Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Cuadro Gallery Welcome Artist-in-Residence Olivia Arthur

Acclaimed Magnum Photographer to Spend Three Months Living and Working in Dubai

Dubai, UAE – October 6, 2013 – Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in partnership with Cuadro Gallery welcome photographer Olivia Arthur to Fairmont The Palm for a three-month residency from September to December. Fairmont has partnered with Cuadro to host artists participating in the gallery’s longstanding residency programme, which has brought 12 international artists to the UAE over the past five years. The residency is also a major component of Fairmont’s art@fairmont programme, during which Olivia will live and work inside the property to provide guests with a distinctive opportunity to view firsthand, her work, inspired by the cultural landscape of Dubai and the UAE.

Olivia hails from London, UK where she grew up and studied photojournalism at the London College of Printing. She began working as a photographer in 2003 after moving to Delhi, India and living there for over two years. Starting in 2006, Olivia began working on a photo series about women and the East-West cultural divide. Olivia traveled to the borders between Europe and Asia, Iran and Saudi Arabia for the project. Her first book, Jeddah Diary, about young women in Saudi Arabia, was published in 2012. Olivia is also a member of legendary photo agency Magnum Photos, alongside such celebrated photographers as Martin Parr and the late Henri Cartier-Bresson.

“During my tenure in Dubai, I will be producing a series that explores the boundaries between fantasy and reality. I will explore Dubai through the eyes of a fictional character who in their innocence and naivety marvels at the strange and sometimes incredible world before them,” said Olivia Arthur.

Visitors to Fairmont The Palm will have a ‘sneak peak’ into Olivia’s world and artistic process during weekly open studio days. Olivia will have a private and public studio on the property, filled with sketches and smaller prints which will be on view pending her editing process. During the open studio, Olivia will share her current progress with visitors and answer questions about her artwork and experiences in the region.

“We are excited to welcome Olivia to Dubai and provide space at Fairmont The Palm for her to document her exploration of the region. The art@fairmont programme was developed following a survey that found that over half of travelers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt are interested in engaging with artists during their stay,” said Martin van Kan, General Manager, Fairmont The Palm. “By hosting an artist in partnership with Cuadro, Fairmont is able to provide guests with a unique opportunity to interact first-hand with an acclaimed artist experiencing and inspired by the UAE.”

“The residency programme is one of Cuadro’s key areas of focus in the region. Olivia’s experience in the Middle East and interest in dynamically capturing the landscapes of the UAE will provide an excellent platform to engage with guests at Fairmont The Palm,” said Roberto Lopardo, Director, Cuadro Gallery. “Cuadro thanks Fairmont for their support and partnership in the residency programme, and we look forward to engaging with tourists and the local community about art in the region.”

As part of the partnership, monthly lectures will be scheduled at Fairmont The Palm, Fairmont Dubai and Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi. Cuadro will lead the talks to provide guests with an understanding on the art landscape in the region, methods behind creating and designing artwork, through panels of industry experts.

Activities for guests throughout the residency include:
Weekly Open Studio Days: In-progress artwork will be displayed in Olivia’s open studio inside Fairmont The Palm. Olivia will be on-site to answer questions and talk about her work.
Every Thursday starting 10th October, from 12pm-6pm
Monthly Educational Talks: Cuadro will give a lecture to guests on relevant art topics in the region. Full schedule to be announced.

Olivia will reside in Dubai until December 15th. Additional information about Olivia’s residency and scheduled activities will be announced throughout the duration of Olivia’s stay. Guests can contact Fairmont The Palm at +971-4-457-3388 for information or bookings, or visit
http://www.fairmont.com/palm-dubai/ or http://www.fairmont.com/promotions/art-at-fairmont/

About Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a celebrated collection of more than 65 luxury properties around the globe, including Shanghai’s Fairmont Peace Hotel, The Plaza in New York, and Makkah Clock Royal Tower in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The luxury brand’s distinctive hotels offer a sense of heritage and sophistication, warm, engaging service and culturally rich experiences. Fairmont balances the company’s economic, environmental and social priorities and provides the framework for responsible hotel operations through the Sustainability Partnership program.  Fairmont is owned by FRHI Holdings Limited, a leading global hotel company with over 105 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel branded luxury private residence clubs, whole-ownership residences and serviced residences properties.  For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit fairmont.com.

About Cuadro Gallery
Founded in 2008, Cuadro Gallery, located in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), has quickly become one of the UAE’s premier contemporary and modern art venues. Each year, Cuadro assembles a substantial Middle East focused and globally relevant. Each exhibition centers on a significant educational paradigm that is accompanied with lectures, workshops and panel discussions. In addition, Cuadro provides qualified art consultation services for its discerning collectors, offers an international platform for its stable of artists, and administers an extensive Residency Program for a select group of artists. Through these initiatives, Cuadro maintains its commitment to dynamically engage and add value to the local and international art communities. For more information please visit http://www.cuadroart.com/

About Magnum Photos
Magnum Photos is a photographic co-operative of great diversity and distinction owned by its photographer members. With powerful individual vision, Magnum photographers chronicle the world and interpret its peoples events, issues and personalities. Through its four editorial offices in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo, and a network of fifteen sub-agents, Magnum Photos provides photographs to the press, publishers, advertising, television, galleries and museums across the world. www.magnumphotos.com

About Olivia Arthur
Olivia was born in London and grew up in the UK. She studied mathematics at Oxford University and photojournalism at the London College of Printing. She began working as a photographer in 2003 after moving to Delhi and was based in India for two and a half years. In 2006 she left for Italy to take up a one-year residency with Fabrica, during which she began working on a series about women and the East-West cultural divide. This work has taken her to the border between Europe and Asia, Iran and Saudi Arabia. She has recieved support from the Inge Morath Award, the National Media Museum, OjodePez-PhotoEspana Award for Human Values. In 2010 she co-founded Fishbar, a space for photography in London with Philipp Ebeling. Her first book Jeddah Diary, about young women in Saudi Arabia, was published in 2012. She continues to return to India – where her long-term work has been supported by a grant from the Fondation Jean-Luc Lagadere in Paris – and to work in London where she lives. http://www.oliviaarthur.com/