This year two artists were invited to collaborate with participating students.

The Artist Afra Al Suwaidi led on creating the installation through participatory workshops with students who were invited to reflect on childhood memories. The artist Marina Fedorova introduced Augmented reality to diarise the student’s stories and memories of childhood.

Surrealism in Existence is an artwork that immerses the audience through use of simple components that exist in our daily lives, reconnecting us with the nostalgia the found in small acts of creativity.

The installation invites you to consider your current psychological state and provokes your thoughts through sight, sound and touch.

The stories shown are drawn from memories shared by the participating students, revolving around childhood dreams, and are linked by three elements in the installation: — a chair, a table, and a book. In each animated story one, two, or three of these physical elements which form part of the installation can be found.

The installation invites us to consider how our inner child brings purpose, happiness, and success to our adult lives.

Day 1: Introduction Session

Students were introduced to the Art + Tech programme, meeting the artists and receiving
an overview of the schedule, timeline, and expectations.

Day 2: Planning Session

Students collaborated with the artists to develop a plan and began the process of creating their installations.

Days 3, 4, and 5: Creation SessionsStudents were divided into groups:

• Installation Creation Group: Focused on
• building the core installation.
• Melting Group: Worked on melting Legos to create unique textures and forms.
• Mixed Media Group: Explored the use of sound, water, and metal to create a sound for the installation.
• Doodling and Brainstorming Group: Developed ideas for painting on the chair through sketching and brainstorming.

.
Day 6: Introduction to Marina's Work

Students were introduced to Marina's work and sketched stories inspired by the installation

Day 7: Story and Sketch Review

Students presented their stories and sketches to the artist.

Day 8: AR Introduction Session

The technical team introduced students to augmented reality and its applications.

Day 9: Final Showcase

Showcasing the final outcome.