The World Economic Forum and the J. Paul Getty Trust co-hosted a "cultural table" dinner for art world leaders on 23 October at the Hotel Le Meurice in Paris, themed "Bridging Worlds: Culture as a Force for Connection in Times of Division." The event, held in the Pompadour Room—where Pablo Picasso celebrated his 1918 wedding—was co-hosted by Getty president Katherine Fleming and WEF arts head Joseph Fowler, and marked the first collaboration between the two organizations. Fowler described the initiative as a global movement to place culture at the heart of systemic change, while Fleming emphasized art's unifying power and its measurable health benefits.
This event matters because it signals a growing institutional effort to position art and culture as tools for dialogue and empathy in a polarized world, bridging the gap between the cultural sector and global policy-making. By convening leaders from art, policy, and enterprise in an intimate setting, the WEF and Getty Trust are attempting to elevate creativity as a serious driver of societal transformation, challenging the notion that art is a luxury or a politicized commodity. The partnership also reflects a strategic expansion of the WEF's arts program beyond Davos into major cultural capitals.