Art Ventures Beyond Policy: The Davos 2026 Arts and Culture Programme

The World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos has integrated a sophisticated Arts and Culture Programme under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue.” According to The Art Newspaper, the programme aims to use creativity as a framework for addressing global challenges that policy papers and data often fail to capture emotionally.

By Open Chronicle News Desk  | January 21, 2026

Key Themes and Pillars

The 2026 programme is built on three pillars:

1. Human Presence in the Digital Age: Exploring the boundary between physical and digital existence.

2. Tradition and Innovation: Balancing heritage with future technologies.

3. Connection and Collaboration: Using art as a catalyst for collective action.

Major Artistic Installations and Performances

• The Mahler Chamber Orchestra & Renaud Capuçon: A performance merging classical repertoire with real-time, AI-generated visuals by Ronen Tanchum. This “dialogue” between human intention and computational logic opened the programme.

• Jon Batiste: The multi-Grammy winner performed to emphasize music as a universal language and to celebrate cultural plurality.

• Marina Abramović: Making her Davos debut, she presented “THE BUS,” a mobile installation designed to force participants to “slow down radically” and reclaim personal presence amidst the forum’s fast-paced environment.

• Thijs Biersteker’s “Forestate”: Created with UNESCO, this time-based sculpture uses Global Forest Watch data to visualize global forest loss and renewal, turning abstract statistics into a visceral experience.

• JR’s “Wrinkles of the City”: Large-scale portraits of elderly citizens were placed on public surfaces to restore visibility to older generations and their collective memory.

• Ronen Tanchum’s “Human Atmospheres”: A large-scale immersive AI environment commissioned specifically for the forum that responds to the physical presence and gestures of participants.

Cultural Leaders (AM26 Cohort)

The forum also features a group of “Cultural Leaders” intended to bridge creativity and social impact. Notable figures in the 2026 cohort include:

• Harvey Mason Jr. (Recording Academy CEO)

• Suleika Jaouad (Writer and advocate)

• Katie Piper (Author and activist)

• Hiro Iwamoto (The first blind sailor to cross the Pacific)

Core Philosophy: Joseph Fowler, Head of Arts and Culture at WEF, notes that art serves as an “orientation” in times of digital disruption and social fragmentation, helping to turn global headlines into human-scale empathy and action.