Learn about Olympic Heritage | Artists in Residence eminent international jury.
The jury seeks proposals that push the boundaries of how audiences experience the Olympic Games by bringing together the creative power of digital art with the Olympic Games’ historic and cultural significance.
Through the Open Call, an esteemed international jury will select two digital artists based on their creativity, technical skill, and the strength of their ideas for the two-month residency.
The Olympic Heritage | Artists in Residence jury is composed of the following distinguished experts:
Khalifa Al Obaidly is a prominent Qatari photographer and a leading figure in Qatar’s art and museum scene. As a director of the Fire Station’s Artist in Residence programme within Qatar Museums (QM), he nurtures local talent and fosters global artistic connections. He also serves as the Director of the Tasweer Photo Festival, amplifying the voices of young artists across the WANA region.
Originally trained as a marine biologist, his passion for underwater photography led him to visual storytelling. His work captures the essence of Qatari tradition and culture, focusing on the deep ties between land and sea. He has contributed to prestigious projects such as the Qatar National Museum Aquarium and the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA).
Nita M. Ambani is a philanthropist, businesswoman, sports enthusiast, patron of the arts, and champion of women and children. She is the Founder Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, which drives various philanthropic initiatives across India. She is the first Indian woman to be elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). She is co-owner of Mumbai Indians, one of the most successful cricket teams in the Indian Premier League, and the Founder Chairperson of Football Sports Development Limited, that launched the Indian Super League. She is the Founder Chairperson of the Jio Institute, a world-class centre for delivering post-graduate programmes in Sports Management, Media Management and Artificial Intelligence. She also founded the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, which in under 2 years has hosted over 6000 artists and 2 million guests from India and all over the world. Mrs. Ambani is also an Honorary Trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Rachel Falconer is a digital art curator, academic and founder of the curatorial collective Mutable Prototype Syndicate. She is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Digital Arts Computing at Goldsmiths University London, exploring the intersection of contemporary art, emerging technologies, and networked culture.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for artists working with digital and immersive media to critically engage with the world of sports culture and the Olympic legacy.” Rachel Falconer
With experience in film, gaming, and advertising, Rachel has developed interdisciplinary curatorial platforms and public programming, alternative exhibition models, residencies and innovative public research platforms in an international context spanning diverse modes of engagement with technology.
An RSA Fellow and co-director of the Process-Iteration-Modelling Network at Goldsmiths University, she participates in public programmes and jury panels at institutions including The New Museum, Tate Modern, the Barbican Centre, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), the Victoria and Albert museum (V&A), Somerset House Studios, Sonar +D, Lumen Prize, Whitechapel Gallery, Coleccion SOLO, and Arebyte Gallery. She has published across platforms including Routledge, Sternberg Press, The Guardian, Frieze, BOMB magazine, Dazed Digital, The British Journal of Photography and The White Review.
Susan Hayward is the deputy director of the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (QOSM), where she manages the Collections, Conservation and Digital departments. She is a strategic lead on collections development, the care and management of the museum’s physical and digital collections ranging from fine and decorative art, archaeology, oral history recordings, athlete clothing, memorabilia and Olympic torches and medals. She also oversees the AV productions in the museum’s galleries.
“This unique residency provides artists with unparalleled access to museum collections, mentorship, expert support and resources to create innovative, boundary-pushing digital art inspired by Olympic heritage.” Susan Hayward
Previously as a museum director in the UK for 25 years, Susan secured strategic partnerships and oversaw major exhibitions projects and capital developments. A Fellow of the Museums Association, she has also worked as a curator, contemporary art producer and special advisor and exhibition lead to the South African National War Museum, France.
Jonathan Kearney is an accomplished artist, researcher and educator leading the MA Fine Art Digital programme at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. Since 2004, he pioneered world-class online education, overseeing the longest running online fine art master’s course globally.
With extensive international experience, including time in China, Jonathan has exhibited his work and curated exhibitions in a wide variety of settings from artist-run spaces to major institutions. His art blends physical and digital realms, with recent projects incorporating print, canvas, and augmented reality.
An eight-time recipient of the University of the Arts London Teaching Award, he is recognised for his outstanding contributions to student education.
As the Associate Director of the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, Yasmin Meichtry leads the Heritage Unit and drives the Olympic Museum’s international development. She forges strategic partnerships, oversees the promotion, communication, and digital expansion of the foundation. She also manages the Olympic collections, ensuring their acquisition, conservation, and global visibility.
Before joining the Olympic world, Yasmin was the director of the Foundation Suisse in Paris, and served as counsellor for higher education, research, and innovation in the Swiss diplomatic services. She also has extensive experience as a film publicist and production advisor.
Britt Salvesen is curator and head of the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department and the Prints & Drawings Department at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Prior to joining LACMA in 2009, she was director and chief curator at the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. She received her MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art and her PhD from the University of Chicago.
Her curatorial projects at LACMA include Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium (with Paul Martineau, 2016); 3D: Double Vision (2018); and City of Cinema: Paris, 1850–1907 (with Leah Lehmbeck and Vanessa R. Schwartz, 2022). Her most recent exhibition, Digital Witness: Revolutions in Design, Photography, and Film, co-curated with Staci Steinberger, is on view through 13 July 2025, as part of the Getty Foundation’s Pacific Standard Time: Art + Science Collide.