International Symposium on Contribution of Orientalist Art to East-West Dialogue

Posted on: 24 November 2014

Trinity College recently hosted an international symposium exploring the contribution of European, North African and Middle Eastern Art History and Visual Culture to cultural dialogue and bridge-building between East and West. The novel one-day meeting, which was held in association with the Chester Beatty Library, featured a keynote lecture by M Shafik Gabr, one of the world’s leading collectors of Orientalist art and brought leading international experts to Dublin.

The symposium, entitled 'East-West Dialogue in Art History and Visual Culture: Europe, North Africa and the Middle East', included academic presentations exploring a wide scope of artistic travel as a means to discuss visual cross-cultural dialogue between Europe, North Africa and the Middle East during the 19th and early 20th century.  The aim according to the organisers in The Centre for Gender and Women's Studies in the School of Histories and Humanities  at Trinity College Dublin was to shed new light on visual cross-cultural dialogue which existed between the ‘Orient’ and ‘Occident’  during this period – particularly when examining  Eastern artistic influences on Western art practices and vice versa. It was also hoped the meeting would challenge scholars, students and members of the public to explore the wider interpretations of art history and visual culture.

The keynote lecture, entitled ‘East-West: The Art of Dialogue’ by the well-known international businessman and philanthropist Mr M Shafik Gabr, reached beyond the scope of art history to develop an understanding of the current and future potential of art as a mode of dialogue between East and West. Mr Gabr’s lecture argued that despite innovations in communication systems and increasing opportunities for global communication, there is a widening gulf between East and West. However, according to Mr Gabr, the academic world has a lot to offer and much to impact in terms of how the East and West can find common ground and develop positive collaboration: “A focus on art and culture supported by academic leaders can reinforce private initiatives, social understanding and enhance political leadership to effectively deal with today’s increasing challenges.”

The symposium was organised by Dr Mary Healy and Dr Catherine Lawless, Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies, Trinity College with support from the Irish Research Council, Chester Beatty Library, Trinity Long Room Hub, the Department of History of Art and Architecture, at Trinity College and The Shelbourne Dublin, A Renaissance Hotel.