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🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Culture & Society

Diriyah Art Futures Opens CONTINUUM ’26, Showcasing New Media Artists in Riyadh

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Diriyah Art Futures opened CONTINUUM ’26, an exhibition featuring work by 16 emerging artists and two mentors from its year-long new media program.
  • The exhibition explores memory, identity, place, belonging and the boundaries between human and artificial intelligence through immersive, multimedia, virtual-reality and AI-generated works.
  • The exhibition runs through Nov. 7 and includes workshops, talks and other public events focused on AI, virtual reality and digital photography.

Diriyah Art Futures has opened CONTINUUM ’26, bringing together works by 16 emerging artists and two mentors in an exhibition built around the possibilities of new media. The show includes immersive and multimedia installations, light, sound, moving image, virtual reality, mixed reality and AI-generated projects.

The exhibition grew out of DAF’s year-long Emerging New Media Artists Program. Curated by Irini Papadimitriou and Bushra Alghamdi, it examines memory, identity, place, belonging, repetition and relationships between different species. The participating works also probe the line between the real and the artificial, and between organic life and synthetic systems.

Programs like the Emerging New Media Artists Program represent the long-term, deliberate investment needed to shape the future of the Kingdom's museum sector.

· Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-HammadThe Museums Commission CEO described the program’s role in developing Saudi Arabia’s museum sector.

At the opening, artists Noel Apitta, Njood Albwardi, Badriya Alsalem and Harpreet Sareen discussed their work with Alghamdi. Their conversation addressed the power of artificial intelligence, memory and time, and embodied perception, while tracing the creative questions that shaped each project.

By providing our artists with world-class facilities, mentorship, and the dedicated time to refine their craft, we are fueling innovation and sparking vital cultural conversations.

· Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-HammadHe explained how the program supports emerging artists.

Museums Commission CEO Eng. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Hammad described the program as a long-term investment in Saudi Arabia’s museum sector. “By providing our artists with world-class facilities, mentorship, and the dedicated time to refine their craft, we are fueling innovation and sparking vital cultural conversations,” he said. “CONTINUUM 26 brings a full year of that dedication into the public eye.”

The exhibition was developed with Le Fresnoy, Studio national des arts contemporains in France. The program gives emerging artists access to professional equipment, production funding and multidisciplinary learning opportunities. CONTINUUM ’26 is open at Diriyah Art Futures until Nov. 7, with workshops, talks and other activities covering AI, virtual reality and digital photography. Artists will also discuss their ideas and working methods with visitors during the opening weekend.

CONTINUUM 26 brings a full year of that dedication into the public eye.

· Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-HammadHe characterized the exhibition as the public result of the artists’ year-long development.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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