Diriyah Art Futures
Client: Riyadh Development Authority (RDA)
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Timescale: 2013
Diriyah Art Futures is an arts, research and educational centre that is a home for New Media Arts and a creative space for the growing arts movement in Saudi Arabia. It is located in the Historical Precinct of Diriyah, one of the most important national heritage sites of Saudi Arabia and the capital of the first Saudi State.
In 2013, the RDA appointed Cultural Innovations to undertake a feasibility study and scoping exercise to review and establish the potential for an arts venue within the Diriyah district. It was envisaged that the addition of an arts-based cultural attraction to the already planned cultural heritage facilities would further enhance the appeal of Diriyah as a major leisure destination in the Kingdom.
Through Cultural Innovations’ experience of working in the region, our contacts with arts practitioners and local research, we were able to recommend a more ambitious and visionary arts-focused facility than originally envisaged – one that embraced digital art and new media, multi-disciplinary practice, production and research. These recommendations were received positively. The Ministry of Culture moved forward, in partnership with the Diriyah Gate Development Company, to a successful launch in 2024 of Diriyah Art Futures supporting the younger, contemporary artist communities now flourishing throughout the Kingdom.
Visuals: Schiattarella Associati
Photography: Hassan Ali Al-Shatti Courtesy Schiattarella Associati
