CONTINUUM ’25

CONTINUUM ’25 is an exhibition celebrating the creative output of the participants in our inaugural Emerging New Media Artists Programme. Running from September 13th to November 22nd, 2025, CONTINUUM '25 marks the beginning of an annual exhibition series which will spotlight diverse voices shaping the future of New Media Art in the region and beyond.

Curated by Irini Papadimitriou, the exhibition brings together 13 artists from around the world, including 11 emerging artists and 2 mentor artists. Their artworks were produced during DAF’s year-long Emerging New Media Artists Programme, together with the mentors Anna Ridler, Karen Palmer and Madeline Gannon.

The works span a variety of mediums, including immersive installations, sound and screen-based works, and virtual reality. The title CONTINUUM refers to the ever-evolving nature of creative inquiry that defines the Emerging New Media Artists programme.

The exhibition features works that connect the real and the artificial, the human and machine, the organic and synthetic. Conceptual themes range from memory, identity, and displacement to climate ecologies, ethics, and algorithmic power.

The Emerging New Media Artists include: Turki AlQahtani (Saudi Arabia); Khaled Makshoush (Saudi Arabia); Salma Aly (Egypt); Samia Dzaïr (Algeria); Aya Abu Ghazaleh (Jordan); Dhia Dhibi (Tunisia); William Brooks (Wales); Junsoo Kim (South Korea); Youssef El Idrissi (Morocco); Kyle Donald Marais (South Africa); and Mohamed Al Mubarak (Bahrain).

Alongside the CONTINUUM’25 exhibition, DAF is hosting an engaging public programme of talks, workshops, and performances, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in groundbreaking New Media and Digital Art practices. Running throughout the exhibition period, the programme offers events multiple times per week, ranging from short creative sessions to intensive two-day masterclasses.

Highlights include:

Lighting Techniques for Digital Photography (October 17–18): a two-day practical workshop exploring how to shape and control light to elevate photographic work, ideal for beginners and intermediate photographers.
Writing Workshop: World-Building in the Age of AI (October 17): a hands-on session with Elie B. Hart from Writers in Riyadh guiding participants to create immersive fictional worlds in collaboration with AI tools, while reflecting on the ethical, social and environmental questions these technologies raise.
Artistic Expression Through Writing (October 18): a creative writing workshop with Ayaz Rehman focusing on emotion as the anchor of artistic meaning in an age of technological possibility.
Creative Sound Design Masterclass (October 31–November 1): a two-day masterclass introducing sound design as a dynamic medium in New Media Art, with practical exercises using digital audio workstations to transform ambient textures into conceptual soundscapes.
Rapid Prototyping Workshop (November 14): an introduction to digital fabrication in DAF’s FabLab, where participants turn ideas into physical prototypes using 3D printing, laser cutting, and Arduino for coding.

Events are offered in Arabic and English, with all materials provided, and are open to a wide range of participants, from curious newcomers to experienced practitioners. Many sessions include refreshments and encourage networking among artists, technologists, and creative thinkers.

The year-long Emerging New Media Artists programme, created in collaboration with Le Fresnoy - Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France, offers access to cutting-edge facilities, world-class mentorship, and collaborative learning in New Media and Digital Art. The next open call for the 2026-2027 edition of the programme will open in the first quarter of 2026.

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