Saudi artist Alaa Tarabzouni and Omani Rawan AlMahrouqi have been selected to participate in a world-renowned digital arts residency called ‘Making Marks: Connect ME Digital Residency’, taking place this August. Hosted by the Arab British Center, the initiative aims at uplifting and connecting Gulf countries and the United Kingdom through virtual artistic collaborations, as the world still navigates the COVID-19 crisis.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDdpnXjB2hF/

Alaa is set to join hands with Irish artist Ellie Niblock this month, while Rawan is paired with Alexis Maxwell from Merseyside. Together, the artists will partake in workshops and meet fellow creatives from around the globe over a period of four weeks. They’ll also attend critique sessions and benefit from mentors, with access to visiting artists to create their digital artworks.

“The residency comes at a time when it isn’t purely reactive to the physical limitations brought about by the pandemic. Rather, the format for the residency is extremely thoughtful and fits so well with the conscious use of technology to transcend borders and allow for cultural exchange,” Alaa said in a statement to the Gulf News. 

Alaa Tarabzouni and Rawan AlMahrouqi (from left to right)

Alaa’s work centers around urbanism and her most recent work, Bait Al Wurud, was showcased at Durational Portrait at Athr Gallery in Jeddah and The Quest for Our Next Concern in Riyadh. Rawan is a multidisciplinary contemporary artist  whose work is a commentary on the female experience in the Arabian region and the thin line between tradition and religion.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2wwR9XDOzq/?utm_source=ig_embed

The artists have been connecting through digital tools and by sending cultural objects to each other, as part of this superb diversity initiative. The resulting artworks could be anything, from an augmented reality experience to a short film to a zine or a live performance, so stay tuned.

Images credit: @atarabzo and Arab British Centre