There is always light on the Middle East and lately much has been talked about in the news politically with what has been going on in Saudi Arabia and the repercussion that has on the region and much talk has been on the opening of the beautiful new Abu Dhabi Louvre. This new museum sheds a light onto the Middle East, as have the other museums in the region. Both art and politics are highlighting angles.
Light shed can be the image of what we see, what certain powers want us to see or showing a different perspective of the region, the perspective of artists and people from the region or working in the Middle East.  
 
Art and contemporary art, humanities and social sciences are obviously huge subjects and the Middle East a vast area, during the evening, in the time there was, we heard from our speaker's perspective, their view of what they see the Middle East bringing forward and from their expertise in the region and about the region.

Venetia Porter discussed how art, contemporary art, is shedding light and bringing forth perspectives from the region. Venetia Porter shared with us the art that the British Museum has recently acquired and how that art reflects part of the Middle East, how artists are depicting war and politics in art. 
James Watt shared his experience and expertise in the Middle East, how the region may have changed from when he first worked there and how he saw art being utilised. He presented the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL), the work that is being done in the region and what he hopes to achieve.

Art Breath X SOAS