Diriyah Art Futures Announces First Group For Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency In 2025

Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) has unveiled the first cohort for its inaugural Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency, scheduled from April to July 2025. This initiative, a first in the MENA region, focuses on New Media Arts. It aims to support experimental research and artistic creation by offering participants access to advanced labs and studios, along with showcasing opportunities and a production budget.

The residency invites artists and scholars to explore innovative creative practices, emerging ecologies, speculative futures, and the evolving intersections of land, history, art, and technology. The selected group includes artists Dr. Stanza from the UK, Harshit Agrawal from India, and Saudi Arabian artists Arwa Alneami, Reem Alnasser, and Reem Alfagih. Scholars Mizuho Yamazaki from Japan/France and Anett Holzheid from Germany are also part of this dynamic team.

Participants will work within DAF in Riyadh to develop projects aligned with the 2025 theme "High-Resolution Dreams of Sand." This theme examines how technology influences both natural and constructed landscapes. The residency will conclude with a publication and public engagements at DAF, providing audiences insight into pioneering artistic and research-driven explorations.

The 2025 residency season offers artists and scholars a chance to engage critically with DAF’s unique physical and conceptual contexts. These are set against Diriyah’s historic farms within a city undergoing transformation. The Museums Commission developed DAF to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for New Media and Digital Art while enhancing the region's influence at the intersection of art, science, and technology.

This initiative brings together creative practitioners to explore cutting-edge practices. It aims to amplify Saudi Arabia's role in the global art scene by fostering collaboration between art, science, and technology. The residency provides a platform for participants to engage with these themes critically.

The program not only supports artistic production but also encourages critical engagement with Diriyah’s historical context. By doing so, it seeks to create a dialogue between past traditions and future innovations through art.

DAF's commitment is evident in its provision of resources like state-of-the-art labs and dedicated production teams. These resources enable participants to push boundaries in their creative processes while exploring new media arts' potential impacts on society.

With inputs from SPA