Riyadh, 21 April 2025 (23 Shawwal 1446H)

Diriyah Art Futures, the first center in the Middle East and North Africa dedicated to new media art, has opened its second exhibition, titled "Mechanized: An Archaeology of New Media Art in the Arab World," running through 19 July 2025. The exhibition features more than 40 Arab artists presenting over 70 interactive works that blend art, technology and contemporary culture.

The exhibition is a unique cultural and artistic milestone that highlights the evolution of new media art in the Arab region, through works that address issues of identity, memory and social change using modern digital tools such as video, coding, data, sound and digital imagery.

Four Main Themes Redefine Artistic Interaction

The exhibition's works are organized around four main themes:

  • Mechanization: how the artwork becomes part of, or dependent on, the machine.
  • Autonomy: the artist's relationship with the medium and control over the technology.
  • Ripples: reflections of societal change.
  • Glitch: the aesthetics that emerge from technical errors or distortion.

The exhibition offers more than a visual experience; it serves as an intellectual platform that examines how Arab artists have engaged with technological shifts and embraced new media in their contemporary expression.

A Parallel Public Program

The exhibition is accompanied by an expanded cultural program that includes professional courses, hands-on workshops, lectures and performances. Among the highlights is a professional course on 26 and 27 April titled "The Power of Sound as a Transformative Artistic Medium," combining practice and theory through interactive, exploratory sessions on sound as an artistic medium.

An Artistic Experience Pulsing with Dialogue and Technology

Mona Khazindar, advisor at the Ministry of Culture, said the exhibition reflects the richness of Arab experiences with new media and represents the Kingdom's efforts to empower artists and provide an environment that encourages technological and artistic creativity, as part of a national strategy that strengthens the integration of art and technology.