Misk Art Residencies

The platform is designed to further the Institute’s mission by facilitating opportunities for creative individuals to expand their knowledge and broaden their artistic experience. The initiative encompasses two strands; the in-house Masaha Residency in Riyadh - the first art residency program in Riyadh open to local and international artists; and an International Exchange program tailored in partnership with global art institutions to to offer Saudi artists an opportunity to develop their creative practice in international settings.

The Misk Art Residencies are another part in the Institute’s goal to support artistic development and practice and promote the possibilities of exchange between artists, the local community, and the global cultural landscape. It allows artists access to dedicated studios, facilitate public program events and support the production and showcase of new work.

The residencies are designed for:

• Saudi artists
• International artists
• Researchers
• Curators
• Art writers

Misk Art Residencies offers private studio spaces, public programing, artist support, and showcase artwork.

Masaha Residency is an in-house residency program located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The program is designed to cultivate the art sector through studio-based opportunities which aid in facilitating discourse, research, and experimentation around themes that concern the local community. The 3-month program seeks to create a collaborative community by encouraging residents to meaningfully interact with professionals and a wider public audience.

Through programming, funding, tailored mentorships, and publications, Masaha Residency aims to foster a two-way exchange with the international arts scene.

Masaha Residency will take on two strands:

• Artists in Residence
• Curators in Residence

Nine visual artists are invited to develop new works with practitioners from across the creative industries through an intimate and intensive program of studio-based activities.

One curator is provided with a specially designed module in Arts Management to help foster the next generation of creative industry professionals.

Residents will tackle the curatorial theme Blurring Lines: Art & The Creative Industries.

Curatorial Theme

Blurring Lines: Art & Creative Industries

Blurring Lines: Art & Creative Industries invites visual artists to develop their practice through the lens of alternative disciplines by exploring, interrogating, and enhancing the relationship between fine art and creative industry. Why is there a distinction between fine and applied art? What is special about an artistic gesture? When does a work of architecture, design, film, music, fashion, food, or even medicine become ‘art’? And how can artists, creatives, and industries work together, rather than separately? The first iteration of Masaha Residency explores the range of creative, academic, and professional backgrounds from which Saudi Arabia’s visual art scene has developed. Rather than asking artists to ‘leave their non-art backgrounds outside the gallery’, Blurring Lines invites them to lean back into them, to invent new forms of creative expression and highlight the potential for innovation through creative industry collaboration. In doing so, the residency aims to embrace a nonlinear journey and move beyond the discipline-specific approaches to create new opportunities and experiences.

The Program

How it Works: The residency is offered for three months. Masaha Residency setting is specifically designed to support nine artists and one curator-in-residence to conceive and create pivotal art projects. The Residency is designed to allow artists to pursue new projects and ideas with the aid of a dedicated mentorship program, Masterclasses, and a combination of meetings, workshops, casual conversations, and occasional recreational activities to further their artistic development. Masaha Residency supports regional, national, and international artists in the creation of new art, engaging with local communities towards global art practices and experiences.

Overview of What we Offer:

• Travel expenses, housing, production stipend, and private studio space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Access to members of the Saudi creative community.
• A full-time art liaison to help with local support, documentation, and outreach.
• Access to an immersive experience including the on-site Masaha Library, off and on-site lectures, studio visits, and recreational activities.
• Curatorial support in the implementation of artists’ projects.
• Presentation of projects produced at Misk Art Institute.
• Promotion of events organized by resident artists.
• Organizing Open Studio events for resident artists.
• Editing and distributing publications related to projects presented at Masaha Residency.
• Establishing contacts with international curators, critics, publicists, theorists, gallery owners, and collectors through virtual and physical studio visits.
• Hosting seminars, talks and readings.