What does a monster really represent? A real or fantastical creature, an image born of fear, or a form through which human beings are able to give substance to what they do not know?The 2026 edition of Scarabocchi—the festival dedicated to drawing and illustration, organized by the Fondazione Circolo dei lettori and Doppiozero—revolves around these questions. From Friday, September 18, to Sunday, September 20, the Complesso Monumentale del Broletto in Novara will become a large shared workshop where the theme of MONSTERS will be explored through drawing, literature, film, theater, comics, and philosophical reflection. The festival aims to invite us to view monstrous creatures not only as embodiments of fear, but as figures capable of challenging what we consider normal and opening new paths for the imagination. The monster, precisely because it is both familiar and foreign, shakes our certainties to the core. It is a presence that defies definition and that, through the simple and universal act of doodling, can transform into an image, a story, and a creative possibility. In Novara, children and adults are invited to share in this process, experimenting together with different forms and languages.
The opening of Scarabocchi 2026 is scheduled for Friday, September 18, in the Sala Arengo of the Broletto. At 6:00 p.m., psychoanalyst and essayist Massimo Recalcati will deliver a lecture dedicated to the meaning of the monstrous and its relationship to otherness. The focus of his talk will be on the monster’s ability to challenge the concept of normality and to probe human desire. The evening continues at 9:00 p.m. with a concert by Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti, who will perform their repertoire on stage alongside the visual and illustrated imagery that has always accompanied their music. Over the weekend, the Broletto will also host *Una tazza di mare in tempesta* (*A Cup of Stormy Sea*), a performance by Roberto Abbiati inspired by *Moby Dick*, which transports the audience into an evocative and visionary theatrical dimension.
A significant part of the program is dedicated to comics andillustration. On Saturday, September 19, at 3:00 p.m., Vanna Vinci will lead participants in a workshop focused on creating characters, settings, and fantastical worlds through drawing. On Sunday, September 20, at 10:30 a.m., Jerry Kramsky and Giovanna Durì will compare creatures from different imaginary worlds—from Mary Shelley’s Creature to the most ironic and grotesque monsters—to demonstrate just how broad the representation of the monstrous can be. At 11:30 a.m., Tolja Djokovic—author, director, and theater actress—will engage young explorers in a real-life field investigation: clues, drawings, and sightings will become the elements of a catalog dedicated to fantastical creatures.
Saturday, September 19, features a particularly rich schedule of activities for girls, boys, and families. The monster serves as a pretext for experimenting with materials, shapes, and techniques, transforming into a companion for play and invention. At 10:30 a.m., Mirabilia Project invites participants to create creatures inspired by pollution using recycled plastic materials. At 11:00 a.m., Veronica Carratello will guide participants in crafting ever-changing characters using stickers and paper plates. At the same time, Simona Mulazzani, together with Giovanna Durì, takes participants on a journey to discover the invisible creatures that inhabit the deep sea and the atmosphere. At 11:30 a.m., it’s Davide Toffolo’s turn, as he transforms the children’s descriptions into drawings right before their eyes. In the afternoon, at 3:30 p.m., Stefano Giorgi leads a painting workshop blending storytelling and imagination. At 4:00 p.m., Serena Mabilia presents *Il bambino tempesta* (The Storm Child), dedicated to emotions and stereotypes, while Mirabilia Project returns at 4:00 p.m. to create puppets from recycled materials. Veronica Martiradonna closes out the afternoon program at 4:30 p.m. with an experimental art workshop that will evolve into a group exhibition.
The festival also offers opportunities for reflection geared toward adults. At 10:30 a.m., Gabriella Giandelli leads *Il mostro sono io* (*I Am the Monster*), inviting participants to transform their self-portraits into creatures capable of expressing their characteristics, fears, and desires. At 11:00 a.m., Guido Scarabottolo, in *I Am a Monster*, uses masks to explore identity, transformation, and self-deprecating humor. In the afternoon, at 3:00 p.m., Vanna Vinci presents *Who Is the Monster and Where Does It Live?*, a journey through iconography and literature that also provides the tools to create one’s own graphic novel. At 4:00 p.m., Maddalena Mazzocut Mis and Giovanna Durì will explore the theme of “Monstrosity Between Science and Art,” drawing on history, philosophy, and the visual arts to analyze the role of the monster in defining and testing the boundaries of humanity.
The program for Sunday, September 20, continues with new activities aimed at various age groups. At 10:30 a.m., Mirabilia Project once again offers a workshop dedicated to creative upcycling, while Margherita Mattotti leads “Nascondimostri,” in which small creatures take shape inside black boxes transformed into secret hideouts.
