Category: 2024 Cohort

Microgrant Recipient: Hugo Vaz Attends the 24th Session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention (WHC) in Paris

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Learn more about the enriching experience of Fall Microgrant recipient Hugo Vaz (ARAD ’24) at the 24th Session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention (WHC), which was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on November 22 and 23, 2023.

I. The ARAD Microgrant for Student Development and the World Heritage Convention:

In the Fall of 2023, I was honored with a Microgrant from the Arts Administration (ARAD) program at Teachers College, Columbia University, in support of my academic and professional development. With this, I was able to attend the 24th Session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention (WHC), held at the UNESCO Headquarters, in Paris, on November 22 and 23. During my week-long stay in the City of Lights, besides attending the General Assembly, I have also had the opportunity to meet with diplomats and representatives from national delegations to UNESCO, especially the Counselor of the Brazilian Permanent Delegation, with whom I have established a very fruitful contact. 

The reason why I wanted to attend the General Assembly was because, as a graduate student in Arts Administration, I take special interest in cultural heritage safeguarding and international policy making. To that end, the UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is the largest political mechanism ever put in place as a means to safeguard the tangible heritage of humanity, as monuments, sites and natural locations of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). Adopted in 1972, the Convention has 195 States Parties, which makes it the world’s most ratified instrument of International Law, superior to the United Nations Charter, for instance.

The mandate of the Convention is to establish a framework for the protection and conservation of monuments, groups of buildings, archaeological and natural sites of OUV, on international, national and local levels. It also provides a framework for international cooperation whereby States Parties can request assistance to tackle practical and site-specific issues of conservation and protection. And to assist the States Parties in achieving these goals, the Convention is structured in four pillars:

(1) The World Heritage Centre is the administrative body of the WHC, linked to the UNESCO Secretariat. Established in 1992, it is the focal point and coordinator for all matters related to World Heritage.

(2) The World Heritage Committee, or simply the Committee, is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Consisting of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by the General Assembly, the intergovernmental committee defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties. It has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List, and it examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties. Whenever necessary, the Committee asks States Parties to take action in case properties are not being properly managed. Also, it decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

It is also worth noting that the composition of the intergovernmental committee follows a geographic criterion for seat allocation in order to ensure an equitable representation of all regions. Each group roughly corresponds to the following regions, with exceptions:

  • Group I – Western Europe and North America
  • Group II – Eastern Europe
  • Group III – Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Group IV – Asia and Pacific
  • Group Va – (non-Arab) African States
  • Group Vb – Arab States

(3) Established in 1977, the World Heritage Fund (WHF) is a trust fund maintained by compulsory and voluntary contributions of States Parties, and the allocation of resources to the conservation and protection of cultural and natural heritage sites is determined by the Committee. For the biennium 2024-25, the WHF amounts to USD 5.8 million, plus USD 0.4 million for emergency assistance. In order to keep track of State Parties’ solvency and the health of the Fund, the General Assembly’s agenda includes the examination of the Statement of Accounts and the status of contributions of States Parties. The Statement of Accounts contains a series of balance sheets and financial figures of State Parties’ contributions and arrears (pending contributions) dating back to 2011. 

(4) The fourth pillar of the WHC is the General Assembly (GA), composed of 195 States Parties, which gather in biennial sessions to assess the drawbacks and advancements of the WHC’s implementation worldwide, elect members to the Committee, examine the Statement of Accounts and other policy documents that the Committee proposes. The GA is governed by the Rules of Procedure, a statute conceived and periodically amended by the States Parties at the end of each session. On all accounts, only State Parties have the right to vote in the GA, while representatives of consultive non-governmental organizations may attend, but may not vote.

II.  The 24th Session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention

A) The Opening Political Liturgy

In the morning of November 22, 2023, the 24th session of the General Assembly started with an unexpected delay of about 15 minutes. In his inaugural speech, the Director of the World Heritage Centre, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, from Cameroon, celebrated Tuvalu for being the 195th State to ratify the Convention, turning it into the most ratified instrument of International Law to this day, with even more signatories than the United Nations Charter.

Following suit, the GA proceeded to the election of the Chairperson and Vice-chairs. As per diplomatic consultations and agreements beforehand, Brazil was elected to preside over the Assembly, and Norway was elected as Vice-chair. The political liturgy followed solemnly with the adoption of the provisional agenda, the time table for the two-day session was laid out and the Assembly passed on to the report of the Rapporteur from the previous (23rd) session, in 2021.

Next, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO, as outgoing President of the Committee, delivered the report of the World Heritage Committee, which had held its latest session in Riyadh last Summer. The main highlight was the removal of the Tombs of the Kings of Buganda at Kasubi (Uganda) from the World Heritage in Danger List, after a successful restoration work carried out by Uganda, with the support of UNESCO, to repair the damage caused by a devastating fire in 2010. As of today, there are 1,199 properties in 168 countries, of which 48 are transboundary; 263 reports on the domestic implementation of the WHC; and 53 reports of World Heritage Sites in Danger.

The Committee has also cheered over the fact that seven African sites were inscribed on the World Heritage List, but other countries, including Brazil, were critical of this enthusiasm because it overshadows the imbalance of nominations, considering that France alone has inscribed three, the USA, one, and the 33 Latin American countries have inscribed, in joint submissions, only three elements. On that regard, the WHC has been severely criticized for the predominance of heritage sites listed in Europe, in contrast with other parts of the world, namely Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

B) The Elections to the World Heritage Committee

The most important part of the GA is the elections to the World Heritage Committee. Although the Committee is comprised of 21 members, not all seats change at the same time, and in this case there were nine outgoing states. In this context, political stances were obviously a determining component of the elections results. Quite surprisingly, Ukraine was elected with 134 votes over 173 ballots. The 39 invalid votes and abstentions signaled a protest against what has been called by many “the Ukrainization of the cultural agenda”, whereby Ukraine and Western Europe, they claim, unevenly politicize the debate on international cultural policy. 

