SAF announces new writing fellowship about contemporary art

PARA explores what it means to be alongside of, to move towards, to stand against or to wander beyond. It speaks to the sense of adjacency and expansiveness inherent to art writing––at once close to a subject while also broadening its scope across intersecting cultural fields. Seeking to interrogate established approaches to art criticism, PARA foregrounds situated practices that attend to diverse forms of criticality.

The programme offers material, communal and institutional support to five fellows, selected through an open call. Shortlisted candidates will have an opportunity to publish two pieces of art criticism; engage in biweekly online sessions led by established art writers and critics; attend a fully funded, week-long programme of visits and gatherings in Sharjah; and develop relationships with fellow writers, editors, publishers and academics, fostering collaborative and transnational networks.

PARA will engage fellows in collective discussions informed by histories and specificities in the region that also contribute to ongoing conversations about art and criticism internationally. The programme aims to cultivate a vibrant community of practitioners where diverse voices can speak to one another to reimagine and invigorate art discourse.