Art in Contact Zone: The Trans-regional Cultural Policy Making in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar and the Formation of New Artistic Movements

Abstract

Dubai and Doha attempt to be known as transcultural places. These cities try to be situations that Mary Louise Pratt named "contact zone". Mary Louise Pratt as a postcolonial theorist tries to use "contact zone" concept to explain transcultural situation that diverse social spaces merge together. This concept tries to study relation between east and west but not hegemonic relation or cultural domination, also contact relation and cultural transition. This concept tries to have challenge with European colonial and non-European colonialist. But how can Dubai and Doha become transcultural zone? What are the cultural policies to build a trans-regional identity? How have these policies affected artistic trends and artistic experiences ? The establishment of new art institutions, museums and events in the Qatar and the UAE have been showing high effects on the art experience in Iran as well as other countries in the region. In this article, we show how trans-regional cultural policies have made Dubai and Doha welcome marginal arts, hybrid arts and multicultural arts. How did the establishment of transnational museums in Qatar and trans-regional biennials in the UAE change Iranian art in especial? The results of this article show how Iranian and Arab artists have played a complex and multi-layered role in shaping the contact zone.