A new era of digital artistry is taking shape in Saudi Arabia, as Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) announces the 12 trailblazing artists selected for its inaugural Emerging New Media Artists Programme. This initiative, set to launch later this year, serves as a talent incubator, positioning the Kingdom at the forefront of global contemporary art.
Over the course of a year, these artists will have access to cutting-edge technology, production budgets that enable boundless creativity, and mentorship from the world’s foremost digital innovators. Beyond being a learning experience, this programme, fully funded and designed in collaboration with France’s Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains, is a crucible for the radical reimagining of art in the digital age.
The selected cohort reflects an eclectic blend of disciplines and backgrounds, each artist an innovator in their own right. From Egypt’s Salma Aly, whose interactive art invites viewers to become co-creators, to Algerian-French Samia Dzaïr, a master of 2D and stop-motion animation that disrupts the boundaries of visual storytelling, these artists are unshackled by convention.
Local talent takes center stage as well, with Saudi Arabia represented by the likes of Khaled Makshoush, whose pixel art reconfigures retro aesthetics into sharp social commentary, and Turki AlQahtani, a media artist and filmmaker weaving Arab identity into modern digital expressions.
International voices add further depth to the programme: William Brooks (Wales) pushes the limits of sound art, turning physical objects into sonic landscapes, while Haonan He (China) merges digital technology with ancient cartography, creating ethereal, map-like instruments that challenge our perception of space and time.
Pioneers like Dhia Dhibi from Tunisia, whose work traverses art, research, and curation, and Jordanian artist Aya Abu Ghazaleh stretch the conceptual boundaries of their mediums. The programme also welcomes Youssef El Idrissi from Morocco and and Kyle Donald Marais from South Africa.
Rounding out this cadre of creatives is Bahraini artist Mohamed Al Mubarak, a documentary filmmaker whose lens captures raw, unvarnished realities, and Saudi Arabia’s Almuqawil Meshal, an artist-curator whose practice bridges the old and the new, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the region while embracing future-facing artistry.
Set against the backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Diriyah, the programme promises to challenge norms, explode traditional art forms, and empower these creative disruptors to leave their mark on the world stage.
