Diriyah Art Futures to position Riyadh as a global hub for new media

 

Diriyah Art Futures announces artists for inaugural Emerging New Media Artists Program

Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), a groundbreaking new media arts center located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Diriyah, has announced the selection of 12 artists for its inaugural Emerging New Media Artists Program, set to launch later this year. The program aims to position Riyadh as a global hub for new media art and foster creativity across art, technology, and academia.

The year-long, fully funded program offers participants access to state-of-the-art equipment, a production budget, learning opportunities with international specialists, and mentorship from renowned digital artists. The selected artists come from diverse backgrounds, with strong representation from Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

 

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The inaugural cohort includes:

• Salma Aly (Egypt) – Interactive art specialist.
• Samia Dzaïr (Algeria-France) – 2D and stop-motion animator.
• Aya Abu Ghazaleh (Jordan) – Visual artist and art therapist.
• Dhia Dhibi (Tunisia) – Multidisciplinary artist, curator, and researcher.
• Khaled Makshoush (Saudi Arabia) – Pixel art specialist.
• William Brooks (Wales) – Sound artist exploring physical objects.
• Haonan He (China) – Combines cartography, instrument making, and digital tech.
• Turki Al-Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) – Media artist and filmmaker with Arab motifs.
• Youssef El Idrissi (Morocco) – Multidisciplinary artist and cultural researcher.
• Kyle Donald Marais (South Africa) – XR developer and creative technologist.
• Mohamed Al Mubarak (Bahrain) – Documentary filmmaker and video artist.
• Almuqawil Meshal (Saudi Arabia) – Independent artist and curator.

In collaboration with Le Fresnoy-Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France, the program reflects a broader partnership between Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture and Diriyah Company. DAF’s mission is to merge art, science, and technology, establishing itself as the first center dedicated to new media and digital arts in the MENA region.

The center also serves as a collaborative space for creators worldwide, focusing on research, documentation, and the production of innovative works. In addition to its artist residency programs, DAF will host public events and educational programs to enrich the Saudi art scene and enhance the Kingdom’s status as a global destination for new media art.

 

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Through these initiatives, DAF aims to showcase the talents of regional artists, allowing them to make impactful contributions at the intersection of art, science, and technology.

Source: https://english.aawsat.com/