KarenLorenaParker.com Art Blog

I listen to speakers discussing “Art from the Arab World” in Abu Dhabi, the same topic addressed at ArtParis. Why is the art from the Middle East gaining interest, and then, how is Middle East defined? by political borders? Historical? Religious? Do we segregate Muslim Arab art and Christian Arab Art? The interesting part was about identity.

As we live in a global village, as more citizens become expats/ third culture kids/ global nomads vs global citizens… how are we defining borders in art. What fundamentals are being expressed? Where do local and global issues blend or separate?

The talk gets redundant as art-speak can be. You need words, you need assumptions and you choose how to manage them. Let’s move on. But last year the MOMA Curator captured the essence: Contemporary art deals with contemporary issues. Issues of the Middle East and how they connect globally are of interest. Defining art by where the artist was born, or where they lived has become difficult.

We all study the masters in artschool and learn the period, techniques and themes that motivate artists and collectives. How we manage and filter amongst our own artistic identity and culture is another challenge.

If my children spend their life in Dubai, will they be more Middle-eastern than Canadian? More Euro-centric than North-American? Will their peers, politics, and the culture around them affect them more than their parent’s values? Is Canadian culture more “global” or did I actually listen to my expat parents and understood the values of global citizenship early in life.

Will people choose the Mocha Blending of the Future — personality/culture as well as skin color? Or will we become more defensive, holding onto ‘Culture’, something we can’t control? Moving forward and feeling the benefits of something greater, keeping a healthy past but not being controlled by it.

Culture is becoming global/universal, how you choose to hold on to ‘your’ identity or ‘your parent’s’ identity is overwhelming at times. Freedom of choice, to remain secular may have consequences to your family heritage. In Canada women of Sikh heritage who choose to date westerners can make homicidal headlines. How does a Saudi female teenager growing up in a liberal Dubai come to terms with being a third-culture-kid? She may never live in Saudi, but her family still has ties. Global citizenship may not be part of your home culture.

My mother was an immigrant (who knows about previous generations) and third culture adult before the term was commonly known. Born in Chile, I left for Canada very young. Marrying another immigrant to Canada, I find myself in Dubai raising my third culture children. Nothing new or unique, just one of the great things about having Canadian citizenship. A country of immigrants and tolerance — my children will not find it as difficult to come ‘home’. Repatriation is more common and understood better. We can look forward to the benefits of a global village with some experience.

We get closer to understanding the similarities of cultures rather than the differences. Even the cross-cultural background in marraige offers a small war zone for practicing understanding. The future is unknown, as our rapidly changing world is creating an ever evolving future every day. I’m glad to be part of the present and recognize the gifts.

“Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.” —George Sand (1804 – 1876)

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