This criticism is based on the argument that other priorities have been obstructed by an exclusive focus on the Ukrainian crisis, while other countries in dire need of international assistance have been neglected, e.g., Mali and Sudan, the latter under-voted in the elections to the Comittee. May it be clear, there is no denial of the crisis in Ukraine, but several states argue that the violation of international law and human rights perpetrated by the Russian aggressor should be addressed in different multilateral fora, such as the Security Council.

As to the other candidates in the elections, no substantial deviation was noted, and the majority of ballots cast were valid. The elections have thus led the following states to join the Committee – in the groups that had vacant seats:

  • Group II:
    • Ukraine
  • Group IV:
    • Republic of Korea
    • Vietnam
  • Group Va:
    • Kenya
    • Senegal
  • Group Vb:
    • Lebanon
  • Open seats:
    • Turkey
    • Kazakhstan
    • Jamaica

Interesting enough is the fact that both elections, that of the Chairperson and Vice-chairs, as well as the elections to the Committee, had been decided before the GA by diplomatic negotiations, which renders the casting of ballots a mere ritual pro forma. Since States Parties to the WHC are also parties to other conventions and organizations in several different domains, there is an informal system of quotas and political bartering according to which governments broker and trade votes, including in intergovernmental committees of other UNESCO Conventions.

C) Updating the Policy Document on Climate Action for World Heritage

The updating of the Policy Document on Climate Action for World Heritage followed the elections, and the official reactions to the updates were rather bland. The updated document is the result of a joint effort undertaken by the Open-ended Working Group of States Parties on World Heritage and Climate, presided by Diaz Acosta, Ambassador of Colombia to UNESCO. 

The purpose of this Policy Document is to provide high-level guidance on enhancing the protection and conservation of heritage of Outstanding Universal Value through comprehensive adoption of climate action measures, but judging from the official speeches of national delegates, the document is rather anodyne compared to the urgency of the task. As manifested by Brazil, for instance, the document contains an imbalance pertaining to carbon-based development models historically undertaken by developed countries, which denotes an attempt to neutralize the environmental responsibilities they acquired through other multilateral agreements, such as the Kyoto protocol and the Paris agreement. Even so, Brazil supported the policy document.

The Ambassador of the United States, recognizing the non-binding nature of the document, claimed that consensus had been reached because “nobody got everything they wanted, but everybody got what they need.” More contributive were the speeches of Chile, urging states to consider cultural diplomacy and the role of artists as agents of change; the speech of Australia, recognizing the importance of indigenous knowledge in tackling climate change, especially with regard to heritage sites; and the speech of Colombia, advocating for the free circulation of scientific information regarding climate change.

With respect to the connection between climate change and heritage sites conservancy, Lithuania mentioned the resourceful Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI), a systematic tool to assess climate risk to World Heritage. What is most striking about the document, however, is that it vaguely refers to heritage, which is paradoxically its raison d’être. Notwithstanding all criticism, the present states have supported and approved the document without amendments.

D) Amending the Rules of Procedure

The last act of the session was the amendment of the Rules of Procedure, a moment where global political alignment became clearer than I could have expected, given the procedural nature of the debate, which did not necessarily involve the subject matter of the Convention and therefore had no apparent reason to stir controversies of any kind. However, there seemed to be a clear alignment of states reflecting their positions with respect to global issues like economic development, geopolitics and security, for instance. 

To begin with, the Legal Advisor conducted the ritual along with the Norwegian Ambassador, who had replaced the Brazilian Ambassador as Chairperson. In so doing, the Legal Advisor pointed to the harmonization of the Rules of Procedure among all the six UNESCO Culture Conventions, arguing that the amendments proposed by the Secretariat would be beneficial in that respect. This position was supported by Canada, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States; to which Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Palestine, Russia, St. Vincent, Turkey and Venezuela vehemently objected. At this point, the global political alignment became clear, as the Secretariat pushed to adopt only the amendments they had proposed, with the support of the former countries, and close the session without considering the amendments proposed by States Parties.  

In the end, national delegates voted, by a slim majority, to go over the Rules of Procedure paragraph by paragraph and discuss the amendments proposed. It was interesting to note how Brazil and Russia played a role of regional leadership in an attempt to gain more control over the Assembly and, by virtue of altering some procedures, counter-balance what many countries have criticized as a double standard in the Convention. As these and many other states have claimed, rules apply differently to different countries, and submissions to the Committee by developed countries are accused of receiving preferential treatment, as illustrated by the Italian intention of including Venice in the List of World Heritage in Danger, to the detriment of heritage sites located in African States, for example.

III. Closing of the session, conclusion and takeaways

After over an hour of discussing and amending the Rules of Procedure, the 24th session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention finally came to an end. To me, observing the whole ritual from the lenses of a curious outsider, the session was a remarkable event where I had the chance to witness first-hand the political liturgies of multilateral diplomacy, the adoption of important decisions and policies, and the official pronunciation of state representatives from all over the world, each one bearing the voice of their nations and the concerns of their governments. 

