"HOME": Being and Belonging

The theme of this second edition, "HOME": Being and Belonging, will examine a series of questions about heritage, culture, nostalgia, and identity, exploring a sense of belonging and how this persists, changes, and transforms through time. Prompting the question, how can culture contribute to the development of artistic practices and offer possibilities to shift the conversation into other dimensions like subjectivity, imagination, nostalgic perception, or spirituality?

"HOME": Being and Belonging is an opportunity to reimagine our relationship with ‘culture’. How can we make use of the concept of hybridity to question dominant narratives of self, of (im)possibility, of ‘authenticity’, of what “home” can look like? Can we think about culture in ways that do not simply imply moving forward and backward, but rather in all directions? Cultures around the world are constantly mutating into something that we don't yet know or understand. Can we imagine other forms of being? What potential might they hold for what is to come? Where is home? Who decides? What are the possibilities for artistic practice to engage in this project? What can art do to catalyze other understandings of self and society?

The three-month Masaha Residency is specifically designed to support ten artists and one writer-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 cutting-edge supplementary programming to further their artistic development. The Masaha Residency supports regional, national, and international artists in the creation of new art, engaging with local communities towards global art practices and experiences.

• Applicants must be practicing Visual artists.
• Emerging-to-established artists working in all areas of the visual arts
• Ability to understand and speak Arabic and/or English.

This residency is focused on Visual artists that may have a background or training in a different industry or profession. These may include, traditional arts, applied arts, film, typography, architecture, textile design, furniture-making, theatre design, stained glass, woodworking, metalworking, music, theatre, food, fashion, or other non-art related backgrounds.

• Regular individual artist mentoring sessions with creative practitioners helping develop their unique art projects, create project plans, and identify outcomes and opportunities
• Structured group mentoring sessions dedicated to developing particular skills or highlighting a global art sector trend
• Travel expenses, housing, production stipend, and private studio space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Access to members of the Saudi creative community
• Full-time art liaisons 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 and production support in the implementation of artists’ projects
• Presentation of projects produced at Misk Art Institute at Showcase
• Promotion of events organized by resident artists
• Organizing Open Studio events for resident artists
• Editing and distributing publications related to projects presented at the Masaha Residency
• Establishing contacts with international curators, critics, publicists, theorists, gallery owners, and collectors through virtual and physical studio visits
• Opportunity for Residents to host seminars, talks, and readings.