The Visual Communication Department at The American University in Dubai (AUD) hosted a panel titled Thinking Cloud: Talking Art . The theme of the panel was: What I learnt at Art School . Thinking Cloud: Talking Art examined the impact of the UAE art school on cultural productivity and reflected on the philosophies of the schools the artists personally attended internationally.

The participants included Roberto Lopardo , artist and Chair of Visual Communication at AUD; Haig Aivazian, artist and curator; Hassan Sharif, artist and writer; and Sarah Ayoub Agha, artist & art co-coordinator Dubai Ladies Club.

Roberto Lopardo commented: “ It was rewarding to see so many new faces at this meeting of the ‘Thinking Cloud' group and I would like to thank everyone for taking the time out to reflect and respond to the topics that were presented at the forum. I enjoyed the dialogue and hope that it will spur on further deliberation and debate in outside circles. I strongly believe these types of grass root democratic forums are essential for balanced growth in a rapidly changing society and I look forward to taking part in more of these conversations with my fellow Dubaiins in the near future.”