Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), the MENA region’s first center dedicated to new media arts, announced the launch of its February public program at its headquarters in Diriyah, Riyadh.
The program aims to deepen dialogue on the relationship between art, technology, and the environment, while offering educational and interactive platforms that explore creative approaches to sustainability and contemporary ecological thinking, SPA reported.
The program is presented alongside “Of the Earth: Earthly Technologies to Computational Biologies,” DAF’s fourth major exhibition, featuring works by more than 30 artists from Saudi Arabia and around the world. The exhibition showcases multidisciplinary artistic practices that examine the material and environmental dimensions of digital technologies, their impact on natural resources, and the evolving relationships between humans, machines, and nature.
The February program includes a series of panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and advanced professional courses designed to engage artists, practitioners, and the wider public. These practical learning experiences explore sustainability concepts from multiple creative perspectives, reflecting DAF’s ongoing commitment to expanding discourse around new media arts and fostering critical and creative thinking at the intersection of art, technology, and ecology, contributing to the enrichment of the local and international cultural landscape.
The program opens on Thursday, February 12, with a panel discussion titled “Living Systems, Living Practices.” The session brings together multidisciplinary artist Mohammed Alfaraj, multimedia conceptual artist Moza Almatrooshi, and senior architect Wiam Kafyah for an in-depth discussion on the relationship between humans, land, and food systems through preservation, sustainability, and creative experimentation.
The discussion is moderated by culinary storyteller and writer Marya Kayyal, who presents ancestral, contemporary, and experimental perspectives that highlight the role of art and design in addressing environmental challenges, promoting cultural knowledge, bio-design, and the care of living systems that sustain life.
The program concludes with a two-day professional masterclass titled “Designing with Mycelium,” held on Friday and Saturday, February 27–28, and delivered in English. The masterclass explores the potential of mycelium in sustainable design and bio-innovation.
Led by Saudi architect Kafyah, founder of a bio-design lab and studio specializing in sustainable construction technologies, the masterclass introduces participants to the fundamentals of mycelium production and its role in contemporary design practices.
The course combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on experimentation, allowing participants to design and create their own mycelium-based forms within a framework that connects innovation, sustainability, and responsible engagement with living materials.
Through this program, DAF reaffirms its commitment to advancing contemporary dialogue around new media arts and expanding research and experimentation at the intersection of art, technology, and the environment. It also strengthens the role of culture as a dynamic space for critical thinking, knowledge production, and the development of responsible creative practices that reimagine sustainable visions for a shared human future.
