Arts and Culture in Davos 2017

The document details the cultural agenda for the 2017 Davos Annual Meeting, featuring the 23rd annual Crystal Awards and the participation of 40 cultural leaders in over 50 sessions. Key highlights include the performance of the Afghan Women’s Orchestra “Zohra”, the 'Benevolent Machine' exhibition exploring technology governance, and various large-scale art installations addressing nature and human diversity.

• The 23rd annual Crystal Awards, which recognize artists who serve as "bridge-builders and role models for the global community", were awarded in 2017 to violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter for youth musical education, singer Shakira for early-childhood education, and Forest Whitaker for peace-building and conflict-resolution.
• The Afghan Women’s Orchestra “Zohra”, consisting of 30 women aged 14 to 20, represents the first women in Afghanistan to learn music in over three decades. They performed the closing concert in Davos on 20 January in collaboration with the youth orchestra of the Collège de Genève.
• The 'Benevolent Machine' exhibition in the Loft explores the governance of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, specifically investigating "whether technology will control us – or support us". Installations include the robot Sophia, Keiichi Matsuda's 'Hyper-Reality' video, Patrick Tresset's '3RNP' robotic portrait artists, and Tracy Fullerton's 'Walden, A Game'.
• Several large-scale art installations were featured to prompt reflection on the environment and humanity: Tomás Saraceno's 'Aerocene' proposes a "fossil fuel-free journey around the world" to envision a future beyond the Anthropocene; John Grade's 'Middle Fork' is a 40-metre plaster cast of a hemlock tree; and Angélica Dass' 'Humanæ' is a chromatic inventory of portraits from over 3,000 volunteers.
• The cultural program integrated 40 leaders into more than 50 sessions covering diverse topics, including "populism to climate change and from technology to spirituality". Specific thematic focuses included 'Identity and Narratives', the 'Fourth Industrial Revolution', and 'Cultural Heritage'.

APA

World Economic Forum (2017). Arts and Culture in Davos 2017. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/Media/AM17/AM17_Arts_brochure.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Arts and Culture in Davos 2017. 2017. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/Media/AM17/AM17_Arts_brochure.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Arts and Culture in Davos 2017 |date=2017 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/Media/AM17/AM17_Arts_brochure.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2017arts, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Arts and Culture in Davos 2017}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2017}, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/Media/AM17/AM17_Arts_brochure.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }