Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2023: Exploring Time And Collective Memories

The Culture Summit Abu Dhabi commenced today in the UAE's capital, showcasing an impressive array of keynote speeches, creative talks, panel discussions, and cultural performances. This year's sixth edition, themed ‘A Matter of Time’, has attracted participants from 90 countries. The event, spanning three days, delves into the role of culture in forging collective memories and explores non-linear concepts of time.

Mohamed Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), in his opening remarks, highlighted the summit's theme as an invitation for reflection and pause. He emphasized the summit's role in discussing issues and finding tangible solutions for global communities through culture. Al Mubarak expressed pride in hosting a diverse group of thinkers, artists, changemakers, and leaders under one roof, ensuring that every voice is heard at the Culture Summit.

Adonis, a world-renowned poet and philosopher, delivered the Summit’s first keynote speech. He discussed the relationship between people and time, critiquing the era's technological advancements for not liberating humanity as they should. Adonis stressed the importance of creativity and nature in this technological age.

Emirati celebrity singer Hussain Al Jassmi engaged in a creative conversation with Egyptian Talk Show host Mona Al Shazly. They discussed the role of time in an artist's journey and the UAE's support for creative talents. Al Jassmi credited the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as a significant supporter of creative talents in the UAE and praised the country for its harmonious coexistence of over 200 nationalities.

Nobel Prize Literature winner Wole Soyinka and Manthia Diawara from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts conversed about African culture, identity issues, and the impact of slavery and looting on ideologies across the continent.

A session titled ‘First people's knowledge on living in the everywhen’ offered an alternative perspective on time. It featured artists and practitioners from several First People’s communities who challenged Western conceptions of time as linear, suggesting instead that time is a continuum connected through collective memories.

The Culture Summit Abu Dhabi is organized by DCT Abu Dhabi in collaboration with global partners such as UNESCO, Economist Impact, Design Museum, Google, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, and the Recording Academy. The event also includes partnerships with Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, Arab World Institute, Berklee Abu Dhabi, Club de Madrid, Cultural Foundation, IFACCA, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi, NYUAD, and World Cities Culture Forum among others. The summit aims to foster discussions that bridge cultures and generate solutions for global challenges through cultural understanding.

With inputs from WAM