News DeskRiyadh: Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), the MENA region’s first hub dedicated to New Media Arts, hosted its inaugural Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency Open Studio this week at its headquarters in Diriyah. The event offered an intimate, behind-the-scenes preview of the projects currently in development by the Spring 2025 cohort of artists and scholars.
Attendees were welcomed with opening remarks by DAF Director Dr. Haytham Nawar and DAF Director of Education Dr. Tegan Bristow, followed by presentations from Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency scholars Dr. Anett Holzheid (ZKM | Centre for Art and Media) and independent writer and curator Mizuho Yamazaki. The evening continued with artist talks, studio walkthroughs, and interactive sessions in DAF’s XR and fabrication labs.
Visitors had the opportunity to engage directly with resident artists including Dr. Stanza, Harshit Agrawal, Arwa Alneami, and Reem Alnasser, gaining insight into their research and creative processes at DAF. The presentations reflected the diverse and experimental nature of the Mazra’ah residency programme, which invites practitioners to work across media, disciplines, and technologies.
The Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency provides selected participants with access to cutting-edge production tools, and dedicated studio space, while fostering collaborative exchange within a global community. This first residency cycle responds to the theme High-Resolution Dreams of Sand, encouraging exploration of ecological, technological, and cultural entanglements.
The Open Studio event marks a significant milestone in DAF’s ongoing mission to centre the region within the global dialogue on New Media and Digital Art. Artists from the Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency will continue to develop their projects through July 2025, culminating in future public activations.
To learn more about the Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency and other DAF programmes, visit the website and follow DAF on social media:
