There is a looming financial crisis at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, according to this Le Monde report. Arab states are supposed to be funding 40% of its budget, which keeps running a deficit, but they often push for something in exchange (exhibitions for Qadhafi’s son or insignificant Kuwaiti artists) and have been running late with payments. Just like the help they always promise the Palestinians.
Still, funding something like the IMA would probably get more diplomatic bang for the buck for France than its recently launched 24-hour news station. At less than 25 million euros a year for about one million visitors annually, a great library and bookshop, and some of the best exhibitions in Paris (not to mention a Jean Nouvel building that became an instant Paris landmark with its photo-reactive diaphragm windows), it’s a steal.
An intyeresting aside: I was at the Institute several weeks ago, and inquired at the book shop about purchasing the novel Binat al-Riyadh. The manager, a friendly Egyptian guy, told me that he hadn’t even ordered it. He wouldn’t really explain why when I asked him, despite it being an enormously popular book.
I sensed there was some funding angle there, and your post suggests that is the case. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.