Dubai Culture calls for submissions for artist-in-residence programme

Dubai: The 2013 edition of the annual Artists-in-Residence Dubai programme is now open for submissions, the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) announced on Wednesday.

The programme, in partnership with the Delfina Foundation, Art Dubai, and Tashkeel, will be held at Al Bastakiya, the cultural nerve-centre of Dubai, runs from January 7 to March 31, coinciding with Art Week, Dubai’s premier umbrella arts initiative.

Al Bastakiya will be opening its doors to three Emirati artists, three international artists, and a curator-in-residence for the artists in residence Dubai programme. It aims support artists by providing a platform to develop their practice and create new work, while nurturing and encouraging intercultural dialogue through contemporary art.

Studio spaces in Al Bastakiya will be provided for the six artists, alongside the international curator-in-residence. The programme will culminate in an Open Studios exhibition, which will happen during the SIKKA Art Fair in March 2013. The international artists are also commissioned to create site-specific works for Art Dubai Projects, the critically-acclaimed, non-commercial programme which forms part of the fair’s programming.

“The annual Artists-in-Residence programme serves as the ideal platform to facilitate exchange of ideas and experiences, enabling the participating artists to derive inspiration from each other, from Al Bastakiya, and above all, from the city of Dubai,” Salem Belyouha, Projects & Events Director, Dubai Culture, said.

Interested Emirati artists can explore a range of art disciplines including visual arts and film, paintings and mixed-media installations. The deadline for submissions for the artists and curators is September 16, 2012. Entries will be evaluated by the selection panel, and the selected artists and curators will be announced in October 2012.

Curators will have the opportunity to carry out in-depth research, curatorial activities, and critical writing on the cultural and artistic scene of the Gulf. Artists in Residence Dubai’s selection panel with ArtAsiaPacific, a leading international art publication, and partner on the curator-in-residence programme, will take charge in the selection process.

Applications for the programme are available at www.dubaiculture.ae