Diriyah Art Futures Announces First Cohort for Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency

Exploring the Intersection of Nature, Technology, and Imagination in “High-Resolution Dreams of Sand”

Riyadh, March 24, 2025 – Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), the region’s first dedicated hub for New Media Arts, has revealed the inaugural cohort for its pioneering Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency, launching this April in Riyadh.

Running from April to July 2025, the three-month residency marks the first of two seasonal sessions each year and brings together a vibrant group of international and local artists and scholars. Participants will engage in experimental artistic production, speculative research, and critical dialogue around the role of art in a landscape shaped by technology, ecology, and shifting cultural memory.

Set within the historic agricultural terrain of Diriyah, the residency operates under the theme “High-Resolution Dreams of Sand,” a poetic framework that invites residents to examine how digital media and natural environments intersect, influence, and reshape one another.

A Dynamic, Interdisciplinary Cohort

The first cohort of residents includes creative practitioners and thinkers from around the globe:

• Dr. Stanza (UK) – Artist

• Harshit Agrawal (India) – Artist

• Arwa Yahya Alneami (Saudi Arabia) – Artist

• Reem Alnasser (Saudi Arabia) – Artist

• Mizuho Yamazaki (Japan/France) – Scholar

• Anett Holszheid (Germany) – Scholar

• Reem Alfagih (Saudi Arabia) – Artist

  
  

Each resident will develop a new body of work or research during the program, supported by state-of-the-art labs, production studios, and mentorship. A dedicated team and production budget are provided to ensure the realization of ambitious creative projects.

Where Land, Art, and Innovation Converge

Working from DAF’s headquarters in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage site undergoing rapid cultural revitalization, residents will explore the ways in which human presence and technology are etched into the fabric of both natural and constructed environments.

The residency culminates in a public showcase and publication, giving audiences access to cutting-edge artistic thought and production rooted in place and innovation.

An Evolving Vision for Contemporary Culture in the Kingdom

The Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency is a cornerstone of DAF’s wider mission: to position Saudi Arabia at the forefront of digital and New Media Art on the global stage. Developed under the Museums Commission of the Ministry of Culture, DAF reflects a bold vision for cultural innovation rooted in heritage and future-facing creativity.

As the region continues to invest in emerging artistic practices, DAF’s role as a platform for inquiry, education, and production is helping to shape a new era for art in the Middle East.

For more information on the residency and upcoming programs, visit:

🌐 https://daf.moc.gov.sa/en/📸 Instagram: @DAFmoc | X: @DAFmoc