Also, I was able to establish interesting dialogues with some public officials, discuss matters of particular interest to me, and to listen and learn from them about the myriad issues involving multilateral cultural policy making. If the official speech on the public forum is tailored to reflect the view of national ministries of foreign affairs, talking to diplomats in the hallways might sometimes give rise to their own views of the matter, and that is usually very insightful.

In the Constitution of UNESCO, in its Conventions, Recommendations and in other official documents, culture is purported as a structural element for peace and understanding, whose promotion should help fulfill the organization’s mandate. However, upon observing the General Assembly and talking to insiders and policy makers, I have realized that, in the theater of multilateral diplomacy, culture can be a field of political entrenchment that reflects asymmetries of power between states and groups of states. That often leads to a double standard in treating similar affairs pertaining to dissimilar countries, which consequently leads to an uneven distribution of resources and ascription of political influence.

Not only, the aforementioned Ukrainization of the culture agenda, as I heard from several diplomats whom I have talked to, suggests an instrumentalization of the WHC, and of UNESCO seals in general, as a means to leverage funds, resources and support against the Russian aggression. It does not mean that UNESCO should remain indifferent to political crises. On the contrary, it is gifted with the power to provide assistance to ailing countries whose heritage – and therefore its population – are under severe threat. However, there has to be fair treatment, that is, a single standard to one and all.  In conclusion, the scope of the WHC is to protect and conserve humanity’s cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value. And because it relates to tangible heritage, its implementation relates directly to the territory of nation states, whose management is a fundamental component of the country’s stability. However, when it comes to peace-building through the promotion of culture, synergies between the Culture Conventions are the only possible way to completely fulfill UNESCO’s mandate, i.e., to build peace in the minds of men and women. Unless the Secretariat espouses this synergetic view, each of the Conventions will continue to be implemented within their exclusive remit, without significant overlap between the properties and heritage elements they safeguard. And as a consequence of this diffuse implementation, UNESCO’s mandate might be more costly and time-consuming to fulfill.

Microgrant Recipient: DigiHarmony’s Immersive Art Exhibition, Sound of the Cosmos —— A Time to Heal

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Last December, Karlie Liu (ARAD ‘24) and Elizabeth Guo (ARAD ’24) launched DigiHarmony and hosted their inaugural immersive art exhibition, Sound of the Cosmos —— A Time to Heal, with support from the ARAD 2023 Fall Microgrant Program. Read and learn more about their experience!

Sound of the Cosmos —— A Time to Heal, Dec 2023
© DigiHarmony

Artistic experiences have a profound impact on individual healing, as they often evoke a deep connection to something far greater than oneself. This sensation echoes Freud’s concept of the ‘Oceanic’ in Freudian psychology, which represents a vast unity with the universe, culture, history, or nature. Such experiences encourage participants to acknowledge this connection, releasing attachments and fostering fresh self-perspectives. Engaging with art and cultural activities becomes a vehicle for reestablishing this bond, allowing individuals to reframe their personal challenges within a wider context, offering new stress management strategies.

Furthermore, immersing in art reflects the ‘flow state,’ as proposed by positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This state of deep involvement not only brings satisfaction and enjoyment but also engenders positive emotions, infusing life with meaning, hope, and fulfillment.

Sound of the Cosmos —— A Time to Heal, Dec 2023
© DigiHarmony
Sound of the Cosmos —— A Time to Heal, Dec 2023
© DigiHarmony

DigiHarmony: Sound of the Cosmos, A Time to Heal is an experimental, in-person art encounter designed to revolutionize how audiences experience the blend of music and visual art. By fusing art performances with state-of-the-art installations and healing practices, we aim to forge profound connections, guiding attendees on a self-reconnection journey.

At the heart of our event is an art performance inspired from ritual and healing practices, crafted to provide a sanctuary for relief and tranquility. This approach integrates therapeutic aspects of the arts to create a rejuvenating, immersive experience.

DigiHarmony invites attendees to a multisensory journey beyond mere entertainment, seeking to uplift the human spirit and promote holistic well-being. We proudly present artists from various disciplines, including visual and performance arts, aiming to captivate visitors by stimulating multiple senses and elevating their engagement.

Key features of this transformative experience include:

Sound of the Cosmos —— A Time to Heal, Artist Orange Li’s Ritual Art Performance, Dec 2023
© DigiHarmony

Meditative Art Performance: Opening with Orange Li’s ritual art performance, her process draws from diverse traditions like shamanism, Daoism, and Buddhism, blending these with childhood memories to create a unique meditative and healing ritual.

Sound of the Cosmos —— A Time to Heal, Experimental Art Installation by Xingwen He, Dec 2023
© DigiHarmony

Experimental Art Installation: Designed by Xingwen He, the space features her captivating light installations, curated to enhance the performances. Our goal is to create an environment where visual aesthetics, art, and music interact to intensify audience engagement.

Sound of the Cosmos —— A Time to Heal, Jazz Performance by Zhanxu Wu & Band Members, Dec 2023
© DigiHarmony

Jazz Performance: Celebrating the rich heritage of Jazz, we intertwine music with art installations to reinvent traditional performances. Zhanxu Wu and talented band members presented original Jazz music, adding a dynamic layer to the experience.

Sound of the Cosmos —— A Time to Heal, Dec 2023
© DigiHarmony
DigiHarmony: Sound of the Cosmos —— A Time to Heal Team Members
© DigiHarmony

DigiHarmony’s overarching aim is to leverage the therapeutic potential of the arts, envisioning this immersive experience as a means for individuals to alleviate stress and find solace in a harmonious blend of sensory stimulation and artistic expression.

