Groundbreaking Saudi Centre For New Media Art Announces Inaugural Emerging Artist Programme Participants

Diriyah Art Futures, a pioneering New Media Arts centre in Saudi Arabia, has announced the 12 successful applicants to its inaugural Emerging New Media Artists Programme. Launching later this year, it includes a diverse array of promising talent representing a broad range of creative practices and backgrounds, with strong representation from Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.

Running for one year, the fully funded programme offers access to cutting-edge professional equipment and facilities, a production budget, learning experiences with international guest professors specialising in New Media Art and personal mentorships from prominent international digital artists.

The inaugural group of Emerging New Media Artists includes:

• Salma Aly (Egypt), specialising in Interactive Art.
• Samia Dzaïr(Algeria-France), a 2D and stop motion animator.
• Aya Abu Ghazaleh (Jordan), a visual artist and art therapist.
• Dhia Dhibi(Tunisia), a multidisciplinary artist, curator and researcher.
• Khaled Makshoush(Saudi Arabia), who specialises in pixel art.
• William Brooks (Wales), an artist exploring sound art through physical objects.
• Haonan HE (China), who merges cartography, instrument making and digital tech.
• Turki AlQahtani(Saudi Arabia), a media artist and filmmaker reflecting Arab motifs.
• Youssef El Idrissi (Morroco), a multidisciplinary artist, cultural engineer and researcher.
• Kyle Donald Marais (South Africa), an XR developer and creative technologist.
• Mohamed Al Mubarak (Bahrain), a documentary filmmaker and video artist.
• Almuqawil Meshal (Saudi Arabia), an independent artist and curator.

Designed in collaboration with Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France, the programme is part of a wider partnership between the Ministry of Culture and Diriyah Company, to facilitate creativity across art, technology and academia. Located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Diriyah, DAF seeks to establish Riyadh as a global capital of New Media Art, and empower the next generation of creative pioneers.

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