How do you think we can balance tradition in cultural heritage with modernization in economic growth?
It isn’t a matter of how, for me, it is a matter of doing it. I believe there is no special formula except for the will of a population to make things happen to further themselves economically and culturally—economic goals can be achieved while simultaneously valuing history.
Why are heritage and heritage conservation important to you?
My paternal family was forced to flee their country, Libya, and the only thing they were able to take with them was their memories and their culture—the intangible things that defined who they are. Heritage is not always intangible, as we know from our work on sites around the world, and that’s why these sites are so important—they don’t belong to any one person, they belong to us all, so are transcendent of conflict. Heritage sites are central markers of our development, propelling us forward at the same time as reminding us of where we came from.
What do you see as the most impending and personally concerning threat to heritage?
Apathy on the parts of citizens and governments—lack of understanding of the importance of culture and heritage in defining who we are and helping us evolve.
What impact do you hope to make as a GHF Board Member?
I want to assist GHF in understanding the intricacies of the Middle East, and hopefully Libya in particular one day, and bring my experiences to bear in decisions relating to projects that are the nexus of art, culture and heritage. GHF does fantastic work because of the dedication of its staff and board members and I’m excited to be a part of that, hopefully finding creative ways to bridge the gaps of contemporary art and heritage.
How will your lifetime’s contemporary art represent today’s culture to future generations?
Living artists interpret our living history. I believe they are the oracles of our time and represent modernity, the good and the bad. People often criticize Middle Eastern artists as being obsessed with politics, and to this, I say, of course they are! In the way that the Abstract Expressionists were responding to Western ideals post-World War II, or let’s say, were believed to be responding to the Cold War, so are the artists living in the Middle East through revolutions, occupation, disasters and war.
Which GHF site do you find most compelling, and why?
Banteay Chmar as it is the nexus of so many of my passions—GHF’s work there has been a positive force for the community, speaking to humanity’s ability to restore itself and rebuild after horrific experiences make it all seem hopeless.
What role does heritage conservation play in establishing national identity?
Our heritage defines who we are, so by conserving heritage, people in impoverished, war-torn communities can stand proud when they can tangibly see and feel their rich cultural history. Heritage sites can translate directly in to a citizen’s sense of empowerment, and ultimately social and economic betterment.
Heritage site preservation requires working within political infrastructure for the sake of cultural/art history; what are the biggest obstacles and how can politics best be used to help in arts and culture?
Corruption and misguided policy are detrimental to any organization, particularly so to those working in the developing world. The only way to overcome such obstacles is to understand the intricacies of that country, that system and the people that inhabit that system.
Can you tell us about your Ph.D concentration of creating a national identity through art and culture, and its relationship to Middle Eastern politics?
This is very much a product of my academic obsession with politics and my personal and professional interest in the arts. I will be studying the theoretical underpinnings of cultural identity, such as those illustrated in heritage sites, and then applying that to some of the current models of institutional development in the Middle East.
What inspired you to converge the worlds of art/culture and politics? Can you give some examples of this relationship? In what ways is art a cultural marker? What are some of your favorite examples? What place does art have in Middle Eastern heritage?
I am passionate about contemporary art and supporting living artists. I focus primarily on Middle Eastern art and artists as this is close to my heart and my heritage, but I think it important to not just pigeonhole one self culturally or ethnically. I very much hope I see the day when more artists of Middle Eastern origin are integrated in to the wider art world. Art fairs, particularly regional fairs like Art Dubai, and cultural institutions play a big role in this, by being thoroughfares for artists, museum directors, patrons and collectors from the Middle East as well as elsewhere. One of my favorite talks I’ve seen was Glenn Lowry, the Director of MoMA giving the keynote address in Art Dubai’s second year, telling the audience that MoMA was a museum for the city of New York, and that each city and society needed to think of what their cultural institutions should be for them rather than what can be imported. These institutions are important to help educate local artists too, exposing them to artists from different eras as well as countries. I’ve had an international upbringing and I value that, and I love to see the same incorporated in to an artist’s work and see artists who value their own heritage, life experiences and societies but who also understand the role they play in the wider world. The Middle Eastern art market is still very much a niche market. The international community finds it a fascinating look on to Middle Eastern culture (in the widest sense) and it provides a way in which these individuals can interact outside more fraught venues.
Can you tell us about the “Ship of Tolerance” project you coordinated in 2010? Being your first arts job, how has it been significant to your career and passions?
My experience working with the celebrated artists Emilia and Ilya Kabakov in Siwa, Egypt, this crazy romantic ethereal desert oasis was the beginning of my love affair with artists, art and the art world. Emilia, along with her husband, Ilya, were the first artists I worked with, on my very first week on the job in the arts (the week after I handed in my Master’s dissertation!). I had the honour of being the project coordinator for their first ever ‘Ship of Tolerance’ (showed in Sharjah during the Biennale in 2010), which was at the time the Ship of Siwa in 2005. So that was how I discovered my passion for art and the art world, purely by chance. I had never worked in the arts, but, I was curious about non-governmental organisations working in the Middle East so I thought this would be an interesting first job for me. When I graduated with my MSc from LSE, I was recommended to the project by a friend whose family were collectors and it seemed compelling. Also, the fact that Siwa bordered Libya was particularly poignant as I had never been able to visit the country of my heritage. In the end, it was fate and I fell in love with art, the art world and everything about it.
To learn more about Princess Alia al-Senussi, visit https://globalheritagefund.org/about_us/ghf_board/board_of_trustees/princess_alia_al-senussi