Venice is preparing for a new series of workshops dedicated to design and drawing, aimed at families and children. From October 18, 2025 through April 2026, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection presents Drawing and Design: from line to idea, six appointments that are part of the activities reserved for members and members of the museum’s Family Card. The initiative, supported by OVS, focuses on the value of drawing as the first step in design and invites participants to reflect on the role of design in everyday life. The idea behind the project starts from a simple concept: drawing is a primary act, within everyone’s reach, but at the same time full of possibilities. It is the action that marks the transition from the abstract idea to its translation into a concrete form. From that gesture comes design, a discipline that combines creativity and functionality, capable of profoundly affecting material culture and transforming the way we inhabit spaces, work and relate to objects.
The history of design, as it is proposed in the path of the workshops, is also a tale of cultural contaminations. Throughout the 20th century, artists and designers helped redefine the boundary between art and industrial production. Giacomo Balla, for example, brought Futurist poetics to fashion and furniture; Salvador Dalí tried his hand at designing furniture and graphics; Lucio Fontana made ceramics that combined material experimentation and aesthetics. At the same time, with industrial development, design entered the dimension of mass production, taking on a more accessible and widespread character. No longer reserved for an elite, it established itself as a tool capable of combining utility and aesthetics. In this context, figures such as Achille Castiglioni, Gio Ponti, Carlo Scarpa and EttoreSottsass left an important mark, contributing to the construction of an imagery that combines formal poetry and concreteness. Through their work, design was consolidated as a language capable of dialoguing with architecture, art and industry, affecting daily habits and the perception of inhabited space.
The cycle Drawing and Design: from line to idea aims to offer children and their families an immersive experience, made up of hands-on activities and moments of discovery. In the six scheduled workshops, participants will have the opportunity to go through the different stages of the creative process, observing how an idea can be translated into a project and, subsequently, into a concrete object. The well-established formula follows that of previous editions of workshops offered by the museum, with the collaboration of local institutions and professionals. In this new cycle, too, the experience and skills provided by figures active in the cultural and design fields enrich the offer, making it varied and stimulating. The presence of qualified operators, capable of guiding families and children, aims to make the course accessible and at the same time educational. The meetings are aimed especially at boys and girls between the ages of six and 10, together with their parents. Participation is reserved for holders of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection Family Card.
Drawing remains the common thread throughout the cycle: both as a technique, but also as a universal tool that unites young and old, professionals and amateurs. Drawing is, in fact, the most immediate way of translating an idea, communicating it and giving it a first tangible form. From there begins every design process, whether it is the creation of an object, a space or an artistic work. The choice to focus on design also reflects the importance of this discipline in contemporary society. While it might once have been considered an elitist field or limited to the production of signature objects, today design permeates everyday life. Everyday objects, living spaces and working tools are the result of design reflections that aim to combine aesthetics and functionality. Understanding design thus also means reading society through its material forms.
For information and reservations, interested families can contact the museum at membership@guggenheim-venice.it or at 041.2405429 and 041.2405440.
 |
| Drawing and design at the Guggenheim in Venice: a series of workshops for families with the Family Card |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
