Raseef22, an independent media platform inspired by the Arab Spring discusses Sultan’s inclusion in the 2018 rankings of Thought Leaders in the Arab world released by Swiss think tank Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI). Read more »
Arab World
ArteHub Presents: Sultan Sooud al-Qassemi in Conversation with Omar Berrada
The conversation will cover the current Sharjah Bienniel and recently concluded 10th edition of Art Dubai, Omar’s experience editing ArteEast’s recent Quarterly on race in the Arab world while curating the blockbuster Abraaj Group Art Prize, and what’s next in contemporary creative expression in the MENA region. Read more »
How the CIA Secretly Funded Arab Art to Fight Communism
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, details began to emerge about the CIA’s covert role in using art as a tool for political ends during the Cold War. But while much is known about CIA funding for American art during the Cold War, their support for Arab art during the same period has rarely been discussed. Read more »
Talk on politics of modern Arab art
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi’s talk will discuss the political undertones of iconic artworks of the 20th century in the Arab world. Read more »
How art can help diffuse Middle East tensions
Some Gulf Arab cities led by Dubai have defied the regional swing into sectarianism and suspicion by publicly displaying art from across the Middle East. With its vibrant 90,000-strong Iranian community active in cultural and commercial sectors, Dubai is today an essential link between communities on both sides. Read more »
LSE Kuwait Programme Annual Lecture | Politics in Modern Arab Art
In his lecture, UAE based writer and art collector Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi will be discussing the political undertones of iconic artworks of the 20th century in the Arab world. From the Baathist regimes of Syria and Iraq to Egypt’s pan-Arabism under Gamal Abdel Nasser, paintings and sculptures in addition to film and performance have been employed by various governments as a tool of soft power to propagate their policies to the public not only in their respective states but throughout the region and beyond. Read more »