Amid the important economic, political and societal conversations going on during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, there exists a space for artists and cultural leaders to communicate their work – to inspire and allow for new ways of thinking about the world. There has been a growing emphasis on the role of the arts in Davos, and this year 35 leaders from the world of arts shared their ideas with others from business, government and civil society. 

The Annual Meeting 2014 opened with the annual Crystal Awards, honouring Academy Award-winning actor Matt Damon, visual artist Shirin Neshat and tenor Juan Diego Flórez for their contributions to improving the state of the world. The ceremony was followed by a concert by the Mariinsky Orchestra of St Petersburg under the leadership of Maestro Valery Gergiev. 

The Meeting’s cultural programme also included rich sessions on cultural identity, heritage, the future of music, the creative economy, the power of design and much more. Speakers included Thomas Campbell of the Metropolitan Museum, Marc Spiegler of Art Basel, Paola Antonelli of MoMA and  Mathieu Jaton of the Montreux Jazz festival. 

Celebrated artists Elif Shafak, Olafur Eliasson and David Adjaye shared their life and work in a new series of intimate interviews called Inside the Creative Mind. Two exhibitions – one curated in partnership with the Pinchuk Foundation featuring the work of Andreas Gursky and Damien Hirst, the other in partnership with Berengo Studio featuring the work of Delphine Lucielle and the Recycle Group – gave participants the opportunity to reflect on nature, relationships and ourselves. Goldie Hawn, the actress and advocate of the benefits of meditation for children, led a session on how mindfulness training and emotional learning can change the world.