Tashkeel in partnership with Art Dubai, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), and Delfina are launching the fourth year of A.i.R Dubai.

Dubai Culture is further underlining its commitment to nurture Emirati talent by supporting a new Assistant Curator position, offering the opportunity for an upcoming Emirati curator to work alongside the established, international curator Lara Khaldi who will manage this dynamic initiative.

The six selected artists – four from the local community, including both UAE Nationals and residents, and two from the international community – will spend three months in-residence in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, from January to April 2015, working with the Projects Curator and Assistant Curator. Their residencies will culminate in the creation of site-specific works, as part of Art Dubai Projects, a not-for-profit series of new commissions exhibited at the annual fair (March 18-21, 2015).

In 2015, the residency programme is particularly diverse: UAE-based artists selected via a competitive Open Call include the established, Khorfakkan-based artist Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim; photographer and writer Hind Mezaina; Sharmeen Syed, whose practice references architectural research; and painter and multi-media artist Jessica Mein. The artists joining them in the residency from abroad are the Amsterdam-based, former Rijksakademie resident Mehraneh Atashi, who works in photography, video and installation and has been recently pre-occupied with the concept of entropy, as well as Beirut-based artist Rheim Alkadhi, who weaves poetic collages from objects, texts, and images.

Curator: Lara Khaldi (born Jerusalem) is a curator living between Amsterdam and Jerusalem. She has recently completed the de Appel Curatorial Programme, Amsterdam. From 2012-2013 Khaldi was Director of the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center in Ramallah, Palestine. Among other exhibitions she has curated: co-curator, The Lonely Crowds, Ramallah 2013 and Brussels 2014; co-curator, Gestures in Time (2012) Jerusalem Show 6 and Riwaq Biennial 5 within Qalandiya International 0, Palestine. Khaldi was Assistant Director for programs at the Sharjah Art Foundation (2009-2011). She is also pursuing her MA in Media and Communications at the European Graduate School (Switzerland).