As-salamu alaykum - Misk forum sparks global cultural conversations
As-salamu alaykum. The Misk Art Institute’s yearly Creative Forum is putting a spotlight on local talent and helping start cultural conversations worldwide, according to its CEO.
The sixth edition wrapped up Saturday at Riyadh Schools in Misk under the theme “Arts Reshaping the World: Social Responsibility of Cultural Institutions.” Artists, curators, scholars and cultural practitioners from around the world gathered to discuss how institutions can promote social responsibility and sustainable creativity.
CEO Reem Al-Sultan said cultural institutions don’t just preserve identity and memory; they can also be agents of change. By bringing together leading voices from the region and beyond, the Creative Forum 2025 sparked new cultural dialogue and highlighted fresh approaches to cultural and social responsibility.
She added the forum supports the institute’s mission to empower creativity and encourage inclusivity, showing local voices alongside international viewpoints.
Over two days there were more than 15 panels, talks and networking sessions. In “Building Art World Legacy Through Archiving,” lead curator Basmah Al-Shathry talked about the difficulties of documenting Saudi art history: “We’re still trying to understand and there are not a lot of archives unfortunately yet,” she said.
A panel called “Margins are the Main Text” looked at the soft power of art. Noor Salame, CEO and founder of Kaph Books, said the goal of a regional publishing house with international reach is to make the region’s voices heard globally - publishing what’s happening in the regional art scene. “We were in the margins and now our conversation is becoming the center. We are archiving, we’re documenting, we’re sending the message and the vision that we know and believe in.”
There was also a presentation by Abdulrahman Gazzaz, co-founder of BrickLab, documenting gentrification in the Al‑Rawdah neighbourhood. Workshops and informal chats featured industry professionals like photographer Omar Ashour, art adviser Myrna Ayad and artists Ayman Dayban and Rashid Alsubaie.
Since 2020 the forum has hosted nearly 200 speakers from over 20 countries and welcomed about 14,000 people. It’s now seen as an important platform for cultural exchange and creative development - mashallah, a positive step for the creative scene.
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