ARAD Student Artist Showcase From Fall 2023

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Welcome to ARAD Virtual Gallery! Celebrating our talented #ARADStudentArtists from Fall 2023, we feature diverse works including drawings, sculptures, ceramics, and printmaking. Read and learn more about their artistic journey!

Suzy Feng （ARAD ’25）— Protection and Danger

Suzy Feng (ARAD ’25), Protection and Danger, Wood, chicken wires, acrylic paints, and paper clip, 2023

Walking down the bustling streets of New York, sheds with mottled forest green paint supported by steel scaffoldings can be seen on the sidewalk. These sidewalk sheds serve as a crucial safety measure, shielding pedestrians from the potential hazards of falling debris. However, the sense of security provided by these structures often propels people to hasten their pace, seeking escape from the oppressive feeling induced by the precarious environment beneath the scaffolds.

In this urban setting, the sculpture work seeks to articulate the dichotomy between protection and danger in the cityscape. The medium employed involves wood blocks, mirroring the city streets. Utilizing plastic nets and steel wire mesh, open and closed spaces are created to convey the intricate and multifaceted nature of the street environment, particularly under varying forms of protective infrastructure.

Denzel li （ARAD ’24）— the watcher & Self-portrait

Denzel Li (ARAD ’24), The Watcher, Photo lithography, 12” x 12”, Edition of 5, 2023

Denzel Li (ARAD ’24), Self-Portrait, Plate lithography, 7.5’’ x 11”,  Oct 2023

Tingwei Lin （ARAD ’25）— Uniqueness

Tingwei Lin (ARAD ’25), Uniqueness, Wood, crystal, and acrylic paints, 2023

In a world that often celebrates conformity and uniformity, the art world emphasizes diversity. The Values of Uniqueness is a captivating and thought-provoking sculpture project that seeks to explore the intrinsic beauty and significance of individuality. Art is a powerful vehicle for connecting the audience and creators. Each crystal possesses different intriguing stories. Also, in the middle, the base, which looks like a galaxy, presents the idea that we are living in the same universe but we have unique features and characteristics deserving to be found and appreciated. Uniqueness serves as a reminder that embracing and celebrating our individuality can be a powerful force for positive change and a source of inspiration for us all. 

Chelsey guo （ARAD ’25）— untitled

Chelsey Guo (ARAD ’25), Untitled, Glazed stoneware and porcelain, 2023

Demi Zhao （ARAD ’25）— geometric amnesia

Demi Zhao (ARAD ’25), Geometric Amnesia, Wood, plaster, and acrylic paints, 2023

‘Geometric Amnesia’ is a project that delves into the tactile nature of materials and the imaginative world-building inspired by Miyazaki’s ‘Boy and Heron.’ The artwork transforms a basic wooden slat into an array of geometric shapes, creating an abstract yet meaningful visual dialogue. Central to the piece is the juxtaposition of the natural grain and texture of wood with smooth plaster and vivid acrylic paints, emphasizing the artist’s hand in transforming ordinary materials into something extraordinary. The artwork also reflects a metafictional blend of the film’s narrative depth with the artwork’s geometric forms, suggesting an intersection between the two worlds. This integration imbues the shapes with a sense of story and place, echoing the intricate cosmology and narrative landscape in Miyazaki’s film.

Xuan An （ARAD ’25）— figure drawing

Xuan An (ARAD ’25), Figure Drawing, Colored pencil on paper, 2023

XINYING WANG（ARAD ’25）— Untitled

Xinying Wang (ARAD ’25), Untitled, Resin, vase, and flowers, 2023

This artwork explores the theme of death and rebirth. It appears like a bouquet from a distance, but upon closer inspection, viewers would observe intricate details of the hand and the leaves. The composition, as well as the color of the leaves, mirrors the life cycle of plants, symbolizing the seasonal withering in winter and the rejuvenation upon the arrival of spring. Simultaneously, the gesture and the position of the hand draw parallels to the human life cycle, emphasizing the infinity of new beginnings. The deliberate choice of a tall vase as the stand adds a memorial quality to the piece. This choice suggests a sense of permanence and endurance, mirroring the enduring nature of memories that can transcend the boundaries of mortality.

Tingwei lin （ARAD ’25）— Freedom

Tingwei Lin (ARAD ’25), Freedom, Charcoal on paper, 2023

Living in a democratic country is a pleasure for me because I have the right to express what I want. However, in some parts of communities, systems, or cultures, people are not allowed to express their needs which is disappointing. As we can see in the Freedom, the man is blind and the mouth is sealed by the tape. People without freedom are just like people without lives, no communication, no interaction, no humanity. This drawing is to remind people not to be blinded by the authority, money, and power, but to be clever about what we deserve to have. 

DANIEL ZHU（ARAD ’25）— Stingray & Idol of safeking

Daniel Zhu (ARAD ’25), Stingray & Idol of Safeking, Glazed stoneware, 2023

Xuan an （ARAD ’25）— Tiered echoes of ancient peaks

Xuan An (ARAD’25), Tiered Echoes of Ancient Peaks, Wood panels, polyester fiber fill, watercolors, wood glue, and paper, 2023

‘Tiered Echoes of Ancient Peaks’ is a sculptural representation inspired by Wang Ximeng’s ‘A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains’, blending traditional Chinese landscape techniques with modern artistry. The sculpture features two main wooden panels as central peaks, surrounded by smaller, varied panels that create a multi-layered effect, symbolizing the depth and complexity of mountainous terrain. The use of greens and cyans against a light blue background adds dimension, while partially completed peaks invite viewers to imaginatively complete the scene. A final touch of white polyester fiber fill at the edges of the panels mimics mist and clouds, softening the sculpture’s lines and adding an ethereal quality. This artwork is a contemporary reinterpretation of classical themes, celebrating the enduring beauty of natural landscapes.

