Artistic Development Program 2025
Applications are now closed.
Artists are invited to apply for the 2025 cycle of the Artistic Development Program. Open to UAE-based early to mid-career artists and creative practitioners, this program offers recipients a 10,000 AED participation grant and guidance from experienced art educators, interlocutors, and curators to produce a new body of work that will be presented in a solo exhibition in 2025. The program focuses on the conceptual development, realization, and production of exhibition with scheduled group crits and discussion circles to support artists selected for the program.
The program accepts ambitious project proposals that will grow to occupy Gallery 1 in 421. Each cycle of the program accepts three participating artists, who will be given the opportunity to select an interlocutor of their choice to support them through the process of developing their project. With this support, the artists will develop their exhibition from ideation to installation, production of text materials, and a public program that is organized in response to the ideas and themes presented in their exhibition.
This program aims to provide UAE-based emerging artists with the opportunity to sustain a rigorous art practice, allowing them the space to continue to experiment. Prospective applicants are advised to review the application requirements early in their preparation process.
Examples of this program’s outcomes include the exhibitions Hana El-Sagini: Counting Fingers, Asma Belhamar: Solid Void, Mahshid Rafiei: Of Mythic Proportions, Mohamed Khalid: Let me tell you something, Jill Magi: Weft in Pencil, and Ammar Al Attar: Out of Range.
The program emphasizes the professional and creative development of participating artists and awards them a AED10,000 participation grant and financial and logistical production support.
Applications are accepted from January 25 until March 4, 2024.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the application requirements and submit their applications through the online form by March 4.
Applications are only accepted through our online application form. Applications submitted via regular mail or email will not be accepted.