In line with Abu Dhabi Art’s commitment to supporting young talent from the region
Abu Dhabi, 22 June 2022: This year, Abu Dhabi Art’s annual Art + Tech programme brought NFTs, Digital Art and the Metaverse to the fore in Abu Dhabi Art’s programming. Art + Tech’s 2022 edition comprised a Virtual NFT Workshop and Mentorship Programme that brought university students together with experts from the NFT industry. The initiative aimed to accompany students as they delve into the rapidly evolving and emerging world of digital art and NFTs and discover their relevance in the region.
The Art + Tech Virtual NFT Workshop and Mentorship Programme, which took place between 6-15 June, was organised in partnership with MORROW collective’s social enterprise partner, the Fatima Bint Mohamed Initiative. University students studying art as well as technology streams came together with NFT experts MORROW collective, who acted as mentors for the course, and guest contributors who taught the students about these new digital art forms. For this year’s edition, art students were paired with those studying technology to create their own NFTs, which will be exhibited during the fair in November. Selected NFTs will also be awarded titles for the categories of Artists’ Choice, MORROW’s Choice, and more.
The annual Art + Tech programme was launched by Abu Dhabi Art in 2017 with the aim of bridging the gap between the fields of art and technology. Previous editions were held in collaboration with Higher Colleges of Technology and Khalifa University and directed towards technology students, but this year the programme has expanded to include art students from Zayed University, American University of Sharjah, UAE University, and New York University Abu Dhabi.
In line with Abu Dhabi Art’s mission to nurture the local arts and culture scene, the Art + Tech Virtual NFT Workshop and Mentorship Programme focused on facilitating youth creativity by providing young people with the means to create their own works and a platform through which to exhibit them.
Anna Seaman, Curator at MORROW collective and leader of the Art + Tech programme this year stated: “The fusion of art and technology sums up what NFTs represent and why they are so impactful to the way that art is made, bought and sold. The MORROW team was happy to mentor and guide the art and technology students through the process of making NFTs inside a curatorial framework. It is also a wonderful opportunity for them to have their work exhibited at Abu Dhabi Art, which is one of the UAE’s most respected art platforms and is committed to nurturing the next generation of art world professionals.”
About Abu Dhabi Art
Abu Dhabi Art expands beyond the notion of a traditional art fair, in placing strong emphasis on a diverse public engagement programme, including art installations and exhibitions, talks and events that take place in different locations throughout the year. The culmination of this year-long programme is the Abu Dhabi Art event in November, which provides an important sales platform for participating galleries whilst also offering these galleries an opportunity to showcase ambitious installations and site-specific works by their artists to a wide audience.
About Art + Tech
An annual community programme that launched in 2017 invites established artists from around the world to collaborate with technology students in the UAE in a series of workshops. The programme strives to bridge the gap between art and technology in their studies. These workshops introduce art to students majoring in topics as diverse as the study of aerospace and biomedical engineering. Many of them have an interest in art but have never had the opportunity to study it.
About Anna Seaman
Anna began her career as a journalist in the UK, moving to the UAE in 2008 to work at The National Newspaper. She specialised in arts and culture in 2010. Her intense love of writing about art led her to move into the role of an independent curator in 2018. Anna co-founded MORROW collective, an NFT curatorship and consultancy in March 2021 and through MORROW, Anna believes that curation can open minds to the powerful narratives embedded in visual art in all its forms
About MORROW collective
MORROW collective is an NFT fine art consultancy founded in March 2021. MORROW collective works with galleries, artists and museums to introduce them to the NFT space and provides a premium service for new and existing collectors. Comprising a team of professionals with comprehensive experience in contemporary fine art, crypto art, curation, marketing, communications, and technology, MORROW collective supports established and emerging crypto artists by hosting events and exhibitions that showcase NFT artworks in VR, AR and IRL. Through a multi-pronged approach, MORROW collective consults and guides our partners seamlessly into the Metaverse. MORROW collective are owners of multiple gallery spaces across the most sought after and exclusive Metaverse platforms and collectors with an extensive portfolio including some of the world’s leading crypto artists. Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI) is MORROW collective’s social enterprise partner.
