Maknana at DAF: Glossary of New Media Art From the Arab World | Ala Younis & Haytham Nawar

Live from Diriyah Art Futures in Riyadh, we're joined by Haytham Nawar, the director of Diriyah Art Futures, and Ala Younis who co-curated its latest exhibition, which delves into the New Media Art scene in the Arab world. They explore the lack of recognition for Arab names in global media art history, discuss the significance of the word "archeology" in the exhibition's subtitle "Maknana: An Archaeology of New Media Art in the Arab World", and highlight contributions by artists like Lucien Samaha, the first person to click a digital image. The conversation also covers the generational and geographical aspects of New Media Art in the Arab world, and the challenges of curating such an exhibition. The episode provides an in-depth look at the themes, artists, and historical context behind the pioneering Diriyah Art Futures project.

00:00 Introduction 

01:47 Exploring the Exhibition's Themes and Research

04:30 Historical Context and Artist Contributions

10:43 Curatorial Approach and Challenges

27:31 Defining the Arab World in Art

30:48 Misunderstood and Favorite Art Pieces

31:23 Curatorial Challenges and Artwork Highlights

33:58 More Artworks and Multiple Interpretations

39:03 The Role of New Media in Telling the Arab World's Story

41:46 Audience Questions and Curatorial Insights

49:54 Gender Balance and Artist Selection Criteria

51:50 New Media Art and Public Sphere

59:11 Future Iterations and Ongoing Research

Ala Younis is an artist, with curatorial, film and publishing projects. Using objects, film and printed matter, she often seeks instances where historical and political events collapse into personal ones. She holds a BSc in Architecture from University of Jordan and MRes in Visual Cultures from Goldsmiths, University of London. She co-curated Diriyah Art Futures' exhibition "Maknana: An Archaeology of New Media Art in the Arab World."

Connect with Ala Younis 👉 https://instagram.com/alayounis

Haytham Nawar is an Egyptian artist, designer, scholar, and educator, and the director of Diriyah Art Futures. He is also Associate Professor of Design at the American University in Cairo and the founder and director of Cairotronica, a festival of electronic and new media arts in Cairo.

Connect with Haytham Nawar 👉 

https://instagram.com/haythamnawar

Hosted by: 
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

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