Through a variety of mediums, these students demonstrated their dedication to their craft. The showcase not only celebrated the achievements of these talented individuals but also highlighted the importance of arts administration in supporting and nurturing the arts. We look forward to witnessing more ARADers’ continued growth and success in the years to come!

Microgrant Recipient: Yeajin Choi Attends 2023 Paris Photo Fair

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This Fall, I had the honor of receiving an ARAD microgrant for professional development. The grant helped me travel to Paris, France where I attended the 2023 Paris Photo, one of the largest art fairs in the world dedicated to the photographic medium. This year’s edition of the fair featured 154 galleries and 35 publishers, drawing in more than 65,000 visitors, marking a 7% increase compared to last year. Attending this fair was an insightful professional development opportunity that helped me hone my professional skills in networking, presenting, and understanding the role of art fairs.

Photo: Paris Photo 2023 held at the Grand Palais Ephemere

At the fair, I was able to personally meet and talk with established photographers like the American photographer Todd Hido and the Spanish duo Albarrán Cabrera. Additionally, I met international collectors, gallery curators, and publishers who were at the fair to find this year’s prized prints and publications. Amid the fervent atmosphere of the fair, we eagerly discussed the ever growing role of photo books in the international photography market and discussed the various ways in which mass-produced books may approach the tactility of a physical photo print. Such serendipitous encounters led me to reflect upon fundamental questions like “What does it mean for a photographer to be published?” and “How do we define the network dynamics  between artist, gallery, publisher, and collector?”

I also coincidently got the chance to introduce the works of Korean photographer Myung Duck Joo to a tour group of international collectors. This was a thrilling and educational endeavor that allowed me to practice public speaking skills and the different ways to present unfamiliar art to new audiences. The most rewarding part of this experience was that I was able to represent Korean photography to those more familiar with Japanese photography as the pillar of Asian photography. Myung Duck Joo, as a first-generation Korean photographer, brought a unique perspective to the world of analog photography to the peninsula, and being able to contribute to the recognition of his art felt like a significant milestone. As I presented Joo’s captivating works to international collectors, I could sense their genuine interest in discovering a fresh voice within the canon of analog photography, bridging the cultural gaps in their understanding of the history of photography.

Photo: Tour group presentation of Joo, Myung Duck’s project titled “My Motherland”

Last but not least, one of the most enlightening aspects of my visit was gaining first-hand observations of the intricate dynamics between artists, galleries, publishers, and collectors. The synergy between these key players in the art world was palpable, as artists passionately discussed their creative processes and artistic backgrounds with gallery representatives, publishers explored potential collaborations with galleries, and collectors were keenly searching for new practices and ideas in between all of these discussions. Observing these interactions shed light on my understanding of the symbiotic relationships that fuel the art ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and mutual support. Paris Photo was not just a showcase of individual talent but a vibrant hub where artistic visions converged, fostering a collaborative spirit that transcended geographical boundaries.

Photo: Scene of the Galleries Sector of Paris Photo 2023

I hope that these collaborative settings will continue to nurture dynamic discussions that lead to impactful solutions for the various challenges facing society today. I would like to thank ARAD for granting me the ARAD Fall Microgrant to visit Paris Photo 2023 and directly witness the flow of creativity and inspiration in the art market.

Designing for the Arts and Culture: An arts administrator shares her experience on working together with technologists

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In an intense three-day series of workshops spanning one cold weekend in November, ARAD collaborated with the Communications, Media, and Learning Technologies Design (CMLTD) program on Teachers College campus to speculate and design new ideas for the arts and culture. 

This design jam is part of ARAD’s microcourse programming for professional development. It is also notably the first time ARAD professional development program is shared with the educational technology sector at Teachers College. With arts administrators as stakeholders in digital tools created by designers as technologists, the design jam served as a space for these two parties to come together to envision futures for arts spaces and design concrete visions for these futures together. ARAD Program Manager Grace J. Choi, a graduate of the CMLTD program, organized the design jam to bring in Dr. Jin Kuwata and Dr. Yoo Kyung Chang, CMLTD Lecturers, to share their expertise on the Design Thinking Process throughout the three days. 

CMLTD Lecturer Dr. Jin Kuwata works with the ArtMingle.com team in the Problem phase of design thinking.

Design Thinking plays a major role in CMLTD’s annual spring Innovation Award program, which is now supported by the Digital Futures Institute; this design jam serves as a more interdisciplinary approach to the human-centered methodology utilized across industries for problem-solving and solutioning audience needs to have more focus on ill-structured problems in the arts and culture sector. The design jam microcourse instructional roster also included long term product designer Dennis Morgan, Jr., who took charge of the second day’s workshop session to introduce and demonstrate Figma, a collaborative interface prototyping tool which was later used by participating ARAD and CMLTD students to construct wireframes and prototypes for their resulting digital interface solutions. Across the three days of design and strategy workshops, students learned to use Miro as a groupthink tool for archiving, mind-mapping and user journey creation, and communicated with each other using Slack as a social, professional, and project management tool. To empathize with and communicate more effectively the narratives deduced in their problem spaces and solutions, students also tinkered with generative AI image engines to supplement their Figma prototypes and bring their ideas to life.

The Craftrail team presents their interactive Figma prototype to the panelists.

