As part of Abu Dhabi Art’s innovative year-long programme of initiatives designed to engage the wider community, the annual art fair has launched a new creative residency in partnership with Khalifa University.

Engineering and science students have been invited to work with renowned international contemporary artists, including Feng Mengbo, Magdi Mostafa and Random International, to create artworks during a residency at the university. The artists will also be showing works reflecting on these student workshops at Abu Dhabi Art’s ninth edition, taking place at Manarat Al Saadiyat from 8th to 11th November.

The first series of workshops were held from 22nd – 26th October with contemporary artists Feng Mengbo and Magdi Mostafa. Known for his use of new media, Chinese artist Feng worked with students to create artworks that combine real-time electronic music and visual images using oscilloscope or laser generator projection. The workshop gave the students insight into the artist’s methodology which creates the sensation of meditation through an electronic art form.

The final workshop will take place next week, led by Random International, a collaborative studio for experimental practice within contemporary art. Their artworks focus on active participation and they are best known for their large-scale environmental piece, Rain Room, which has been exhibited at the Barbican in London, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Yuz Museum, Shanghai and the Museum of Modern Art, MoMA, New York. Their workshop will offer students the opportunity to create their own artwork using innovative technology. The artists will also talk through the process used for one of their artworks, Future Self, at the workshop.