This collection brings together leading voices involved in shaping the artistic and cultural scenes outside the Western mainstream. Focusing on the concept of belonging, the varied contributors examine responses to the challenges posed by globalization.

The essays explore place and nomadism, national identity and transcultural expression, including the use of signs and metaphor. The contributors reveal how artists from traditional societies find in their cultural heritage the basis of creative expression.

Kamal Boullata is a visual artist and writer. He is the author of Recovery of Place: A Study of Contemporary Palestinian Art (in Arabic, 2000) and the forthcoming Palestinian Art: 1850–2005 (Saqi Books).