Our story starts with the tale of two men. The first one is just arriving in Damascus at the turn of the 7th century after a long trip through the Syrian desert. The second is setting up for an expedition towards the desertic lands of the Maghrebian Rif mountains at the turn of the 21st. At a first glance, these two men might not seem to have much in common. While the story will unfold though, we will see how both are part of a common journey: the unpacking of a new way of understanding art residencies and their history…