Culture is an essential tool for the
restart after the coronavirus and the Dubai Expo in 2021, the
first global event after the pandemic broke out, will be the
ideal occasion to reconstruct relations between countries and
for Italy to re-launch itself on a multilateral platform.
This was the message that emerged during an ANSA Forum dedicated
to cultural diplomacy that Italy's Commissioner for Expo Dubai
Paolo Glisenti and the Culture Undersecretary with the portfolio
for Expo Lorenza Bonaccorsi took part in.
Ida Zilio Grandi, the director of the Italian Culture Institute
in Abu Dhabi, took part via video link as did cinema association
ANICA President and former culture minister Francesco Rutelli
from Venice.
"Italy will be a major player of the culture that will take
shape at Expo Dubai," said Glisenti during the debate moderated
by ANSA Deputy Editor-in-Chief Stefano Polli.
The over 150 events that Italy will take to the Emirates include
a show by ballet star Roberto Bolle and international dancers,
the orchestra of the Accademia della Scala, the Piazza Vittorio
orchestra and Giovanni Sollima's 100 Cellos.
The double postponement caused by COVID-19 means that the Dubai
Expo and the Venice Biennale will be running for the same time
for almost two months, with lots of potential interactions.
"Today Italy needs to make more international products, so being
in Dubai to present cinema craftsmanship, audiovisual innovation
and Italy's great traditions will be an extraordinary way to
promote cultural diplomacy and Italian interests in a global,
multilateral context," said Rutelli.
Bonaccorsi explained that "we have a great asset that gets us
recognised and makes us in demand all over the world.
"2019 was the year in which incoming foreign tourists overtook
domestic ones, with 50.3% of the market, and tourism accounted
for 13% of our country's GDP.
Bonaccorsi stressed that "cultural diplomacy has a fundamental
role in reviving tourism in Italy.
"Tourism has suffered, it is suffering and it will suffer
further.
"It is no coincidence that Expo is called 'Connecting Minds':
putting relations back into circulation is a fundamental issue
for the global recovery and the recovery of tourism".
The director of the Italian Culture Institute in Abu Dhabi
explained that "the expectations of Italian culture are
extremely high.
"Italian culture is well liked and much is expected in terms of
elegance and style, but also in terms of innovation".
In a video-message, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said
that culture "aids dialogue, reciprocal knowledge. It helps to
overcome diversity".
Cultural diplomacy is also crucial for traditional diplomacy.
"Today intercultural dialogue is an essential element to
reformulate and reinforce classic diplomatic relationships,"
Glisenti said regarding the role of the Dubai Expo in the
process that led to the agreement between Israel and the United
Arab Emirates.
According to the Culture Undersecretary, "Expo gave a key push
to the reconstruction of relations between the two countries,
above all in recent months, when dialogue was difficult".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