Across the three workshop days culminating in a paneled showcase series of pitch presentations, students were guided not only in design thinking, but also in presentation and communication skills. Storytelling and building compelling narratives lay the foundation for pitching their ideas, and fluency and experimentation with the tools they used to create their prototypes and support their narratives were imperative to constructing their pitches. Each group presented their final pitch presentation in front of a panel: Dr. Davinia Gregory-Kameka, ARAD Assistant Professor, Matthew Barnett from The New-York Historical Society, and Paul Nissenbaum from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The students’ ideas were so creative, and I never thought to use AI-generated images to identify factors in audience engagement that may seem more flat on paper”, said Matthew Barnett at the close of the pitch presentations. “I feel like I now have to go out there and tinker with these tools, for sure,” said Paul Nissenbaum, “and the work the students showed us today really showed a future of rethinking museums, organizations, and cultural institutions that is tech-integrated, forward-thinking, and empathetic.”

Panelists Dr. Davinia Gregory-Kameka, Matthew Barnett, and Paul Nissenbaum engage students in feedback after presentations.

Student projects include: AI Museum Buddies, an augmented experience of chatting with AI renderings of artists and their personalities (Suzy Wang, Winnie Liu, Sadia Ahmed, and Sienna Lin); Chinnection, a mobile app helps Chinese teachers prepare and lead world history museum tour in the MET (Kelsey Shao, Mag Zhang, Ying Yang, and Yuhan Lu); Craftrail, a mapped global tapestry experience of learning and sharing traditional crafts around the world (Yixi Cao, Shirley Lyu, and Yiran Yuan); and ArtMingle.com, a social media platform for museum-goers to create an online community. Xuan An, ARAD ’25, shares her experience working with her CMLTD designer counterparts in the interview below.

ArtMingle.com presents their user journey, supplemented by AI generated images and powered by Figma.

What is your project about? How did you and your team members come up with this concept?

The inspiration of our project originated from: some contemporary young people who are interested in art, such as young people in the Z generation, do not want to go to art exhibitions alone due to loneliness or lack of understanding of art; but they do not know where to go. Find a companion to go with. Among this group, there are those who are experienced in art and those who are exposed to art for the first time; we want to build a website to help them find partners who want to watch exhibitions together. This concept comes from our daily life.

What was your favorite part of the design competition?

I liked the design thinking part the most. In design thinking, I learned how to define questions. The group members and I first started from the direction of art education and found problems from the phenomena around us. We found that some Gen Z don’t feel comfortable joining artistic activities alone, as they find their experience lacks self-expression and social connection. 

We then discussed what, why is happening and what can be done to address this problem. To address this problem, our team intends to redesign their experience to reduce loneliness through meaningful, supportive interactions with others, and make it richer.

Starting from this basic purpose, we held a brainstorming session and classified the results using a taxonomy starting with “how might we” questions, leading to one main HMW question that broke down to many: HMW make them feel less lonely and make social connection easier? How might we, for example, build an online community for people with shared interests? Design a museum tour for these people? Would building a chat group about art be part of this? Would we have volunteers join the activities to navigate the socialization process? How large of a role does social media play in these interactions? For academically inclined museum-goers, how appealing would it be to hold online seminars and discussion sessions after visits? And in that line of thinking, how might we also encourage fostering communities around museums in purely social and recreational ways?

After deciding to build a website to help young people match partners to watch the exhibition, we began to think about what kind of interface we should use. I made a website sample by referring to NYFA’s screening page and combining it with the hare team page mentioned by one of my teammates from the CMLTD program, Cute.

Current ARAD student Xuan An (ARAD ’25) pitches funding approaches in the ArtMingle.com pitch presentation.

What’s your favorite part about learning how to use new tools?

I especially like Miro and Slack!

Miro is a useful new tool that allowed me, and our group in general, to host a virtual, dynamic workspace on the website, allowing us to complete our overall plan conveniently and efficiently. Miro has a clear interface and rich functions. I very much look forward to continuing to use it in the future!

Slack is a useful new tool for me to use now, too! It allows participants to post tasks and discussions directly, and work team members to use the network to connect with each other. What I like most about it is the channel design. This design allows users to clearly see the requirements and classification of tasks. Slack made me more productive.

Even though this form of design thinking process is new to you and difficult, what are the rewards?

Our group included students majoring in arts administration as well as students majoring in Communication, Media, & Learning Technologies Design. Being part of the mixed team was rewarding and new, and we learned from each other. When group-thinking and designing for the ArtMingle project, as an ARAD student, I used my practical knowledge in arts management to provide support for the content of our proposal. This is both in terms of links with museums, galleries and galleries and in terms of fundraising, which I look forward to learning more about next semester.

CMLTD students have rich experience in using digital tools, for example, they know how to use Miro, Figma, and AI image generators. They helped me learn these tools, too, and we walked through the design process together on Slack, Miro and Figma. I feel that both majors have their own strengths and complement each other. Our cooperation was very pleasant, and I learned a lot of skills in using digital tools from the CMLTD majors in the team.

Current ARAD student Xuan An (ARAD ’25) breaks down aspects for sustainability models in the ArtMingle.com pitch presentation.

Do you think you will continue to work on the ArtMingle.com idea?

I will. I’m currently learning how to build my own web pages and add simple web page interactivity. Oral interviews were also conducted to understand other students’ perspectives on receiving arts education and socializing in an arts environment.

Photo Credit: Grace J. Choi

Microgrant Recipient: Arts Admin Next (AAN) Host Second Annual Roundtable: “Navigating the Visual Arts Industry”

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On November 11, 2023, Arts Admin Next (AAN) hosted its second roundtable event, “Navigating the Visual Arts Industry,” at TheBLANC. This event, planned and hosted by co-founders Joey Chen (ARAD ’24), Katerina Wang (ARAD ’24), Demi Zhao (ARAD ’25), and Xiaojing Zhu (ARAD ’25), was supported by a microgrant from the Arts Administration program at Teachers College, Columbia University (ARAD).

