Diriyah Art Futures Opens Its Doors

Feb. 14, 2025

Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) was launched on November 26th in the Saudi-Arabian city of the same name. A partnership of the Saudi Museums Commission and Diriyah Company, DAF sets out to be a hub for New Media Arts by joining regional talent with international pioneers in art, technology and innovation. The center is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Diriyah and aims at fostering collaborative creation between artists, scholars and technologists alike. DAF is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, such as digital labs, studios and exhibition spaces.

In celebration of the institute’s launch, the exhibition ‘Art Must Be Artificial: Perspectives of AI in the Visual Arts’ is on view until February 15th, 2025. Jérôme Neutres curated a show that explores the history of computer art from the 1960s to the present day. It features works by more than 30 artists, regional and international, such as Frieder Nake, Vera Molnar, Refik Anadol, Ryoji Ikeda, Lulwah Alhomoud, Muhannad Shono and Nasser Alshemimry.

Diriyah Arts Futures is a New Media Arts institution located in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site // Photo by Mohamed Somji, 2023

In addition, DAF is launching the Emerging New Media Artists Programme. This year-long initiative, a collaboration with Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France, provides young interdisciplinary artists with sophisticated equipment, mentorship and funding. Parallel to this, the Mazra’ah Media Art Residency—which is aimed at established artists and scholars who reflect on the relationship between nature, technology and society—will run from February to April 2025.

The launch of Diriyah Art Futures is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program. It is the first New Media Art center of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It seeks to nurture creative expression in the region and bring regional perspectives to a global stage.

Exhibition Info