{"id":14321,"date":"2024-12-20T20:05:06","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T20:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/?p=14321"},"modified":"2024-12-20T20:05:06","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T20:05:06","slug":"diriyah-art-futures-the-first-new-media-art-center-in-the-middle-east-and-north-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/?p=14321","title":{"rendered":"Diriyah Art Futures, the first new media art center in the Middle East and North Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tDiriyah Art Futures, the first institution dedicated to new media art in the Middle East and North Africa, has officially opened its doors to the public. Located in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia\u2019s capital, Diriyah Art Futures is an international center founded with the mission of diversifying the emerging field of new media arts by amplifying the voices of practitioners in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tHaytham Nawar, Director of Art Futures in Diriyah, said: \u201cThe opening of Art Futures in Diriyah represents a milestone in the development narrative of new media arts as we finally bring a Middle Eastern and North African perspective to the &#8220;DAF will be a hub for critical engagement and innovation at the intersection of art and technology, pushing creative boundaries and imagining new futures.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tThe launch of DAF is accompanied by a series of public events, headlined by the opening of its first exhibition &#8220;Art Must Be Artificial: Artificial Intelligence Perspectives in the Visual Arts&#8221;, which runs until February 15, 2025. Covering art from the 1960s to the present day, the exhibition is a bold statement of DAF\u2019s mission statement and a declaration of its sincerity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-full alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:100%; max-width:1000px;\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((563\/1000)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Leonel-Moura_ARS-Art-Robot-Swarm-2024_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-1_.jpg?w=400\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Leonel-Moura_ARS-Art-Robot-Swarm-2024_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-1_.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Leonel-Moura_ARS-Art-Robot-Swarm-2024_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-1_.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Leonel-Moura_ARS-Art-Robot-Swarm-2024_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-1_.jpg?resize=125,70 125w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Leonel-Moura_ARS-Art-Robot-Swarm-2024_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-1_.jpg?resize=681,383 681w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Leonel-Moura_ARS-Art-Robot-Swarm-2024_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-1_.jpg?resize=450,253 450w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Leonel-Moura_ARS-Art-Robot-Swarm-2024_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-1_.jpg?resize=250,140 250w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Leonel-Moura_ARS-Art-Robot-Swarm-2024_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-1_.jpg?resize=296,166 296w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Leonel-Moura_ARS-Art-Robot-Swarm-2024_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-1_.jpg?resize=248,139 248w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"563\" width=\"1000\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lrv-u-font-size-14@desktop\">Leonel Moura ARS (Art Robotics Group), 2024<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-color-grey\">Courtesy of Diriyah Art Future\u00a9<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\t\u201cArt Must Be Artificial\u201d is curated by J\u00e9r\u00f4me Neutres, former director of the National Museum of the Grand Palais in Paris, and features works by Frieder Nake, Refik Anadol and Vera Works by more than 30 avant-garde artists including Vera Molnar, as well as Saudi artists Lulwa Al-Homoud and Muhannad Shono, and other artists from the Middle East and North Africa region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tThe opening week of DAF also featured multi-day seminars on geometric abstraction (taught by Al-Homoud) and the role of generative artificial intelligence (led by groundbreaking artist Leonel Moura), as well as exhibition tours and audiovisual concerts designed and performed by artists Davide Quaiola. Public conversations with Leonardo Dellanoce and Louis-Philippe Demers are planned for the remainder of the year, with further workshops, masterclasses, performances and film screenings planned for early 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tThe opening of Art Futures in Diriyah reflects Saudi Arabia\u2019s ambition to become a global hub for innovation as part of the Vision 2030 framework, an ambitious enterprise to strengthen the Kingdom\u2019s economy globally status and enhance its status as a cradle of creativity and creativity. Technological innovation through multi-industry initiatives rooted in Saudi culture and heritage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-full alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:100%; max-width:1000px;\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((563\/1000)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lulwah-Al-Homoud_-Perpetual-Codes-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures.jpg?w=400\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lulwah-Al-Homoud_-Perpetual-Codes-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lulwah-Al-Homoud_-Perpetual-Codes-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lulwah-Al-Homoud_-Perpetual-Codes-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures.jpg?resize=125,70 125w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lulwah-Al-Homoud_-Perpetual-Codes-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures.jpg?resize=681,383 681w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lulwah-Al-Homoud_-Perpetual-Codes-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures.jpg?resize=450,253 450w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lulwah-Al-Homoud_-Perpetual-Codes-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures.jpg?resize=250,140 250w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lulwah-Al-Homoud_-Perpetual-Codes-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures.jpg?resize=296,166 296w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lulwah-Al-Homoud_-Perpetual-Codes-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures.jpg?resize=248,139 248w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"563\" width=\"1000\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lrv-u-font-size-14@desktop\">Lulwah Al-Homoud Permanent Code, 2022<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-color-grey\">Courtesy of Diriyah Art Future\u00a9<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tMona Khazindar, advisor to the Saudi Ministry of Culture, said: \u201cThe establishment of the DAF by the Museums Committee, one of the 11 specific departments of the Saudi Ministry of Culture, is a testament to our country\u2019s efforts to cultivate talent and pioneer new formats. Creative Expression. Through global institutions like DAF, we are developing a cultural ecosystem that fosters creativity, enriches lives and empowers the next generation of artists and scholars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tThe launch also marks the latest achievement in a long-term effort by the Saudi government and Diriyah Company to revitalize Diriyah. Diriyah Corporation is a public investment fund committed to advancing this initiative under the auspices of Vision 2030. Located along the fertile Hanifa Valley northwest of Riyadh, this historic city served as Saudi Arabia&#8217;s first capital from 1727 to 1818.