The roundtable featured distinguished alumni from Columbia University, New York University, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, showcasing a panel of seasoned professionals in the arts industry. Esteemed guest speakers included Eliana Glicklich-Cohn (ARAD ’09, Senior Manager of Real Estate and Sustainability at The Museum of Modern Art), Kelly Olshan (ARAD ’17, Program Officer at the New York Foundation for the Arts), Isabella Caporuscio (VAA ’22, Manager of Academic Engagement at the Guggenheim Museum), and Maxime Van Melkebeke (SIA’16, Director at Hauser & Wirth). Their presence significantly contributed to bridging the gap between current students and industry veterans.

Drawing over 90 attendees, the event became a convergence of diverse perspectives and experiences. Students and professionals from the Arts Administration program at Teachers College (ARAD), the Visual Arts Administration program at New York University (VAA), and the Art Business program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art (SIA) came together in a shared space of learning and exchange.

The roundtable discussions spanned a wide range of topics. Speakers shared insights on their professional journeys, offering attendees a realistic view of the challenges and triumphs in the arts sector. They discussed the ever-evolving landscape of the art world, offering predictions and advice on navigating future trends. The discussions navigated through various terrains, from post-graduate professional journeys to envisaging future directions in the arts industry. The focus on practical networking strategies within the art world was particularly beneficial, providing relevant knowledge for emerging arts administrators.

The commitment of Arts Admin Next to fostering a vibrant community of arts administrators was palpable throughout the event. As we have introduced ourselves in the roundtable, “At Arts Admin Next, we are more than just an organization; we are a passionate community, a bridge that connects the next-generation arts administrators with professionals who have achieved great success in the arts sector. Our mission is to foster a diverse community where your passion for the arts is not just a solitary journey, but a shared adventure with like-minded souls.” Through annual roundtables, gallery tours, and networking events, AAN strives to provide a dynamic platform for arts administrators and practitioners to connect, discover opportunities, and share ideas in the vibrant city of New York.

The successful execution of this roundtable event stands as a significant testament to the ongoing dedication of Arts Admin Next (AAN) and the Arts Administration program at Teachers College, Columbia University (ARAD), in fostering a diverse and dynamic community within the realm of arts administration. AAN is proud to conclude this year’s roundtable, made possible through significant support from ARAD and the tireless efforts of a dedicated team following more than two months’ meticulous planning and preparation. AAN is actively preparing for the next roundtable, which will concentrate on the global art market and career pathways, specifically offering visa and career guidance for international students. Stay tuned for more upcoming AAN events which will be announced on their Instagram account @artsadminnext!

Photo Credit: Arts Admin Next and Sophia Xuanyi Chen (ARAD ’24)

Hugo Vaz: Crafting Hybrid Experiences through the Kimera Festival

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Hugo Vaz (ARAD ’24) is an actor, poet, singer-songwriter and cultural entrepreneur from Goiás, central Brazil. Ahead of his band, MAZOMBO, he has performed concerts and recorded albums for over ten years. This summer, Hugo has been working in partnership with the International Brazilian Opera Company to promote the Kimera Festival, a grassroots, open-air, free music festival, which he hopes to establish as a staple cultural event in Morningside Heights. 

K: Tell me a little bit about yourself; what is your creative and educational background?

H: I’m 35 years old and I worked in education for 14 years. As a teacher, I taught English, French, and Portuguese to foreigners, history and language arts to children (actually all ages, teenagers, young adults, every kind of people from all different socioeconomic backgrounds), but I’ve always been a performing artist.

The first time I stepped on stage, I was 4 years old as an actor. And at 13, I had my first rock and roll band. At 23 I produced my first musical, then at 25 I released my first original music record, and I’ve been performing ever since. I always like to partner up with different artists, and I’ve learned a lot from them; they’re great people from different backgrounds, like the popular music background and now the arts administration program. I have found myself trying to make these two careers converge; the educational and the artistic.

K: How did your partnership with the Italian Brazilian Opera Company come to be? 

H: I attended an event at the United Nations that was focused on the socioeconomic impact of Latin American organizations throughout the American continents, and there was a networking cocktail hour. I met a board member of the International Brazilian Opera Company and he introduced me to the other board members and the executive director.

They said that they were looking for an intern, and I said, “Okay, well, I’m required to do an internship for my program at Columbia, etc.” And they said, “Oh, wow, great! But, before we start your official internship, we have a few projects to wrap up before then if you’re available.” I was looking for opportunities to engage in projects, meet people, and expand my network in New York because I’m from Brazil. `So I helped them produce this beautiful fundraising cocktail party at a luxurious penthouse on Bryant Park, and it was a huge success. It was super cool. That was in December of last year and I’ve been in close contact with them since then.

You know, there’s always a very personal component in everything I do, so I really connected with the people there. I’m very happy to participate because this has given me the opportunity to put my plans into practice and review them. Because as you work your plans through, you’re constantly reviewing them; is this what I want? Is this really where I’m going? And it’s been fantastic. This, for my career, has been making a huge difference.

K:  On the note of personal connection, you mentioned that you’re passionate about cultural heritage and preserving endangered languages. Can you talk about how those passions have evolved for you and how you see them connecting to the Kimera Festival specifically?

