DHAHRAN: ATHR Gallery is offering free accommodation for a few weeks in summer for an artist wanting to work in Diriyah’s Jax District, in Riyadh.
The gallery stated in a release that the offer is for “art professionals currently or will be working on a creative project. Participants can be of any creative discipline (art, curation, music, architecture or other related professions) and can be in the research or production phase of their projects.”
The selected applicant will receive what the gallery describes as “a spacious, furnished 2-bedroom apartment, free of charge, located in Diriyah right opposite of the JAX district in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”
“It is for the community — we don’t want there to be any entry barriers,” Hasan Saud, ATHR’s marketing and communications manager, told Arab News.
SPEEDREAD
The selected applicant will receive what the gallery describes as ‘a spacious, furnished 2-bedroom apartment, free of charge, located in Diriyah right opposite of the JAX district in Riyadh.’
“This program differs from a traditional residency in the way that it does not interfere with the subject matter of what the artists are trying to achieve. They are not bound by a curatorial theme or required to meet certain goals and standards in their final product.”
He said ATHR’s “mission is to foster and develop artists, and the goal of this program is to remove the entry obstacles for artists to explore new creative environments and to be surrounded by their peers.”
“We ask about the project (in the application) to evaluate their compatibility with the local crowd and to get a better feel for their legitimacy. What we’re looking for is a general overview of their current project,” Saud said.
The convenient location is accessible through the main artery of the historic Diriyah area, surrounded by popular cafes and a stone’s throw away from the most bustling part of the capital.
The application will go live on Saturday, June 25 until July 7 and will require applicants to upload an artist’s statement, resume, portfolio and answer a few basic questions about their art.
Applicants must not be already Riyadh-based and over the age of 18. This opportunity will focus on one artist at a time and thus unsuitable for families. Tenants will be responsible for funding their own projects and providing their own food, transportation and supplies.
“The timeline is going to be up to the artist themselves since it’ll depend on their project and what they have in mind but if they’re not planning to come in the summer they might not be considered,” Saud said.
For more information, visit the ATHR website.
