Cultural Dynamos

What makes a city a cultural capital or artistic hub, and why do such centres rise, shift, or decline over time? This volume examines the dynamics of artistic, intellectual, and cultural hubs in and of the Arab region from the mid-twentieth century to the present. Starting from Beirut’s role as a major regional cultural centre in the 1950s to 1970s, the contributors explore how cities such as Cairo, Baghdad, Riyadh, Paris and Berlin have attracted artists, writers, publishers, and intellectuals, and how political, economic, and social conditions shape these processes. Bringing together perspectives from history, art history, curating, sociology, and intellectual history, the book analyses exhibitions, publishing networks, galleries, festivals, and artistic communities, while also addressing questions of cosmopolitanism, soft power, exile, and transnational solidarities. By conceptualising artistic and cultural “dynamos,” the volume offers new insights into the relationship between creativity, space, and power, making it relevant to scholars and readers interested in modern Arab culture, art, and intellectual history.