From left: Dr. Radha Dalal and Dr. Eleni Polymenopoulou
Doha: Qatar Foundation (QF)’s Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), are working to bridge the vital knowledge gap between art and law, and provide the public with access to such information.
To this effect, VCUarts Qatar will hold a series of public forums titled ‘Art Law Dialogues Series’. The forums are free and open to the public. The first such forum will take place today and will be held from 12.15pm to 2pm in the Atrium at VCUarts Qatar. Those interested in joining the discussions can email vcuqarth@vcu.edu
The Dialogues Series is being organised by Art Law, a research lab at VCUarts Qatar.
Art Law functions under the Institute of Creative Research at VCUarts Qatar and was established as a research collaboration between the Art History Program at VCUarts Qatar and the College of Law at HBKU.
Dr. Radha Dalal, Director, Art History, VCUarts Qatar, and Dr. Eleni Polymenopoulou, Associate Professor, HBKU College of Law, codirect the research lab.
Participants in the dialogue will discuss questions such as ’How is creative practice affected by differing local and international interpretations of artists’ rights?’, ‘To what extent are actors in the Qatari art world aware of the regulatory legal frameworks to create, sell, collect, and display works of art and design?’, ‘What are some of the challenges creative practitioners might face?’, and, ‘To what extent are prevalent laws helpful devices in addressing these concerns?’
The Dialogues Series, and the setting up of the Art Law research lab, specifically in a Middle Eastern country, are timely.
While the global art trade continues to be dominated by the United States, its Middle Eastern sector, specifically the Arabian Gulf region, is attracting international attention due to rapid growth and diversification.
From the trade of ancient cultural artefacts to the production of Contemporary art, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other digital media, the Gulf region presents fertile ground to explore legal issues regarding the creation, sale, collection, display, and protection of art and antiquities.
Dr. Dalal explained that Art Law is an emerging area of theory and scholarship. It is not a unified legal doctrine but a body of laws encompassing numerous areas from intellectual property to illicit trafficking.
She said, “By involving local, regional, and international experts, the Art Law Lab aims to conduct interdisciplinary research and promote a deeper understanding of the legal frameworks governing varied issues including artists’ rights, the regulation of the art market, and the illicit trade of cultural property.
“With Qatar’s burgeoning local arts scene and the opening of numerous museums in the region, it has never been more vital for artists, designers, curators, and other professionals who comprise this world to develop a better understanding of related domestic and international laws. To this end, the lab’s
long-range goal is to create local educational opportunities in the field of Art and Antiquities Law.”
