Latest news with #Maknana
CairoScene
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Diriyah's ‘Maknana' Exhibit Reclaims New Media Art Through Arab Lens
Diriyah's 'Maknana' Exhibit Reclaims New Media Art Through Arab Lens As an emerging medium, New Media Art is often associated with globalised aesthetics and Western art institutions—but a new exhibition at Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) in Saudi Arabia rewires that narrative. 'Maknana', a term derived from the Arabic word for "automation," gathers 50 Arab artists to explore how digital technologies, from AI to early computer graphics, can map a cultural landscape where the Arab creator stands fixed in the centre. The exhibition demonstrates an authenticity and originality of expression that is neither borne out of Western imitation nor a grasping for a reclaimed past. Curated by Dr. Haytham Nawar and Ala Younis, the show foregrounds Arab artists as the architects—not recipients—of New Media's evolution, treating technology as both canvas and co-creator. As the second exhibition at DAF, 'Maknana: An Archaeology of New Media Art in the Arab World' reflects the hub's ongoing commitment to stimulating the digital art ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and beyond. The name alone feels more like a thesis than a title, capturing the versatility of technology in an artistic context, being—as the curators put it—'a medium for exploration, a tool in the production process, or even a collaborative nonhuman partner in the creative output.' Beginning with the early experiments of the 1960s, across the scale-up art movement of the 1990s, to the cutting-edge digital, robotic and AI-enhanced productions of the 21st century, the definition for New Media Art is as expansive and inclusive as the collection implies. 'New Media Art can be an umbrella term for an open-ended genre of artistic practice that utilises emerging technologies,' the curators explain. Yet, there remains a more urgent definition of New Media Art - one that is proffered by Dr. Haytham Nawar and Ala Younis in their curation. For Arab artists, these new mediums have represented and continue to represent an urgent challenge to traditional western-centric forms of art and create new modes of expression that assert Arab origin. 'We felt that the research and selection process was like an archaeological act,' Nawar and Younis reveal. 'It also aimed to make the micro-histories of new media art related to the Arab World more visible.' Unfolding over four themes—Automation, Autonomy, Ripples, and Glitch—each piece represents and provokes an excavation of art, humanity, society, and the machine. The Automation section seeks to investigate the logic of systems and machines—and how this logic is reflected and utilised in creative practices. Autonomy then takes the factual narrative of Automation and transforms it into a treatise on personal and political expression. In Ripples, the cross-cultural, multidisciplinary, and trans-chronological nature of new media art is illustrated throughout the section. And finally, in Glitch, the errors and disruptions which accompany new technologies are re-coded as metaphors for Arab resilience and adaptation. 'Arab artists represent a refreshingly dynamic and diverse range of views and practices that are in direct conversation with the political and social scenes they emerged within,' the curators explain. 'Every project in the exhibition is full of meanings, as much as of technological manoeuvres, exploration, or manifestation.' The scale feels profound, but the effect is cohesive. Collectively they dissect, disband, and reassemble the notions of how art is created. While Arab artists, at home or in the diaspora, are uniquely situated to challenge dominant global narratives and paradigms with their art, Saudi artists stand at a unique crossroads of opportunity. Working in a country with a particular abundance of youth potential, armed with unprecedented technological literacy and engagement, there is a sense of talent bubbling in the Saudi arts scene which spills into 'Maknana', and out of DAF. Among the Saudi artists pioneering this New Media rearticulation is Ahmed Mater. At 'Maknana', he provides a collection of media objects that recall the media associated with growing up in Saudi Arabia. His art pushes the boundaries of 2G phones and bluetooth connections to their expressive limits, paying witness to the modernisation and expansion of media in the Kingdom. Muhannad Shono employs a robotic creative which constantly migrates and transforms in its location, whilst Mohammed Alsaleem's early computer drawings, created via Paint software, provide a digital version of his signature 'horizontal' shapes. Ruba Al Sweel provides a collection of video material collated from Saudi internet and cell phone culture. Abundant in glitches and digital economy, they offer a unique insight into the experience of crisis in the digital age, through digital means. Finally, we enter the present day with ARC's (Abdullah Rashed) work on NFTs, which utilises and addresses the emerging aesthetics of internet art. Accompanied by a comprehensive public programme, DAF continues to position itself as both an archive of Arab artistry and an aperture for the artists of tomorrow. 'Ultimately,' the curators say, 'we want visitors to leave with a renewed appreciation for the richness of Arab contributions to New Media Art, and a broader understanding of how technology can be both a tool of creation and a medium of reflection.' The exhibition will run at Diriyah Art Futures, situated near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif, until July 19th, 2025.