Lera Boroditsky’s research is based on a simple premise: language shapes the way we think. So, because language shapes the way we think, linguistic diversity is a fundamental requirement for cultural diversity (and I have always believed that diversity is wealth). This has become an issue for me because everybody is very much concerned with climate change and preserving the environment, which is obviously very important, but it can’t be just that. It’s all interconnected. Many endangered languages are endangered because they are spoken by vulnerable communities who are threatened by climate change, natural disasters, or are forced to leave their territory to seek asylum elsewhere, where their language will be useless.

Ultimately, international organizations like UNESCO develop very robust programs for safeguarding the intangible assets of culture, like language. But that’s on a very high end. If you think of grassroots community events like the Kimera Festival, we can think of how important it is to allow the underrepresented to speak up: to just come on stage and have an opportunity to express themselves through their art, which is obviously a very important exercise of empowerment, especially if we’re talking about underrepresented communities. 

What is a Kimera? A Kimera by definition is a hybrid creature. It’s made up of different and incongruent parts. We are all cultural Kimeras. We’re all made up of different bits of cultures, especially in New York; this city has been a melting pot for a couple of centuries now, so anything located here is a perfect platform for letting these different cultural expressions and different peoples have a say, to have their voices heard.

K: If you were going to pitch the Kimera Festival to people in terms of events or experience, is there anything that you want to highlight?

H: For attendees, the festival is amazing because it is so accessible to the street and anybody can can attend. The setting is beautiful! It’s in front of St. John’s Cathedral, and we close up Amsterdam Avenue between 111th and 110th streets. Local businesses set up their tables in the streets, and there’s a stage where the musicians perform, where storytellers come and tell stories or share anecdotes or legends. I usually say that as moths are attracted to light, so are people to music. If you want to attract people, just play music. 

For pitching this to sponsors, I would say that this is an opportunity for local businesses to expand their outreach and especially to remind local residents what lives in their own neighborhood in Morningside Heights. We also have this social media marketing ad campaign, so we can offer advertising opportunities; and we also do business shout outs throughout the festival. It’s a branding opportunity that connects a business (large or small) to a cultural initiative that’s concerned with cultural diversity. When you associate your business with an issue that is pressing, that is urgent, and that’s relevant, you automatically increase your brand’s and your company’s added social value. It’s a very strategic move to associate your business with something that matters, which is cultural diversity.

K: Is there anything that you wish was more common knowledge about Brazilian music or culture?

H: Brazil is internationally known for samba and bossa nova, which are incredible forms of music that come from different social strata. Bossa nova is more like the bourgeois, mid-20th century kind of music. And samba is a more popular and a more ancient form of music, but they do not really represent Brazil as a whole. They come from a specific part of Brazil, the Southeast. We have many more kinds of music being made in Brazil. So if I could change something about the way people perceive Brazilian music, I would say it would be incredible if they had an idea of how diverse it is: the Caipira music in the central part of Brazil; the Baião, Frevo and Maracatu music in the Northeast; or different kinds of Amazonian music in the North.

This sends us back to what I was saying, it’s all about diversity. Brazil’s not just bossa nova. That’s a monotonous understanding of a culture. It’s very diverse. 

K: As you know, the ARAD program emphasizes internships and incoming students spend a lot of time ruminating on them. Can you elaborate on how you think your time working with this particular organization on the Kimera Festival is going to factor into your long term goals?

My internship is a bit unusual because I have just intensified a partnership that I had already established with IBOC. Now I’ve had the chance to go deeper into the organization to learn more about it and to do more for it. In the process, so many things have become clear in my mind because I’ve always been involved in music/dance festivals and music-making. When you do something that’s so right and so natural, you reinforce your conviction and this reassurance gives you strength to keep on going. This feeling of, “I’m doing the right thing,” makes us more resilient.

Getting hands on producing the event has given me the chance to practice things that I already knew and to learn to do the same thing by using different tools. Collaborating is all about learning how to do the same thing by different means.

Before starting this internship, I was kind of unsure if I really wanted to pursue event producing, because I had been doing that for a long time in Brazil and I was kind of tired of it. This internship has helped me rekindle this flame.

During this time, I have come up with this art business model that I want to implement in the coming year, and I could only think of it after doing what I’ve been doing for the Kimera Festival. I want to create a mixed visual and performing arts event called the Kimera Challenge. The Kimera Challenge is a creative performance ritual conducted by a master of ceremonies that challenges a band and visual artists to come up with improvised songs and illustrations on the spot.

I have done this in Brazil four times now and it was a huge success. I, with my band and with the team of artists, have utilized this app that I customized. Imagine a casino roulette and around the roulette are featured the names of different chimera creatures. Imagine there is a band, and there are a bunch of artists sitting at a table. The master of ceremonies conducts the ritual by inviting each artist to spin the wheel and assign a hybrid creature to the round; the band will have to come up with a song on the spot to inspire the artist to illustrate the creature.

For example, one of the options is the mouszebra (the hybrid of a mouse and a zebra). The band will have to make a song for that. What are you going to say, what are you going to talk about? How are you going to sing about the mouszebra? How are you going to make the instrumental accompaniment to just give the idea of how this creature moves or sounds? That will inspire the artist to draw the mouszebra, and then a second artist will spin, and then a third one and so on until all the artists have taken their turn and the band has improvised a song for each artist/chimera. When all the artists have taken their turn they sit back at their tables to start to start working on their challenge, then the band performs their concert like their regular repertoire, which provides that’s the time that the artists will have to complete. I hope to continue hosting these challenges for a long part of my career.

There are still two more opportunities to check out the 2023 Kimera Festival on September 23 and October 28: