PANEL DISCUSSION

Cultural Identity in a Global Society

Thursday, February 9th 2006, 17 - 20.00

Listaháskóli Íslands / Icelandic Art Academy

Reykjavík, Iceland

Have we entered the age of cultural uniformity or do we have to expect the
ultimate clash of cultures?

The world has seen great social changes in the last decades which are
clearly reflected in the economy, in education, art and social values. Open
international trade and communication have increased the participation and
importance of so-called marginal areas in Europe. Relationships that seemed
stable are being remade through ever-greater influence from other cultures
and geographical areas, which in turn requires us to redefine our identity
and our culture to adapt.

How important is identity in contemporary society? What role do history,
language and the arts have in a global culture and what, specifically, can
art bring to the debate?

These questions do not only apply to Icelanders, so obviously marginal in
geographical terms and in their cultural and linguistic development. They
are being asked with just as much urgency at the margins of the European
Union, e.g. in Israel and Turkey. This panel discussion will seek answers
to
these questions and attempt an examination of the role of art and cultural
institutions in our new and ever-changing world.

The participants are: November Paynter who works for Platform Garanti
Contemporary Art Center in Istanbul (Turkey) and Sergio Edelsztein from the
Center for Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv (Israel). They will introduce their
respective institutions and discuss the subjects at hand. In addition,
author Sjón and Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, head of the National Museum of
Iceland will speak and take part in discussion. The panel will be led by
Christian Schoen, head of the Center for Icelandic Art, and Hannes
Sigurðsson, director of the Akureyri Art Museum.

The panel discussion is the first step towards further cooperation between
artists from Iceland, Israel and Turkey. Artists will continue the
discussion in a series of exhibitions entitles Heimþrá/Homesick. The first
exhibition will be in the Akureyri Art Museum in May 2006.

The panel discussion is a cooperative project of CIA.IS -Center for
Icelandic Art, the Akureyri Art Museum and the visual arts department of
the
Icelandic Art Academy.

Heimþrá/Homesick is supported by Baugur Group.

CIA.IS - Center for Icelandic Art
Hafnarstræti 16
IS-101 Reykjavík

T: ++354-562-72 62
F: ++354-562-66 56
M: ++354-863 70 08

infocia.is

www.cia.is

LIST - Icelandic Art News
www.artnews.is