In Saudi Arabia, AI is transforming the art scene, with artists blending traditional elements with cutting-edge technology. One standout artist is Daniah Al-Saleh, whose work merges AI with cultural memory. She was featured at Noor Riyadh 2022, the world’s largest annual light art festival, showcasing her innovative approach.
Al-Saleh’s artistic journey evolved from creating geometric watercolors to programming and computational art. Her 2019 installation, “Sawtam,” won the Ithra Art Prize and marked a turning point in her career. The installation deconstructed Arabic phonemes into an abstract soundscape, blending language and technology.
Al-Saleh’s studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, introduced her to machine learning, and she used the StyleGAN program to create pieces like “Love Stories” and “Evanesce.” The former features multiple figures lip-syncing to Arabic love songs, exploring cultural resistance to public displays of affection, while the latter evokes nostalgia for Egyptian cinema’s golden era. Her recent works, “Rewind Play Glitch” and “Hinat,” continue to blend traditional media with AI to explore personal imagery and cultural history.
Al-Saleh, however, is not solely reliant on AI. She integrates digital techniques with traditional media, blending new and old methods to create unique pieces, such as “Hinat,” which honors a female Nabatean figure using a mix of photography, painting, video, and algorithmic generation.
Despite using AI in her creative process, Al-Saleh emphasized the need for adaptability. AI tools become outdated, and she continuously seeks to understand which technologies best fit her work. This approach reflects the broader conversation about AI in art, where technology is explored not for function but for its potential to subvert, repurpose, and challenge traditional creative practices.
Curators like Auronda Scalera and Alfredo Cramerotti are key to bridging the gap between technology and art, supporting artists like Al-Saleh who use AI to create innovative, critical works. They are also addressing ethical concerns surrounding AI-generated content, ensuring a responsible integration of technology in the arts.
As AI continues to evolve, artists and curators must adapt and explore new ways to engage with these tools. The conversation around AI art is only beginning, with the industry grappling with its potential and ethical challenges. The future of AI-driven art looks to be as complex as it is exciting.
