ICT and innovation are key To promoting art in the Arab World

A lack of proper academia and funds, scarcity of contemporary art galleries, conflict, and a weakness in the utilization of technology, hinder artistic innovation in the Arab world, voiced Syrian painter, Omar Hamdi, and Lebanese painter and architect, Nadim Karam, at the 2006 Arab Strategy Forum.

On his part, panel moderator, Dr. Talal Al Muala, emphasized the importance of communication in promoting artists' work globally - a sentiment driven by the complete lack of exposure of Arab art in the west.

According to Karam, a major part of the problem rests in the lack of suitable publications and online websites.

"With the exception of some magazines in the Arabic language, Arab artists have no means of communicating their message to the general public," he said.

Based on his experience, Karam suggested utilizing public space to display artwork, thus interacting closely with the audience and feel, first hand, the viewers' reaction.

"The formula is such, that since public space always intertwines with the atmosphere in which it is displayed, it brings art closer to the people," he explained.

Karam added that art alleviates the identity of the location from a soulless concrete or war torn environment to a place of transcendence and culture.

He highlighted that the Arab world still regards art as non-profitable when some countries in the west rely on creative industry to boost their GDP - be it through holding grand scale exhibitions, arts auctions, or music concerts.

On his part, Hamdi blamed the Arab world for the West's lack of exposure to Arab art because of an absence of proper communication channels through modern technology.

"I do not know of any Arab country, with the exception of the UAE, that has successfully produced a multi-lingual publication on the Arab culture and Arab architecture; knowing that globalization requires multi-lingual and multi-cultural dialogue," he said.

Both artists agreed that there is a dire and immediate need to find a middle ground for communication; away from prejudice, rising above war and addressing the need for a language that promotes technology and fast paced communication in the age of globalization.