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

Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), the MENA region’s first dedicated hub for New Media Arts, announced on Monday the first group of artists and scholars selected for its inaugural Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency, set to run from April to July 2025

Riyadh, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Mar, 2025) Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), the MENA region’s first dedicated hub for New Media Arts, announced on Monday the first group of artists and scholars selected for its inaugural Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency, set to run from April to July 2025.

According to a DAF press release, the residency, designed to foster experimental research and artistic production, provides participants with access to state-of-the-art labs and studios, as well as showcasing opportunities and a production budget supported by a dedicated production team. It brings together a dynamic group of creative practitioners and scholars to explore cutting-edge creative practices, emerging ecologies, speculative futures, and the evolving intersections of land, history, art, and technology.

The first group includes artists Dr. Stanza (UK), Harshit Agrawal (India), Arwa Alneami (Saudi Arabia), Reem Alnasser (Saudi Arabia), and Reem Alfagih (Saudi Arabia), along with scholars Mizuho Yamazaki (Japan/France) and Anett Holzheid (Germany).

Working within DAF in Riyadh, the participants will develop their projects in response to the 2025 theme, "High-Resolution Dreams of Sand," which explores the impact of technology on both natural and constructed landscapes. The residency will culminate in a publication and a series of public engagements at DAF, offering audiences a glimpse into pioneering artistic and research-driven explorations.

According to the release, the 2025 residency season allows artists and scholars to engage critically with DAF’s unique physical and conceptual contexts, set against the backdrop of Diriyah’s historic farms and within a city undergoing transformation.

Developed by the Museums Commission, DAF seeks to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for New Media and Digital Art, while amplifying the region's influence at the intersection of art, science, and technology.