The University of Salford Art Collection are thrilled to announce Manchester based artist Omid Asadi has been selected as the latest artist-in-residence at Energy House 2.0. This residency has been commissioned by the University of Salford Art Collection and will run from Spring 2026 until the end of the year.
Located on Fredrick Road campus, Energy House 2.0 opened in 2023 with two large-scale laboratories capable of recreating 95% of the world’s weather, with temperatures ranging from -23C to 51C, as well as solar gain, wind, rain, and snow.
The Energy House team first met Omid when they supported his solo show with our partners at Castlefield Gallery, by helping to source local recycled building materials for example, recovered bricks from demolished houses. The resulting installation Resonance and Remnants (2023) was informed by Asadi’s experiences of revisiting locations of family homes destroyed due war or the supposed re-development of the area.
Concepts of memory, environment and identity exist at the centre of Asadi’s practice, which encompasses mediums such as installation and sculpture to video and performance. Asadi will work closely with the team over the next coming months to create new work in response to the pioneering retrofit research that is being carried out at this world-leading facility, focussing on a recreated 1930s’ era house.
On preparing for this opportunity Asadi says:
“It’s great to be part of this programme with University of Salford Art Collection and Energy House. The opportunity to witness the reconstruction and building of a house inside the chamber, connected to the 1930s, is particularly fascinating. I’ve always been interested in the idea of home and places that no longer exist, so this context feels especially meaningful for me. I’m really looking forward to studying the space more closely and working alongside people from different fields over the coming months.”
Grant Henshaw, Research Fellow, Energy House 2.0:
“It’s great to be working with Omid again through this new artist residency. His work has a really thoughtful way of connecting materials, place and personal stories, which makes him a fantastic fit for Energy House Labs. With construction of our new Retrofit Centre about to begin, we’re excited to see how Omid responds to the space and the research behind improving our homes, and how his work can help bring those ideas to new audiences.”
Stephanie Fletcher, Curator, University of Salford Art Collection:
“Omid’s solo exhibition at Castlefield Gallery in 2023 was incredible. It has been fantastic to see his practice develop further since, and we’re delighted to be able to reconnect for this new residency. The recreated 1930’s house poses a unique new challenge and opportunity for artistic response, and builds on our previous series of Energy House residencies with Mishka Henner, Emily Speed (both 2023-2025) and McCoy Wynne (2021).”
This residency is delivered with support of our partners at Castlefield Gallery.
Omid Asadi
Omid Asadi, born in 1979 in Iran, navigates a diverse journey that intertwines past experiences with creative expression. After growing up in Iran, he ventured into engineering and boxing before embracing art’s calling.
Omid’s artistic ventures have spanned across national and international exhibitions, captivating audiences with his unique approach. His creative nucleus revolves around the concept of contrast, interwoven across mediums, materials, colours, textures, cultures, meanings, and nature. His work acts as a vital lens through which he examines the broader human condition, delving into complex, poignant issues such as immigration, identity, environment, and memory.
Energy House 2.0
We are pleased to announce a partnership with United Infrastructure who will deliver a full-scale 1930s retrofit property in Energy House 2.0.
It is the first part of our ambitious and vital Centre for Retrofit, which will research ways to best adapt old housing stock to make it more energy efficient and reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. The pioneering initial build will recreate a typical 1930s home to rigorously test and validate cutting-edge retrofit solutions the older UK housing stock. Designed to replicate the architectural and thermal properties of the era, the house will provide a controlled environment for evaluating insulation upgrades, low-carbon heating systems, and smart technologies.
New Retrofit Collaboration Launches at Energy House 2.0 | Energy House Labs | University of Salford