Arab News
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
‘Maknana' exhibition at Diriyah to feature works of over 40 Arab artists
Diriyah Art Futures, the first new media arts hub in the MENA region, has announced its second major exhibition titled Maknana: An Archaeology of New Media Art in the Arab World. Co-curated by artists and curators Haytham Nawar and Ala Younis, the exhibition will run from April 21 to July 19 at DAF at Diriyah, Riyadh. Bringing together works by more than 40 artists from the MENA region, the exhibition features pioneering voices from across the region who have embraced and redefined technology as a medium for creative expression. The exhibition includes notable Saudi artists such as Ahmed Mater, Muhannad Shono, and ARC (Abdullah Rashed), whose practices reflect the Kingdom's dynamic and evolving relationship with new media. They are joined by influential artists from across the region such as VJ Um Amel (Laila Shereen Sakr, Egypt); Emily Jacir (Palestine); Akram Zaatari (Lebanon), Abdel Hadi El-Gazzar (Egypt), Hassan Meer (Oman), Hicham Berrada (Morocco/France), Mona Hatoum (Palestine), Walid Raad (Palestine) and Farah Al-Qasimi (UAE). Spanning decades and disciplines, from early video art and experimental film to generative systems and expanded media, Maknana offers a rare survey of how Arab artists have engaged with and reimagined the digital landscape on their own terms. The Arabic term 'Maknana,' translated as automation, inspires the exhibition's central inquiry: how Arab artists have navigated, repurposed, and challenged technologies to shape their own creative vocabularies. The exhibition is structured across four thematic sections, Automation, Autonomy, Ripples, and Glitch, that trace recurring artistic concerns and gestures across different generations, geographies, and technological paradigms. Highlighting a dynamic constellation of artistic practices, Maknana includes rare archival works, recent digital experiments, and new commissions from artists working across the region and diaspora. Their works engage with urgent sociopolitical contexts, from networked resistance and machine logic to memory preservation, speculative ecologies, and glitch aesthetics. In tandem with the exhibition, Diriyah Art Futures will present a public program of talks, performances, screenings, and workshops, expanding on the themes of Maknana and offering visitors direct engagement with artists and thought leaders in the field of new media art.
CairoScene
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Diriyah Art Futures Announces Second Major Exhibition ‘Maknana'
Featuring over 40 regional artists, 'Maknana' explores the evolution of Arab digital art through film, coding, and immersive media. Diriyah Art Futures (DAF) has announced its second major exhibition, 'Maknana: An Archaeology of New Media Art in the Arab World', set to open on April 21st and run through July 19th, 2025. Held at DAF's headquarters in Diriyah, Riyadh, the exhibition brings together over 40 artists from across the MENA region, mapping the intersection of artistic practice and digital technology in Arab cultural production. Curated around four core themes—Automation, Autonomy, Ripples, and Glitch—'Maknana' traces the development of new media art across generations. The exhibition includes pioneering work in video art, experimental film, generative systems, and coding-based visual practices, highlighting how artists have responded to technological change and digital culture in nuanced, locally-rooted ways. In addition to the gallery showcase, 'Maknana' will offer an extensive public programme of talks, performances, screenings, and workshops. The series is designed to foster dialogue between artists, researchers, and audiences, while deepening public engagement with new media practices from the Arab world. Diriyah Art Futures operates under the Saudi Ministry of Culture as part of Vision 2030, and is situated near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif. The institution focuses on emerging intersections between art and technology and was launched to support digital art ecosystems in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.
FACT
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- FACT
Diriyah Art Futures returns with a tech twist
Titled Maknana, this exhibition will shine a spotlight on the use of technology in art. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been making waves on all fronts, and this is especially true of the creative sector. Cementing its place as a global leader in this space, the Kingdom has just unveiled the return of Diriyah Art Futures. Taking place in Riyadh's Diriyah district, from 21 April to 19 July, Diriyah Art Futures is back with a second exhibition. Titled Maknana: An Archaeology of New Media Art in the Arab World, this exhibition will shine a spotlight on how technology in art is now becoming a part of creative expression. The exhibition, co-curated by artists and curators Haytham Nawar and Ala Younis, is called Maknana, which translates to automation. It's all about exploring how Arab artists have engaged with technology — not just by using it, but also by questioning it to say something powerful and personal. Split into four sections — Automation, Autonomy, Ripples, and Glitch — the exhibition will trace trends and tech experiments across generations and borders. Maknana at Diriyah Arts Futures will feature over 40 artists from across the region. Here, you'll find everything from vintage video art and archival pieces to new digital experiments. Some names to look out for include Ahmed Mater, Muhannad Shono, Emily Jacir, Mona Hatoum, Akram Zaatari, Hassan Meer, Hicham Berrada and Farah Al-Qasimi to name a few. In addition to artworks, Diriyah Art Futures is serving up a full cultural experience. Here, you can enjoy talks, live performances, film screenings, and hands-on workshops. So, if you're on the hunt for something artsy and inspiring to do in Riyadh this summer, make sure Diriyah Art Futures is on your list. You never know, it might just spark your next big idea. GO: Visit for more information.