At 11:30 a.m. , Tolja Djokovic returns with “AAA: Monster Lovers Wanted,” a workshop dedicated to creating a catalog of fantastical creatures. In the afternoon, at 3:30 p.m., Sergio Ruzzier draws inspiration from Maurice Sendak’s *Where the Wild Things Are*, published by Adelphi, to lead *My Very Own Monster*, inviting each participant to invent a personal creature. At 4:00 p.m., Giovanna Durì offers an experience inspired by the surrealist game “Exquisite Corpse”: the monster gradually takes shape through the collaboration of all participants. At 4:30 p.m., meanwhile, Mirabilia Project engages audiences of all ages in “Down with the Monster Wall!,” a collective action that symbolically concludes the journey built throughout the festival by tearing down the “Monster Wall.”
Sunday also offers numerous events for adults. At 10 a.m., Roberto Gallaurese presents *Matinée: Monsters in the Movies*, an exploration of the most famous creatures in film history and how they have represented fears, transformations, and social changes. At 10:30 a.m., Giovanna Durì and Jerry Kramsky present *La guerra dei mostri* (The War of the Monsters), comparing different representations of the monstrous. At 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Iolanda Stocchi leads two sessions of *Che tipo di mostro sei?*(What Kind of Monster Are You ?), a journey of personal exploration through drawing, sand, and sharing. At 3:00 p.m., Gianfranco Marrone and Alessandro Bonaccorsi, in *Drawing Monsters Is Easy*, will reflect on the meaning of the monstrous figure through drawing, creating a small group exhibition.
Closing out the three-day event at 6:00 p.m. is *Mostri. Inno all’infanzia* by Compagnia Luna and GNAC Teatro. The performance transforms the monster into a metaphor for growth, freedom, and imagination, and concludes the festival with a message dedicated to diversity and the creative power of childhood.
“The Monster is an excess, and, as myths and fairy tales teach us, it can belong to extra-human realms, beyond our reach. The Monster is a marvelous being, but also a terrifying one. It is what Freud calls ‘the uncanny’—that is, something that disturbs us and, precisely for this reason, both unsettles and attracts us at the same time. Being afraid of, or instilling fear through, a Monster is a pleasurable and often thrilling game. “With this edition of Scarabocchi, we want to explore them together—through gatherings, workshops, and performances—because the Monster continues to challenge us and, perhaps, still has something to teach us,” explains Marco Belpoliti, curator of Scarabocchi and editorial director of Doppiozero.
“Monsters have fascinated us since we were children: who hasn’t played with dinosaurs or been enchanted by certain fairy tales, only to perhaps discover as an adult that sea monster known as Moby Dick or the protagonist of *The Silence of the Lambs*? In any case, engaging with monsters helps us better understand ourselves, in an era in which, moreover, we humans continue to commit monstrous acts time and again,” states Giuseppe Culicchia, director of the Fondazione Circolo dei lettori.
“Scarabocchi represents one of the most original expressions of a culture capable of breaking free from traditional boundaries, connecting with people, and transforming curiosity into participation. And it is particularly significant that all of this is taking place in Novara, in an extraordinary venue like the Broletto, involving children, families, artists, and leading figures in contemporary culture,” commented Marina Chiarelli, Councilor for Culture of the Piedmont Region. “The Circolo dei lettori plays a fundamental role in this endeavor. The presence of its Novara branch serves as an important cultural hub for the city and the entire region, part of a regional project that, starting from Turin, has successfully expanded its reach and created opportunities for connection, exploration, and participation in other parts of Piedmont as well. We want to make a specific cultural investment in young people: to bring them ever closer to books, reading, and cultural venues. A young person who reads is a young person who acquires the tools to understand the world, develop independent thinking, and imagine their own future. For this reason, bringing books and culture into the daily lives of the younger generations is not merely a cultural policy but a choice that concerns the future of Piedmont. “Scarabocchi,” with its ability to speak even to the youngest children through various forms of expression, perfectly embodies this vision. The theme of monsters chosen for this edition also serves as a clever way to address our times: our fears, our differences, the unknown, and the boundaries we often erect. Novara has all the qualities needed to play an increasingly prominent role in Piedmont’s cultural life, and the presence of the Circolo dei lettori contributes significantly to this ambition. Investing in culture means investing in the identity, appeal, and future of our regions. And this is the path that, as the Piedmont Region, we want to continue pursuing.”
“Scarabocchi. My First Festival” is a project by Doppiozero and the Circolo dei Lettori Foundation, under the patronage of the City of Novara, with the support of the Piedmont Region, and with contributions from the CRT Foundation, the Cariplo Foundation, and the De Agostini Foundation, the Banca Popolare di Novara Foundation; in partnership with CNA Piemonte Nord; with technical partners Italgrafica and Ombrellificio Carlo Guidetti; and special thanks to Libreria Lazzarelli and the Carlo Negroni Civic Library.
For the complete program, please visit the official website at scarabocchifestival.it
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| The Scarabocchi Festival Returns to Novara: Three Days Dedicated to Monsters Through Art, Drawing, and Imagination |
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