Beirut Art Residency
Beirut Art Residency (BAR) is an artist-run interdisciplinary residency based in Beirut, Lebanon.
History and Program
Beirut Art Residency (BAR) was founded in 2015 by Amar A. Zahr. The space is constantly active, offering a two-month residency programme to as many as four artists at a time. The artist-in-residence program aims to stimulate creativity through interaction with the local environment, artists and cultural institutions, and seeks to foster cross-cultural relations between participants and the local artistic community in Beirut.[1]The program strives to instigate dialogue between artists from various disciplines including: Visual Arts, Concept & Theory, Design, Film & Video, Installation, Music & Sound, Performance, Photography and Curatorial research.[2]
Residencies are typically removed from the city and isolated, so setting up the space in the middle of Beirut serves a different purpose. BAR aims to build their own community through interaction and engagement, providing a platform for communication and exchange between the invited artists and the Lebanese art scene.[3] With BAR’s relatively short-term program, more artists are able to benefit.
The BAR team is made up of artists of all backgrounds providing residents with support from multidisciplinary team.
The selection is made by the founder Amar A. Zahr and a jury made up of international art practitioners including artist Ziad Antar, The Third Line gallery co-founder and director Sunny Rahbar, Protocinema founder Mari Spirito, Art Historian/Photographer Gregory Buchakjian and Curator/Writer Myriam Ben Salah.[4] On the advisory board of the organization sit Canvas Magazine founder Ali Khadra, Middle Eastern Art collector Khaled Jalanbo,
BAR is located in Gemmayze, Beirut's bohemian quarter dotted with art galleries and cultural centers.[5]
Past residents
- Phase I (September - October 2015): Sara Naim Athier Mousawi
- Phase II (October - November 2015): Ivana Ivkovic Lucienne Bestall Pierre Dalpé
- Phase III (January - February 2016): Ibi Ibrahim Lara Ögel Evelyn Simons
- Phase IV (April - May 2016): Mary Ann Peters, Naomi Moser, Amor Herrera
- Phase V (June - July 2016): Dexter Davey, Isaac Blease, Sumiah Salloum, Asiya Alsharabi
- Phase VI (September - October 2016): Gianna Dispenza, Darryl Westly
- Phase VII (November - December 2016): Rehan Miskci, Nicolas Courdy, Ragnheidur Gestsdottir
Local Collaborations
- 'Safe Sounds II' a progressive sound installation in collaboration with Ziad Antar
- 'Untitled' a live performance by musician/sound artist Charbel Haber
- 'Aftertaste' exhibition of works by emerging Lebanese artist Christopher Rizkallah