I believe when people understand that cultural potential is itself a major sector of the economy, the culture industry will become a soft power of Viet Nam in the world.

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