Tuesday, 10 April — The Steering Committee of CultureSummit Abu Dhabi honoured its 2018 Artists-in-Residence with a dinner and awards ceremony held at Manarat Al Saadiyat on Monday evening.
Masters of their respective art forms and thought leaders in public understanding of the power of the arts, the Artists-in-Residence will perform and exhibit work to accompany CultureSummit’s action-driven programme of expert panels, discussions, and workshops. They are:
- Gidon Kremer (Latvia), a Grammy award-winning classical maestro and violinist, and founder of the Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra, which fosters outstanding young musicians from the Baltic states.
- Jimmy Nelson (United Kingdom), a photographer known for his iconic documentation of indigenous and historic culture. Nelson harnesses digital technology in creating awareness for some of the world’s most endangered cultural heritages.
- Grimanesa Amorós (US, Peru), an interdisciplinary visual artist best renowned for large-scale installations that bridge technology, art and architecture around site-specfic locations, drawing in audiences from different backgrounds and communities.
- Afra Atiq (UAE), an award-winning poet, in 2017 becoming the first spoken word artist to win the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation Creativity Award. Afra Atiq is also an engaged member of the Emirati artistic community, leading mentorships and workshops for other women writers.
Steering Committee Member and Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, said: “Since its inaugural edition in 2017, which established CultureSummit as one of world’s most prestigious convenings of leaders across the arts, policy, technology and media, we have chosen to work with artists who utilize the power of arts to address the issues of their communities and the wider world. In the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, we believe in the transformative power of culture and we will continue our own efforts to bridge cultures and promote tolerance.”
Carla Dirlikov Canales, member of the Steering Committee, internationally-acclaimed opera singer and CEO of TCP-Ventures and the Summit’s Artistic Director of Programming, said: “CultureSummit is changing how people view culture and its role in addressing global challenges. The Artists-in-Residence fighting against the devaluation of culture, proving that it is a potent force for tangible, positive change. We hope that the work of the Artists-in-Residence may serve as inspiration for others who seek to make a difference, locally or globally.”
