Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam is pleased to invite you to the presentation of RED A.i.R., the artists-in-residence programme launched in January 2009, in the Red Light District of Amsterdam.

Location: SMBA, Rozenstraat 59 in Amsterdam

Date: Tuesday 17 March

Time: doors open at 19:30,

the programme starts at 20:00

Language: English

Admission: free

Since the end of January eight artists have been using several former brothels in the Bergstraat and the Korsjespoortsteeg, in the western part of Amsterdam's city centre, as their studios. The artists are part of RED A.i.R., an artists-in-residence programme in which artists and other cultural practitioners are invited to reflect on the ongoing relation between art practices and the socio-economic development of the city.

The event of this evening presents the current state of work in RED A.i.R., with an introduction by curator Angela Serino, who will describe the aims and the framework of the project, and a presentation by the resident artists Laurence Aëgerter, Mounira Al Solh, Alexis Blake, Egle Budvytyte, Francesca Grilli, Achim Lengerer, Ahmet Ögüt and Niels Vis. The artists have compiled found footage, recorded interviews, excerpts from documentaries and existing soundtracks to introduce their research topics and outline their plans for the residency period.

Concepts of transparency and levitation, investigation of scripting processes and of political icons are some of the themes touched during the night. These topics will reveal the artists? different ways of addressing the specific location of the project and its public dimension, as well as show their individual positions in relation to the commissioner?s expectations and requests.

RED A.i.R. consists of a residency stay and an international visitor programme, a series of events and a final presentation during the course of this year. The project was initiated by the City of Amsterdam and housing corporation De Key/Principaal, in collaboration with Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam and Kunstenaars&Co.

The next event of RED A.i.R.:

Open Studios, Friday and Saturday, March 20-21, at 11:00 - 18:00.

For more information, visit www.redlightartamsterdam.nl