Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), the MENA region’s first centre dedicated to New Media Arts, opened its fourth major exhibition Of the Earth: Earthly Technologies to Computational Biologies yesterday evening in Diriyah, Riyadh. The opening event welcomed cultural leaders, artists, media, and members of the creative community for an evening of art, performance, and dialogue.
Curated by Irini Papadimitriou, Director of Exhibitions at DAF, and running until 16 May 2026, the exhibition brings together works by more than 30 local, regional, and international artists examining how, in a digital age, our relationship with the natural world is being reshaped.
The evening commenced with an exclusive media tour of the exhibition, followed by a welcome address and dynamic conversations between visitors, participating artists and the curatorial team. Guests experienced a performance of 1 DROP 1000 YEARS, a work that uses water particles to create a hypnotic visual and sonic meditation on ecological fragility and material interconnection.
A highlight of the evening was the panel discussion “Assembled Ecologies,” which brought together participating artists and exhibition curator Irini Papadimitriou. The discussion explored themes of technological innovation, ecological responsibility, and the role of art in addressing urgent environmental challenges whilst embracing shared planetary futures.
Ibrahim Alsanousi, Acting CEO of the Museums Commission, said: “Through Diriyah Art Futures and exhibitions such as Of the Earth, the Museums Commission continues to develop cultural institutions that engage with the most pressing questions of our time. As we establish Saudi Arabia as a global hub for arts and culture, we remain committed to creating spaces where artists, scholars, and audiences come together to shape new forms of cultural expression rooted in our heritage and responsive to the challenges ahead.”
Structured across four thematic areas, Computational Chimeras, Earthly Circuits, Codes of Extraction, and Foraging Networks, the exhibition examines how technology is often positioned as a tool to control nature, while addressing the environmental impact of digital systems on a planet with finite resources. The artworks remind us that digital technologies are made from the earth’s own materials, relying on physical servers, undersea cables, rare minerals, and energy.
Through art, technology, and science collaborations, Of the Earth provides creative and innovative ways to address urgent issues and challenge technological power structures, proposing pathways towards caring ecosystems and reimagining technology shaped by interspecies, collective, and planetary intelligence.
The exhibition is accompanied by a vibrant public programme of panel discussions, practical workshops, and masterclasses running through May 2026.
To book tickets and learn more about the Of the Earth exhibition and other DAF programmes, visit the website and follow DAF on social media:
Website: www.daf.moc.gov.sa/en | X: @DAFmoc | Instagram: @DAFmoc
