Paula Blanco takes a moment to enjoy details of her work before the opening of her exhibition, “Tearing of the
Earth”, in December of 2021.
If you’re starting to plan your visit to WAD 2023 and want to be wowed by artwork from some of the
art scene's most exciting up-and-coming artists, be sure to add the Artist in Residency booth to your
itinerary.
Launched in 2020 by 8th Ave. Gallery and Dubai’s art hub hotel, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, the
Artist in Residency programme has been designed to inspire and support international artists by giving
them the incredible opportunity to live in Dubai and take on a three-month residency at Jumeirah
Creekside Hotel.
Artists gatherer together for a workshop held at the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel to engage other creatives and connect
the artist in residency program to the surrounding community.
Selected each year by 8th Ave. Gallery, the artist chosen for the programme is challenged to use Dubai
and the Middle Eastern culture as their inspiration to produce a body of work based on their experience
living in the city in just 11 weeks. The latest talent to be selected for the third edition of the
programme is Polish Artist Dominique Kirk who will get to live, work and create her collection in her
very own private studio at Jumeirah Creekside Hotel.
New for WAD 2023
Management of the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Andy Cuthbert and Nandana Wirasinha, along with 8th Ave. Gallery’s
Director Seth Benzel celebrate the opening reception for the first artist in resident Sabrina
Pohl from Stuttgart, Germany.
This year, WAD has partnered with the Artist in Residency programme so even more art fans and collectors
can experience and enjoy the artwork created through the initiative. As part of the collaboration, WAD
will also host the Artist in Residency booth for the first time ever, so you can meet the artists from
the programme during the four-day fair.
The booth will feature the collections created by the two artists who have taken part in the programme
since its inception, German Artist, Sabrina Pohl and Spanish Artist Paula Blanco. Not to be missed
during your visit to WAD 2023, the works on display will take you on each artist's experimental journeys
and will show how they translated and incorporated the colours and shapes of the city into their own
individual styles.
Seth Benzel, 8th Ave. Gallery’s Owner and the Artist in Residency Program Director told
WAD -
“The artists we select to take part in the programme have never visited Dubai before, making
it a great opportunity for them to immerse themselves in the Middle East’s art scene and be
inspired by a totally new landscape. It also gives them a new lease of creative freedom to
experiment and develop their skills with new concepts and materials. Having a studio in Jumeirah
Creekside Hotel and being surrounded by a collection of over 480 incredible works is also a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
When we asked Seth Benzel about the type of work we can expect to see emerge from the programme
he said -
“Seeing the effects that Dubai has on the artist’s work is truly something special.
Before the programme, Paula Blanco’s style involved the use of brown, grey and black only to
create her signature collages and the body of work she produced on the programme couldn’t have
been any different. This use of colour came out of nowhere - she’d never used colour before -
and the work she created for her Artist in Residency collection featured a whole spectrum of bright
colours and designs that exploded with inspiration from the city.”
The winner of the fourth residency will be awarded to a deserving artist exhibiting at this year’s
WAD by Seth Benzel, 8th Ave. Gallery’s Owner and the Program Director. The artist selected for the
October 2023 residency will be officially announced on 12th March at the World Art Dubai award
ceremonies.
Tickets are now on sale for WAD 2023. Get yours here