In the heart of Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the historic birthplace of the Saudi state, a different kind of genesis is taking place.
Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), the Middle East and North Africa’s first dedicated hub for New Media Arts, has launched its inaugural exhibition, CONTINUUM ’25, signalling a bold and sophisticated step in the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving cultural landscape.
Beyond just a simple exhibition opening; the event is the tangible culmination of DAF’s foundational vision. For an experienced observer of cultural shifts in the Gulf, the event had the distinct feel of a cornerstone being laid. The buzzing crowd of artists, cultural leaders, and intrigued members of the public that flocked to the opening were witnessing the first fruits of a year-long, intensive investment in the next generation of creative talent.
CONTINUUM ’25 showcases the work of 11 emerging artists and two mentor artists, all of whom have participated in DAF’s pioneering Emerging New Media Artists programme.
The geographical spread of the artists is telling in itself. Hailing from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Bahrain, Wales, South Korea, and South Africa, the cohort reflects DAF’s ambition to be a global nexus for digital creativity, while deliberately amplifying diverse voices from within the region.
Curated by Irini Papadimitriou, the exhibition is a compelling survey of the concerns preoccupying a new generation of artists.
The works on display, spanning immersive installations, soundscapes, screen-based narratives, virtual reality, and AI-generated art, grapple with profoundly contemporary themes. Memory, identity, displacement, climate ecologies, and the pervasive influence of algorithms are explored not as abstract concepts, but as lived experiences filtered through technology.
The artistic rigour evident in the exhibition is no accident. The emerging artists developed their projects under the mentorship of internationally acclaimed figures, Anna Ridler, known for her work with AI and datasets; Karen Palmer, a pioneer in participatory AI cinema; and Madeline Gannon, who explores human-robot interaction. This mentorship has resulted in artworks that confidently blur the boundaries that once defined art: between the real and the artificial, the human and the machine, the organic and the synthetic.
The exhibition’s opening was punctuated by a panel discussion that cut to the heart of DAF’s mission. Moderated by Wejdan Reda, the conversation between curator Papadimitriou, DAF’s Director of Education Tegan Bristow, and emerging artists Khaled Makhshoush, Dhia Dhibi, and Samia Dzair, explored the evolving nature of artistic practice.
The discussion highlighted a crucial, and perhaps defining, characteristic of new media art: its reliance on multidisciplinary collaboration. Here, the artist is no longer a solitary figure, but often a team leader or collaborator, working in tandem with researchers, programmers, and engineers to bring their vision to life.
This ethos of supported, collaborative production is institutionalised in DAF’s partnership with Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France, a legendary incubator for audiovisual and digital creation.
The Emerging New Media Artists Programme, modelled on this collaboration, provides participants with what many young digital artists can only dream of: access to cutting-edge professional equipment, a production budget, and a structured environment for multidisciplinary learning.
The title, CONTINUUM, is aptly chosen. It reflects the perpetual state of inquiry and evolution that defines both the artistic process and the technology that facilitates it. This exhibition is not a final statement but a progress report, a point on an ongoing journey of creative exploration. It is also the first in a new series of exhibitions at DAF, promising a sustained and critical engagement with the field.
Beyond the gallery walls, CONTINUUM ’25 is accompanied by a rich public programme of workshops and talks, covering everything from AI and VR to digital photography and, in a poignant bridging of traditions, a workshop combining digital design and hand embroidery to explore concepts of ‘home’. This outreach is vital. It demystifies the technology and invites the community to become not just spectators, but participants in this cultural shift.
Set against the ancient mud-brick architecture of Diriyah, DAF represents a powerful synthesis of heritage and hyper-modernity. It is a physical manifestation of the Saudi Ministry of Culture’s dual commitment: to preserve the nation’s unique history while playing a pioneering role in shaping the future of global art practices.
CONTINUUM ’25 is open to the public at Diriyah Art Futures from 13th September to 15th November.
