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An award-winning interactive installation is one chapter in Abraham Mennen's journey. From classical concert halls to experimental jazz and participatory sound art, the University of the Free State artist-in-residence is creating new ways for audiences to experience music together.

When Mennen, an artist-in-residence in the International Institute of the Arts at the University of the Free State (UFS), first stepped onto stage to play a concerto with an orchestra at the age of 12, he probably never imagined that decades later he would be standing in front of six sound sculptures, inviting strangers to make music with him. Yet, that is exactly what happened at the Vrystaat Arts Festival, where his interactive installation Dosomethin’ earned the award for Best Visual Art Exhibition.

Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies – who attended the Vrystaat Arts Festival awards ceremony – says, “Abraham Mennen’s achievement reflects the transformative power of artistic research and creative experimentation in shaping new ways of experiencing culture. The success of Dosomethin’ demonstrates how participatory art can challenge conventions and create shared spaces for creativity, dialogue, and discovery.”

It is a long way from the Royal College of Music in London and the New England Conservatory in Boston, where Mennen studied saxophone and jazz performance. But for him, music was never just about polished recitals or competitions. “I started playing piano at age five and switched to saxophone at nine,” he recalls. “It wasn’t so much what drew me to music, but rather part of my upbringing.”

Mennen’s early career was marked by classical competitions in London and South Africa, which gave him momentum as a soloist. But in his mid-twenties, he made a bold turn towards jazz. “By this time, I had been focusing on experimental improvisation for a while. Jazz is the most established and widely used tradition of improvised music. I therefore decided to pursue jazz as a primary focus to improve my improvisational arts, with the rich knowledge of harmony, rhythm, and melody that jazz can teach,” he notes.

He found this professional transition very hard. “It felt like starting all over again,” he says. That leap opened doors to collaborations with icons such as Louis Moholo of The Blue Notes, whose legacy in free jazz shaped Mennen’s own improvisational voice.

Later, he found himself on stage with Joe Morris in New York, and soon after received a call from William Parker to play at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Centre. “That was amazing, with the extra perk of Solange being in the audience on the first night,” he laughs. Parker became a mentor and collaborator, offering opportunities that Mennen still treasures.

Turning audiences into collaborators

Back in South Africa, Mennen immersed himself in the local scene, performing with musicians he had long admired. His residency at the UFS International Institute of the Arts gave him the space to push boundaries even further. He produced three major projects: Dosomethin’, the award-winning interactive sound installation; Beats of the Uhadi, a body of compositions for saxophone, uhadi, percussion, and electronics – introducing instrumentation never before combined in South Africa; and The Jazz series at the Vrystaat Arts Festival, which successfully introduced jazz to the festival programme for the first time, with ambitions to make it a permanent fixture.

Each project creates opportunities for people to experience music differently, whether by inviting audiences to participate, introducing young people to jazz through workshops, or exploring African knowledge systems through new musical collaborations. In doing so, the work reflects the UFS commitment to contributing meaningfully to responsible societal futures.

Trying to explain Dosomethin’ in words is tricky. “It is something that has to be experienced,” says Mennen. Six sculptures invite audiences to become performers, layering sounds into a constantly evolving sonic tapestry. “Talking about it or just seeing photos of the artworks will never come close to doing it justice,” Mennen admits. The installation asks participants to act with awareness, recognising that every sound exists alongside past, present, and future sounds.

The recognition at the festival was deeply personal. “I worked incredibly hard on the exhibition and there were moments where I really questioned what I was doing,” he says. “Ultimately, the audience response and engagement were immense and that’s all I hoped for.”

Mennen enjoys experimentation in his work. “South Africa often has a very conservative audience that wishes to experience tame and well-trodden paths. I really wish to inspire a wonderment of that which is new, fresh and experimental. I want people to chase the avant garde and not shy away from it.”

What stays with him is not the award or the applause, but the faces of people leaning in, curious, willing to try. His hope is that jazz at the Vrystaat Arts Festival becomes a fixture, that workshops spark new voices, and that audiences keep chasing the unfamiliar. If that happens, his time at the UFS will have opened doors for others to step through – inviting them to take part, not just to watch.

“Mennen’s journey from classical performance to experimental jazz exemplifies the courage and intellectual curiosity that drive creative excellence and lifelong learning. Jazz innovation thrives when artists move beyond performance to co-creation. His work demonstrates how experimentation can expand the boundaries of musical expression while making audiences active participants in the creative process. We congratulate Mennen on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to seeing his work continue to inspire audiences, emerging artists, and the future of jazz in South Africa,” remarks Prof Reddy.