Ever thought of carving out a mythical dragon from a few empty cans of Red Bull? Or even composing an audio track created from the sounds of popping them open?

What may have appeared as the unthinkable for many has been creatively achieved by the contestants at the Red Bull Art of Can exhibition, which runs until Thursday at the Galleria, Mall of the Emirates.

After months of build-up, the winners were announced on December 4 at a special preview, with Michael Turda bagging the top honours with his painting, I Am Legend. Rodel Noja came in second with the sculpture, Meet The Myths, while Jerry Maninanj's Energising Lifestyle painting came in third.

The first prize included a choice between a five-day creative workshop with a renowned UAE-based artist of their choice or a chance to exhibit their artworks for a week at any gallery within the country. The runner-up won a five-day masterclass with a choice in an international or a UAE-based artist; while the second runner-up bagged a three-day art workshop from a list of names selected by Red Bull.

The six judges, including Traffic gallery owner Rami Farooq, photographer Ramesh Shukla and director/producer Nayla Al Khaja, had a tough time awarding points based on the criteria: Creativity (20 points), theme (20 points) and final presentation (20 points).

Over 120 works of art had been submitted for this biennial event, ranging from paintings and sculptures to graphic designs and audio video productions. Dalal Harb, Communications Manager, Red Bull UAE, tells Emirates Business: "Expectations were high, and as organisers our main concern was to provide a quality-based event, and not just bump up the quantity of works."
She adds: "However, you can notice the entries are reflective of the nature of the art scene found in the UAE. There is a heavy concentration on paintings, sculptures and graphic designs."

The first Red Bull Art of Can also saw some stunning works including winner Jalal Abuthina's The Awakening – a photography book and the creatively cunning Chromosome Man. Harb adds: "All those who are attending the exhibition should come with two objectives: To take their time and appreciate some mind boggling works and form an opinion about the creativity level within the country."

The Red Bull Art of Can At the Galleria, Mall of the Emirates. Until December 19