Digital Civilization

The Misk Art Grant is an annual initiative created to support, promote, and assist emerging and mid-career artists who work across several media. The first of its kind in the Kingdom, each year the Grant presents a theme and offers selected recipients opportunities to improve artistic practices by working closely with a selection of curators and mentors. 

This year the Misk Art Grant theme asks artists from the Middle East and North Africa to explore phenomena shaped by modern technology like constant connectivity, data analytics, and algorithmic systems. How have these reconfigured human experiences and engagements with the world?  

Digital Civilization investigates the connection between past traditions and technological futures by examining the transformative impact of communication technologies on human expression and relationships. Reflecting on early modes of cultural transmission—from technological mediation to ancestral narration—this exhibition explores how our connectivity has evolved through innovations in communication. 

Through the work of five artists using various mediums, from analog to digital, the exhibition delves into creativity, community, and the evolving relationship between humanity and technology. In an age marked by social media and data transmission, it challenges audiences to reflect on how emerging technologies are reshaping human connections. 

At its core, Digital civilization invites reflection on the intricate web that ties our present to the past, while glimpsing the future of human relationships and cultural continuity. As the boundaries of communication expand, how will we define our shared humanity in an ever-evolving digital landscape?