The six artists selected for Art Dubai’s annual residency programme have been announced.
They are: Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, a well-established artist based in Khorfakkan; Hind Mezaina, a photographer and writer, perhaps best known for her blog The Culturist; Sharmeen Syed, whose practice references architectural research; and painter and multimedia artist Jessica Mein.
They were chosen for the three-month programme — which begins in January and culminates in March, coinciding with the start of the annual art Dubai fair — after responding to an open call.
They will be joined by two international artists: Amsterdam-based Mehraneh Atashi, who works in photography, video and installation; and Beirut-based Rheim Alkadhi, who weaves poetic collages from objects, texts, and images.
The six artists will work from a house in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, developing projects for Art Dubai and taking part in a programme of talks, reading groups and public screenings.
The Artists-in-Residence programme is part of the wider collection of projects that run concurrent to the commercial fair. It is organised in joint collaboration between Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the Delfina Foundation in London, Art Dubai and Tashkeel studio hub in Nad-Al-Sheba, Dubai.
A further five artists will also be producing work under the Art Dubai Projects umbrella, which means they will be creating commissioned site-specific works that will be exhibited at the fair.
They include the Palestinian multimedia artist Jumana Emil Abboud, and Umashankar and the Earchaeologists — a collective that includes the artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan, curator Nida Ghouse and scientist Umashankar Manthravadi. This group will embark on a two-year commission with Art Dubai Projects, investigating the nature of something they are calling “acoustic archaeology” — or how sound can influence our understanding of specific sites.
Fari Bradley and Chris Weaver, who are undertaking a year-long residence at Tashkeel studio hub, will exhibit a major new sound installation and performance based on their research in the UAE.
In Alserkal Avenue, where Art Dubai will host some of its public programmes for the upcoming edition, Brazilian artist Maria Thereza Alves will develop a garden from reclaimed dormant seeds in the UAE, while Lahore-based artist Mehreen Murtaza is planning to create an interactive installation that references science fiction stories.
The ninth edition of Art Dubai will include 91 galleries from 40 countries, along with its extensive not-for-profit programme, which includes Art Dubai Projects.
• Art Dubai will be held at Madinat Jumeirah from March 18-21, 2015.
Correction: An earlier version of the story misidentified the resident programmed as an Art Dubai venture instead of a joint venture.
