Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), a new media and digital arts hub in Riyadh near the UNESCO site of At-Turaif, opens with an inaugural exhibition, Art Must Be Artificial: Perspectives of AI in the Visual Arts. The exhibition features over 30 regional and international artists, tracing the evolution of computer art from the 1960s to the present.
Commissioned by the Saudi Ministry of Culture in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, DAF seamlessly merges regional heritage with cutting-edge digital art, igniting collaboration and fostering discussions at the intersection of art, technology, and creativity.
As the first institution of its kind in the MENA region, DAF fulfills its mission in world-class facilities. Designed by Schiattarella Associati, DAF spans 12,000 sqm and features studios, exhibition spaces, research labs, artist residences, and a new media training center. The architecture blends contemporary design with Najd heritage, creating a space that connects organically to its desert surroundings.
The design blends geometry with unpredictability, merging nature, humanity, and cultural values. The complex bridges urban and agricultural zones with shaded passages and open spaces that restore balance between construction and nature. Sustainable features like solar optimization, geothermal cooling, and rainwater collection harmonize the building with its environment.
Art Must Be Artificial: Perspectives of AI in the Visual Arts, curated by Jérôme Neutres, is currently on view. It explores the evolution of digital art from the 1960s to the present, focusing on the intersection of media culture, technology, and the innovative use of AI, data, and digital landscapes.
The exhibition features over 30 global and regional artists, including Saudi talents like Nasser Alshemimry, Muhannad Shono, and Daniah Al Saleh, as well as pioneers such as Frieder Nake and Vera Molnar, alongside contemporary figures like Refik Anadol and Ryoji Ikeda.
The exhibition traces how artists have embraced technology as both a medium and a language. From Jean-François Lyotard’s 1985 Les Immatériaux exhibition, which reflected on the impact of telecommunication technologies on art, to today’s use of machine learning and AI, the show demonstrates how these tools have transformed artistic expression.
Art Must Be Artificial also highlights the central role of the viewer in digital art, with works that function like a “nervous system,” embodying the new human civilization of homo digitalis. By engaging with these themes, the exhibition raises important questions about the future of human creativity versus artificial intelligence.
DAF has launched the Emerging New Media Artists Programme in partnership with France’s Le Fresnoy. This year-long initiative provides emerging artists with equipment, mentorship, and funding to create multidisciplinary works. The selected artists come from diverse global backgrounds, with Nawar emphasizing the opportunity for standout artists to benefit from mentorship by world-class professionals.
DAF also announced the Mazra’ah Media Art Residency, a three-month program starting in February, inviting established artists and scholars to explore the intersection of nature, technology, and society.
