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Forty artists in Davos "creating shared future in fractured world"

GENEVA, DEC 13 (KUNA) -- The World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday announced that 40 leading international artists would participate in its 48th Annual Meeting in Davos between Jan 22 and 27.
"These cultural leaders will join other leaders from business, government, the media and civil society to advance dialogue and drive change under the meeting's theme, "Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World", said the WEF in a press release from its Headquarters in Geneva.
At a time of increasingly volatile cultural wars and identity politics, Cultural Leaders are promoting constructive ways to build a shared future. Among the 40 Cultural Leaders in Davos will be filmmakers Feras Fayyad (Syria) and Wanuri Kahiu (Kenya), science-fiction author Hao Jingfang (China), artists Mehdi Ghadyanloo (Iran) and Trevor Paglen (US), and navigator Nainoa Thompson (Hawaii, US).
Also joining are long-time members of the Forum's Cultural Leaders community, including photographer Platon (US), choreographer Jin Xing (China), and musicians will.i.am and Yo-Yo Ma (US). A full list of Cultural Leaders, including the recipients of the 24th Annual Crystal Awards, will be announced in January 2018. "Today we see more clearly how culture can also divide as much as it can unite. We must work together to promote dialogue and inclusivity and to create new narratives for a shared future. Artists and cultural institutions play a central role in this process," said Nico Daswani, Head of Arts and Culture at the World Economic Forum in the same press release.
Creative approaches to promote shared narratives through arts and culture will include: MASTERWORKS: In collaboration with the Smithsonian's Freer|Sackler museums of Asian art (USA) and the Turquoise Mountain charity (UK), this maker-space will feature master artisans from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The artisans will work in cross-cultural pairs to co-create new works throughout the Annual Meeting. The maker-space anchors the LOFT, a unique venue for more than 30 sessions on understanding how exclusion is embodied in individuals and communities; sharing tools for fostering constructive dialogue on divisive issues; and collaborating on ideas for creating a more equal and inclusive world.
The opening ceremony will include a world-premiere ballet performance by La Scala principal dancer etoile Roberto Bolle with the Cameristi della Scala in a unique programme fusing Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons with Astor Piazzolla's Tango Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, exploring the fine line between chaos and harmony in our relationship with nature. The performance is supported by Intesa Sanpaolo. On 26 January, the Davos Festival Chamber Choir will be featured in a closing performance reflecting on the Annual Meeting theme. The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting brings together governments, international organizations, business, civil society, cultural leaders, media, experts and young leaders from all over the world. (end) ta.gta