Decolonising the arts
It is no surprise that the discussion about the colonialism of yesterday and the neo-colonialism of today strongly comes to surface when discussing the arts in the Arab region. Whether artists and professionals struggle against or play along, colonialism and post-colonialism are undoubtedly influencing artistic production and dissemination. The imported or the indigenous? The foreign or the local language? The exotic or the authentic? Which imbalances of power are not to be disregarded when collaborating? Can differences become meeting grounds instead of barriers and contribute to building a common discourse?
