The development and expansion of the A.I.Rs has been commonly explained as a process that goes from the West to the rest. Initiatives that promote mobility, cultural exchange and hospitality through artistic practices and beyond have also a long tradition in the Arab region. The NACMM is an attempt to rethink A.I.Rs history from an Arab perspective in order to develop a new understanding of the richness and potentialities of A.I.Rs framed by a trans-cultural approach to creative production.

The A.I.R sector in North Africa is as heterogeneous as the counties and cultures that shape the region. Some A.I.R Programs do not have a structured format but adapt to the particular necessities of artists and researchers and most importantly react to the socio-cultural contexts they grow into.

The map you are about to explore is a cartographic exercise that shows the richness and diversity of A.I.Rs in the region. Complemented by the different sections of the NACMM online platform, this map wants to portray the traditions and contradictions, interests and imbalances of cultural mobility in the region today.