Groninger Museum to stage major international children’s exhibition in 2021

The Netherlands’ first ever Children’s Biennale, a large interactive art exhibition made for and by kids, will take place at the Groninger Museum from 24 April through 31 October 2021. Young people will take part in every aspect of the show’s creation. The Children’s Biennale is being organised in partnership with primary schools, regional organisations and the National Gallery Singapore. Noteworthy artists will contribute work.

Young ambassadors from across Groningen province will be selected with support from regional partners Kunst & Cultuur Groningen, Jongeren Incorporated, and IVAK, the cultural network of the towns of Delfzijl, Appingedam and Loppersum. In the run-up to the exhibition, they will help to write information signs for the artworks, plan the marketing, and select merchandise for the museum shop. They will witness the technical construction of the exhibition, help to determine its layout, and learn how to be a tour guide. Perhaps best of all, they will visit participating artists’ studios and, where possible, help them to produce works for the show.

Through this innovative educational approach, the Groninger Museum aims to give a young audience valuable new experiences and to learn from young people at the same time. Online reporting will be an important aspect of the ambassadors’ experience and participation. They will create content about the show and share it with the world on the Biennale website.

Every artwork in the Children’s Biennale will invite interaction, participation and creation. Through doing, discovering, making and looking, visitors will actively engage with art in a variety of ways. They might help to build a continually changing work, contribute to a digital presentation, or physically move inside an installation.

The Children’s Biennale was developed by the National Gallery Singapore, which held the first one in May 2017 with great success.