WRO Biennale (wro2019.wrocenter.pl) is in full swing. You have until the end of the year to see all the exhibitions and go to the accompanying events. It is worth getting acquainted with the program of the entire event, because there is a lot to choose from for both small and large ones. Especially the youngest have a great opportunity to get in touch with art for the first time, because hardly anyone, like Magdalena Kreis from the WRO Art Center, is able to encourage children to visit museums and galleries. Magdalena, the curator of Mały WRO, together with Piotr Krajewski, artistic director of the WRO Biennale, wanted a guide to the works from this year’s edition of the Biennale and the older ones, starting from 1989. WRO celebrates 30 years of existence this year, so the selection of works and the number of people it was not accidental. As they wanted, they did so.
For children from kids
It started with a question posed two years ago in the previous Little WRO Guide: “Maybe you will be the curator of Little WRO 2019?”. 30 families – parents and children – that is 15 couples were invited to participate in the project. 15 works from the current edition of the Biennale and 15 archival works have been selected. Each family received two jobs. The aim was to show that, despite the passage of time, works do not cease to be relevant. And… the fun started.
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The guide is so Japanese. It is great
The publication is a free material accompanying visiting the WRO Biennale exhibitions. The large format of the Guide and the paper on which it was printed deserve a plus. It is thick, quite stiff, so it won’t wear out quickly. Malwina Hajduk is responsible for the graphic design. Photographs of works of art and the thoughts of children and their parents are neatly woven here. In addition, children’s drawings and tasks for small users of the Guide. They provoke thinking, family conversations, even not necessarily about art as such. Do the authors of the Guide like the end result? As one of the boys said: “The guide is very nice with interesting graphics and there is so much green and green is one of my favorite colors. The effect is great! I took the guidebook to the school and the Lady allowed me to tell me about what it is and how it was created. The guide was liked by all the children in the class. Another child is also not hiding his joy: “It was very nice to see your statements in the guide and to be invited to the opening of the exhibition. I felt honored. I was glad to be famous. ” This should encourage you to a trip to Wrocław and to the WRO Biennale exhibitions :).
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I like. I just like it!
What was the work on the Guide like? Has it changed the parent’s and child’s approach to art? Most of all, the fun was great! This is emphasized by all the creators of the Little WRO Guide. As one of the participants of the project adds: “I liked the most when we talked with my mother about how we understand these works and my mother had a different opinion all the time and we argued a bit. I like to draw, so I made a lot of drawings but in the end we chose one for each work. Mum wrote what we talked about because she is doing better. It was much cooler than school homework. I really had a lot of fun doing it. ” Each couple developed a different system of work, a different method of analyzing a given work. One of the girls describes it like this: “I drew and wrote poems, and my mother wrote reflections on the work, and I replied my own”. Another family had this way of working: “But the videos were fun. Each of us described our impressions separately. We helped each other. ” Various methods, but excellent effect. Maybe because nothing was imposed by the originators. Everyone had a free hand and could describe, draw and rhyme. As a result, the Guide is colorful and diverse.
It was fun and a bit boring
Contemporary art is a difficult topic. Not only for children, but also for adults. As one of the parents, the creator of the Guide, says: “Contemporary art very often tells about what surrounds us in quite an alternative way. And I think that is what should encourage parents to visit such exhibitions. This is a great opportunity to talk to your child about how they understand the world and the exhibitions they watch.
Magdalena Kreis and Piotr Krajewski tried to bring it closer to contemporary art by creating a Guidebook. Bring them closer not only to the youngest, but also to their parents. You don’t have to be an expert or art connoisseur to go to galleries and museums. One of the parents who participated in the project put it very well, saying that when analyzing contemporary art with a child, they focus on feelings and associations.
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Art is cool
In order not to be bored with the kids in museums or galleries, initiatives such as the Little WRO Guide should be created. One of the parents says that “Creating such a guide is a great idea because it gives parents tangible evidence that contemporary art is also for children. You can use it by going to exhibitions, following in the footsteps of children who had the opportunity to see these works before. You can also get inspired or compare your own experiences with what is in the guide together with your children. It is a very nice initiative to start talking to children about contemporary art. ” This is probably the most important thing – to talk to children, not to be afraid of contemporary art, to inspire each other.
She reviewed and asked Dorota Belin
* The headings are quotes from the little authors of the Guide
Little WRO Guide
concept of the Guide and selection of works: Magdalena Kreis, Piotr Krajewski
editorial : Magdalena Kreis
graphic design: Malwina Hajduk
The guide is available free of charge as an addition to the exhibitions accompanying the WRO 2019 Biennale The Human Factor, WRO Art Center, ul. Widok 7, Wrocław
More information about the WRO 2019 Human Factor Biennale can be found HERE
We encourage you to read our other reviews, for example the audiobook of the Młyn Theater Foundation “Jak an elephant liked going to kindergarten”