The Diriyah Center for Future Arts opens the "From Earth" exhibition of digital art
In a move that further enhances the growing cultural landscape in Saudi Arabia, the Diriyah Center for Future Arts , the first center specializing in new media arts in the Middle East and North Africa region, inaugurated its fourth major exhibition, titled “From Earth: From Terrestrial Technologies to Computational Biology.” The opening ceremony, held at the center’s headquarters in historic Diriyah, was attended by prominent cultural leaders, artists, and representatives from local and international media outlets.
A cultural beacon in the heart of history
This exhibition underscores the pivotal role of the Diriyah Center for Future Arts within the Kingdom's cultural renaissance under Vision 2030. The center is more than just an exhibition space; it serves as a leading educational and research platform, seamlessly blending Diriyah's rich historical heritage with cutting-edge digital and technological advancements. The choice of Diriyah as the center's location carries profound symbolic significance, connecting the roots of the past with the horizons of the future, thus imbuing its exhibitions with a unique philosophical dimension.
Exhibition details and exploration journey
The exhibition, curated by Irene Papadimitriou, the center's exhibitions director, runs until May 16, 2026, offering the public ample opportunity to delve into its contents. The event features the creative works of over 30 artists from Saudi Arabia, the region, and around the world, who come together to explore how the relationship between humanity and the natural world is being reshaped in the age of digital dominance.
The opening evening began with a special media tour, followed by lively discussions that broke down barriers between visitors and artists. A highlight of the opening was the performance "One Drop Through a Thousand Years," which presented a visual and auditory sensory experience using water molecules, highlighting the fragility of ecosystems and the physical interconnectedness of nature's elements.
Discussions about the environment and technology
The event wasn't limited to visual presentations; it also included a profound intellectual component through the panel discussion "Composite Ecologies." The session addressed issues of technological innovation and environmental responsibility, as well as the role of art in addressing climate challenges. The discussion centered on the need to rethink the new partnership between humans, machines, and the living world, moving beyond the traditional view of technology as a tool for control.
In this context, Ibrahim Al-Sanousi, Acting CEO of the Museums Authority, stated: “Through the Diriyah Center for Future Arts and exhibitions such as ‘From the Land,’ the Museums Authority continues to develop cultural institutions that engage with the most pressing issues of our time.” Al-Sanousi emphasized the Kingdom’s commitment to providing creative spaces where researchers and artists can convene to craft cultural expressions rooted in heritage and responsive to the challenges of the present.
The four themes of the exhibition
The exhibition is organizationally divided into four main themes that offer a comprehensive view of the relationship between technology and the land:
- Computer mythical creatures: Exploring the frontier between biology and digitization.
- Ground circuits: Focus on the physical components of the technology.
- Extraction codes: Highlighting resource depletion processes.
- Capture networks: Research into monitoring and data systems.
Through these themes, the exhibition aims to remind the public that the digital world is not entirely ethereal, but rather depends on a heavy physical infrastructure of servers, submarine cables, rare metals, and energy sources, which raises serious questions about environmental sustainability in the digital age.
