'I Wish I Was a Dove on a Spar..'

'I Wish I Was a Dove on a Spar..'

“I wish I was a Dove on a Spar..” is an exploration of a unique moment of transition where we are far enough to look back at our learned pasts and close enough to contemplate on our possible futures, a crossroads between retrospection and anticipation. Artists are invited to use their art as a worldmaking tool to actively imagine unfolding times. They are encouraged to learn from the layers of collective memory and narratives embedded in the urban fabric, to actively reflect on our city, environment, society, and through their creations make new meanings for human encounters on intimate and public scales. As we stand on the precipice of change, we look onto art as a means for active reflection, urging us to engage with the city as observers and active participants. The city, acting as a mirror, reflects our individual and collective selves, and prompts us to ponder on how we as inhabitants shape the urban landscape and how it in turn shapes us. Artists are encouraged to decipher the language of our city, conversing with it in a behavioral, visual, sensorial and sonic sense. The city hence becomes a dynamic space where imagining, meaning-making, feeling, and reflecting converge. Through this active exploration, artists can bring forth creations that actively mold narratives of our shared futures, rooted in the wisdom of our pasts that resonate with the evolving language of our city.

Exhibition opens on Thursday, December 14th, at Amarat Ali Rashed Fakhro (1), Pearling Path, Muharraq.

Artists:

  • Sara Kanoo
  • Nasim Javid
  • Fifi Alshakar
  • Al Anood Al Noami
  • Hesham Al Ammal
  • Waheeda Malullah
  • Mayasa Al Sowaidi
  • Huda Jamal
  • Maryam Jamal
  • Mariam Mahdi Al Noami
  • Noora Fraidoon
  • Ahmed Buasalay
  • Salman Al Najim
  • Jaffar Al Oraibi
  • Ishaq Madan
  • Abdulla Buhijji, Mahmood Sharif & Rawan Alhosani
  • Ali Hussain Merza
  • Khalil Al Hashemi
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the residency only for visual arts?

No, it is open to all artists from different disciplines.

How long is the residency programme?

12 working weeks, from 28 January to 28 April 2024.

Please note the residency will coincide with the holy month of Ramadan as well as the Eid Holidays. Studio opening hours will be adjusted as appropriate during that period. 

Will there be an exhibition at the end of the residency?

Yes, participants' artwork and projects will be showcased in an exhibition at the end of the residency. The exhibition concept will be formulated and developed in discussion with the artists in residence. 

The exhibition will be developed in collaboration with Al Riwaq’s curation team, led by William Wells, and will open on 25 June 2024. 

Does this programme support research residencies?

Al Riwaq is open to receiving research-based resident artists, within Application 003 or independently. 

Artists seeking the unfamiliar around the corner, are welcome to apply for a  research-driven residency that can revolve around peer-to-peer exchange, and knowledge and understanding, not just in the arts but also in society.

Is there an age restriction for the applicants?

This residency is open for all above 18 years of age.