Diriyah Art Futures

Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), the MENA region’s first hub dedicated to New Media and Digital Art, has announced a call for applications to its inaugural Mazra’ah Media Art Residency for experienced artists and scholars.

Running from February to April 2025, the three-month residency comprises two distinct streams for artists and scholars, established in the fields of New Media and Digital Arts. Designed to foster innovation and intellectual exchange across disciplines, the residency offers participants access to world-class studios and production labs, as well as a production budget.

Work developed during residencies will be showcased through exhibitions, or incorporated into scholarly publications, facilitated by DAF and its network of regional and international partners. There will also be opportunities to secure broader recognition and engagement, through further potential exhibitions, publications and artist monographs. DAF will provide comfortable and inspiring living spaces, while creating opportunities for participants to connect with a diverse network of peers and professionals from across Saudi Arabia and the world.

Set to launch later this year, DAF is a state-of-the-art amalgamation of school, laboratory and exhibition space. Located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Diriyah, the 6,550m2 hub designed by Italian architectural firm Schiattarella Associati brings together artists and technologists at the intersection of past, present and future.

The word ‘Mazra’ah’ means ‘farm’ in Arabic, a reference to DAF’s location overlooking the stunning preserved farms and archaeological sites of Diriyah. Residents will enjoy views of the farms that have provided a crucial source of sustenance since the times of historic Diriyah, the capital of the first Saudi state. They are invited to embrace this creative and scholarly retreat, hidden away from the bustle of daily life, where they can reflect on how the relationships between humans, nature and technology can sustain and enrich life.

The 2025 residency theme, High-Resolution Dreams of Sand, celebrates DAF as a beacon of critical, creative and scholarly development, amplifying regional perspectives in New Media and Digital Art. The theme encourages participants to produce work that engages with the context of DAF’s physical location adjacent to Diriyah’s farms and interrogates the bridge between history and the future, inviting reflections on our human relationship with nature and technology. Residency proposals should resonate with contemporary issues, regional interests and global narratives, especially those emerging from the MENA region and the Global Majority.

Ibrahim Alsanousi, Acting CEO of the Museums Commission, said: “The Mazra’ah Media Art Residency represents Saudi Arabia’s commitment to developing the country’s cultural ecosystem, and transforming Riyadh into a global hub for New Media and Digital Art. Through these efforts, we are establishing the Kingdom as a hub of cultural exchange, pioneering new forms of expression in the heart of one of our most cherished historic districts.”

Dr Haytham Nawar, Director at DAF, said: “This dynamic residency offers established artists and scholars an unparalleled opportunity to develop new creative practices and contribute to global scholarly discussions on New Media Art through a regional perspective. We invite those passionate about these rapidly evolving fields to apply. This is where the impossible comes to life.”

Those applying for the artist stream should be established and practising New Media and Digital artists, working across sound media, visual media, computational, biological, scientific or technology-related methodologies. DAF will also consider established writers, scholars and theorists in New Media and Digital Art, or technology and culture, for the scholars’ track. DAF welcomes applications from across the world and encourages participation from the MENA region.

Interested candidates can find more about criteria and proposals, and apply to the Mazra’ah Media Art Residency until January 20, 2025 using the following link: here.