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tAs Riyadh developed into a modern capital, Diriyah was largely abandoned for more than a hundred years until residents began returning to the area in the mid-20th century. Over the next few decades, private repopulation efforts snowballed into a full-fledged, state-funded project aimed at preserving the city&#8217;s historic status and rebranding the area as an attractive cultural and business destination. Since 2010, At-Turaif, the historic district of Diriyah where DAF is located, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tWith striking modern forms and a natural earthy appearance reminiscent of the mudbrick buildings of the old city, DAF&#8217;s facility embodies the fusion between Diriyah&#8217;s historical significance and its ambitious vision for the future. Designed by Italian architect Schiattarella Associati, the 129,000-square-foot campus features cutting-edge exhibition areas, studios, digital labs, residential areas, libraries and auditoriums. This is not just a computer arts museum; It is an active forum for artists, academics and technicians to collaborate and promote the development of this rapidly evolving medium.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-full alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:100%; max-width:1000px;\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((563\/1000)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Miguel-Chevalier_-Digital-Zelliges-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-3.jpg?w=400\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Miguel-Chevalier_-Digital-Zelliges-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-3.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Miguel-Chevalier_-Digital-Zelliges-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-3.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Miguel-Chevalier_-Digital-Zelliges-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-3.jpg?resize=125,70 125w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Miguel-Chevalier_-Digital-Zelliges-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-3.jpg?resize=681,383 681w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Miguel-Chevalier_-Digital-Zelliges-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-3.jpg?resize=450,253 450w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Miguel-Chevalier_-Digital-Zelliges-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-3.jpg?resize=250,140 250w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Miguel-Chevalier_-Digital-Zelliges-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-3.jpg?resize=296,166 296w, https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Miguel-Chevalier_-Digital-Zelliges-2022_-Courtesy-of-Diriyah-Art-Futures-3.jpg?resize=248,139 248w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"563\" width=\"1000\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-font-size-12 lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lrv-u-font-size-14@desktop\">Miguel Chevalier Digital Zeligs, 2022<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-color-grey\">Courtesy of Diriyah Art Future\u00a9<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tTo this end, DAF also highlights its advocacy for stewarding the next generation of talent and promoting the creative voices of regional practitioners through a range of programs and residencies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tThe Emerging New Media Artists Program is a one-year course designed to provide forward-thinking young artists with training for careers in new media arts. Developed in conjunction with the French art center Le Fresnoy&#8217;s National Studio of Contemporary Art, the course includes weekly lectures, seminars, screenings and seminars with leading artists, as well as an environment for creating work across disciplines. Participants\u2019 creative efforts are further supported through funding, mentorship, and access to the facility\u2019s state-of-the-art equipment and production space. The first batch consists of 12 young artists from 11 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tMeanwhile, the Mazra&#8217;ah Media Arts Residency Program is open to renowned artists and academics working in the fields of new media and digital arts and will run from February to April 2025. The theme of the first residency is \u201cHigh-Resolution Dreams Sand\u201d and encourages participants to create new works or scholarship that consider the intersection between ecology and human civilization through the dual lenses of art and technology. The theme DAF&#8217;s proximity to the historic Diriyah landscape and the rapidly developing Saudi capital is also explored. Like participants in the Emerging New Media Artists Program, residents will gain access to DAF facilities and equipment, production budgets and display work. opportunities for support.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tApplication deadline for the Mazra&#8217;ah Media Arts Residency is January 20, 2025<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ a-font-body-m     \">\n<p>\tFor more information about the future of Diriyah Arts, visit daf.moc.gov.sa\/en\/ or follow DAF on X (@DAFmoc) and Instagram @DAFmoc.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artnews.com\/art-news\/sponsored-content\/diriyah-art-futures-2-mena-regions-first-hub-new-media-arts-opens-public-1234726674\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Diriyah Art Futures, the first institution dedicated to new media art in the Middle East and North Africa, has officially opened its doors to the public. Located in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia\u2019s capital, Diriyah Art Futures is an international center founded with the mission of diversifying the emerging field<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-artist"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14321"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14331,"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14321\/revisions\/14331"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artoday.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}