Curators from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia are encouraged to apply as part of the Qatar-MENASA 2022 Year of Culture 

11 May 2022 – Doha, Qatar – The Fire Station, a contemporary art space in the heart of Doha which supports artists and engages local communities through cultural programming, announced its annual open call for the Curator in Residence programme. This year, the residency is in collaboration with the Qatar-MENASA 2022 Year of Culture to support curators from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. For this edition, two curators will be invited to join the program from October 17, 2022, to January 17, 2023. The deadline to apply is June 18, 2022.

The three-month residency offers wide-ranging support to the burgeoning talent, including a round-trip ticket to Doha, off-site accommodation, and a monthly per diem. The two curators selected for the residency will also have access to a furnished workspace at the Fire Station and assistance in developing their curatorial concepts. The residency is designed to immerse participants in the dynamic local art scene through interactive sessions with local artists and curators, participation in Open Studio events, public programmes, and opportunities to organise exhibitions.

The residency programme is open to independent and institutional curators of all curatorial and research-based practices from the MENASA region. Curators from the following countries are eligible: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Bhutan, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Students enrolled in an Academic programme (excluding doctoral candidates) at the time of residency are not eligible to apply.

Fire Station launched its Curator in Residence programme in 2020, taking place twice a year for three months in conjunction with the Artist in Residence programme. Three curators have gone through the programme since 2020.

David Suárez Mira, a Colombian curator based in New York, conducted curatorial research on sound art in Qatar and the Gulf region during his residency, which was presented at the Fire Station in an exhibition featuring local artists titled Acts of Listening from Future Generations. Fahad Al-Turky, a Qatari cultural professional and Exhibition Manager with Msheireb Museums, served as a Curator and part of the development team for Msheireb Museums' permanent exhibitions, with a specific focus on the history of slavery in Qatar, the Indian Ocean Region and global Modern Slavery in Bin Jelmood House. Hadeel Eltayeb explored identity and cultural production in her work. Her research explores facing down the haunting effects of ghosts in the archive, negotiating narratives of ownership through oral histories, and negotiating the tension between individual, social and public remembering through cultural practices.

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About Years of Culture 

Culture is one of the most effective tools to bring people closer together, encourage dialogue, and deepen understanding between nations. 

Under the leadership of its Chairperson Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar Museums (QM) developed the annual "Years of Culture" initiative — an international cultural exchange that deepens understanding between nations and their people. Though formal programming lasts only one year, the ties of friendship that are strengthened and formed are long-lasting. 

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the 2022 Year of Culture will offer programming from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA). 

The Qatar-MENASA Year of Culture 2022 will include countries and communities from: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Bhutan, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Qatar-MENASA Year of Culture 2022 has been developed in collaboration with leading organisations in Qatar, including Doha Film Institute, Education Above All, Katara Cultural Village, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar Charity, Qatar Football Association, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Museums, Qatar National Library, Qatar National Tourism Council, Qatar Olympic Committee, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, with assistance from Doha-based embassies of participating countries.

The Qatar-MENASA 2022 Year of Culture is supported by Qatar Airways.

Previous Years of Culture have included: Qatar-Japan 2012, Qatar-UK 2013, Qatar-Brazil 2014, Qatar-Turkey 2015, Qatar-China 2016, Qatar-Germany 2017, Qatar-Russia 2018, Qatar-India 2019, Qatar-France 2020, and Qatar-USA 2021. Past sponsors include Vodafone, Qatar Gas, Shell, Ooredoo, Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts, Lulu Group International, Qatar Financial Centre, Qatar Petroleum, and ExxonMobil. 

Follow and tag Qatar-MENASA 2022 Year of Culture on: @yearsofculture, #yearsofculture #QatarMENASA2022

About Fire Station:  

The Fire Station is a world-class artist residency programme for residents of Qatar designed to nurture, energize and promote the country's artistic and creative community, and enrich the art scene in Qatar. Founded in 2015 and located in a fire station repurposed by Qatari architect Ibrahim Mohamed Jaidah, the Fire Station offers a nine-month programme for creatives across all disciplines, enabling young artists to cultivate their talent through production support, curatorial advice, and expert mentorships. During the residency, artists engage with professionals from all over the world who recognize Qatar as a growing centre of artistic talent and creativity. Over the past six years, the programme has welcomed 92 artists and expanded its duration to include a three-month stint at the prestigious Cite Internationale des Art in Paris and New York City at Studio 209 NY, which is part of the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP).  

The Fire Station includes extensive studio spaces, a theatre, the popular restaurant Café #999, a bookshop, an art supply shop, and gallery spaces presenting inspiring local and international exhibitions.  The Fire Station has also hosted world-class exhibitions organized by Qatar Museums within its expansive Garage Gallery, including Picassos Studios (2020), KAWS: He Eats Alone (2019) curated by renown art historian Germano Celant, Kazimir Malevich: Genius of the Russian Avant-garde (2019), Russian Avant-garde Pioneers and Direct Descendants (2018), Laundromat by Ai Weiwei (2018), German Encounters – Contemporary Masterworks from the Deutsche Bank Collection (2017), and Picasso-Giacometti (2017). The Fire Station is headed by Director Khalifa Ahmad Al Obaidly, the renowned Qatari photographer. 
 

About Qatar Museums 

Qatar Museums (QM), the nation's preeminent institution for art and culture, provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes. QM preserves, restores, and expands the nation's cultural offerings and historical sites, sharing art and culture from Qatar, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors. 

Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant centre for the arts, culture, and education in the Middle East and beyond. QM is integral to the goal of developing an innovative, diverse, and progressive nation, bringing people together to ignite new thinking, spark critical cultural conversations, educate and encourage environmental stewardship and sustainable practices, and amplify the voices of Qatar's people. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the Museum of Islamic Art and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar, QM Gallery Al Riwaq, QM Gallery Katara, 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, and Dadu, Children's Museum of Qatar. 

Through its newly created Creative Hub, QM also initiates and supports projects—such as the Fire Station Artist in Residence, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival and the creative hub for innovation, fashion and design M7—that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure. 

Animating everything that Qatar Museums does is an authentic connection to Qatar and its heritage, a steadfast commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and a belief in creating value through invention.

FIND US ONLINE:

Qatar Museums
Twitter: @Qatar_Museums | Instagram: @Qatar_Museums | Facebook: @QatarMuseums
 

Media Relations

Federica Zuccarini
T. +974 4402 8510
fzuccarini@qm.org.qa