Summer Camps 2025

“Eserciti di terracotta”
In collaboration with artist Chiara Camoni and the Centro di Sperimentazione collective

From June 10 to 28, 2024, Pirelli HangarBicocca hosted its summer camps for children aged 7 to 11: a unique opportunity to engage with contemporary art, explore the vast exhibition spaces, and work alongside the Centro di Sperimentazione collective founded by artist Chiara Camoni.

The theme “Eserciti di terracotta” recalls the astonishing archaeological discovery in China of more than 8,000 terracotta soldiers—now considered a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The wonder of the unexpected, a passion for archaeology, the playful process of creating an infinite multitude of characters from a fragile material like terracotta, and the endless possibilities of storytelling combined with the transformative power of clay were among the central themes of the camp. As Camoni herself says:
"A ball of clay can be both a beginning and an end: a ball, a warrior, a bear, a castle, the entire universe—and a ball once again..."

Conceived and developed by Chiara Camoni together with the Centro di Sperimentazione collective and the Arts Tutors of Pirelli HangarBicocca, the project was inspired by her temporary exhibition “Chiamare a raduno. Sorelle. Falene e fiammelle. Ossa di leonesse, pietre e serpentesse.”—a poetic journey through her connection with nature, people, everyday objects, and the passage of time. Walking through her works feels like moving across different historical periods, with occasional leaps into the worlds of fairy tales and magic.

Each day, children took part in activities that combined artistic expression and the natural world, emphasizing the importance of wonder. Through hands-on clay work, they discovered how imagination and creativity can make the impossible possible.

Through expressive activities, games, books, and local outings, participants became true ceramicists: inventors of fantastic clay creatures starring in collaborative stories. Like a great collective artwork, the characters created over the three weeks came together at Pirelli HangarBicocca to form a new and original terracotta army.

Children aged 7 to 11 were welcomed each morning by the Arts Tutors of Pirelli HangarBicocca, who guided them on a journey of discovery, wonder, and new challenges to be faced with fun and imagination.

The Pirelli HangarBicocca summer camps, along with weekend creative workshops and Family Labs, were part of the Edu Summer 2024 program, which connects children and young people of different ages with experts from various fields of knowledge.

Chiara Camoni primarily works with drawing, sculpture, plant-based printing, and video to explore the expression of thought through form and the collective generation of meaning. Her works are rooted in the idea of flow and fusion within the everyday, where the current of daily life pauses and emerges in meaningful, autonomous forms. Her pieces are often created in collaboration with friends and family—members of what she calls her extended studio or “Centro di Sperimentazione.”

"Mappa del paese delle emozioni"

In collaboration with artist Rebecca Moccia

From June 12 to 30, 2023, Pirelli HangarBicocca hosted its summer camps for children aged 7 to 11: a unique opportunity to engage with contemporary art, explore the vast exhibition spaces, and work alongside artist Rebecca Moccia.

The project, titled “Mappa del paese delle emozioni”, revolved around the idea that the spaces around us—their surfaces, sounds, temperature, functions, and history—possess emotional qualities that can evoke specific sensations or feelings in those who explore them.

Conceived and developed by Rebecca Moccia together with the Arts Tutors of Pirelli HangarBicocca, the project was inspired by the temporary exhibition “Grand Bal” by Ann Veronica Janssens. Through her use of light, color, mirrors, air, and artificial fog, Janssens transforms the perception of space and architecture, inviting visitors to experience reality with all their senses.

Each day, children engaged in activities that combined art and technology, focusing on bodily experience and perception to explore the visible—and especially invisible—characteristics of the museum space.

Through expressive activities, games, books, and local outings, participants became true “emotion explorers”, collectively narrating their journey through the museum’s various spaces. They created an emotional map—an imaginary cartography of Pirelli HangarBicocca—that expressed their personal and shared relationships with the space as they experienced it.
Children were welcomed each morning by the Arts Tutors, who guided them on a journey of discovery, wonder, and new challenges to be faced with fun and imagination.

Rebecca Moccia (Naples, 1992) lives and works in Milan. Her transdisciplinary practice explores the materiality of perceptive and emotional states that can arise from specific characteristics of physical and social spaces. Her works have been exhibited in solo and group shows at various institutions, including Jupiter Woods (London), the Italian Cultural Institute (Brussels), Fondazione Morra Greco (Naples), Mazzoleni (London-Turin), Museo Novecento (Florence), and Fondazione Antonio Ratti (Como). In 2021, she was awarded an international research grant from the Italian Council (Ministry of Culture, DGCC), which included residencies in London, New York, and Tokyo, in collaboration with Outset England, Magazzino Italian Art, the Italian Embassy in Tokyo, and Fondazione ICA Milano, which will host her solo exhibition curated by Chiara Nuzzi. Rebecca Moccia is also a founding member of AWI – Art Workers Italia, an association advocating for the rights of art workers.

“Tuttoattaccato”
In collaboration with the artist duo The Cool Couple

From June 13 to July 1, 2022, Pirelli HangarBicocca hosted its summer camps for children aged 7 to 11: a unique opportunity to engage with contemporary art, explore the vast exhibition spaces, and work alongside some of the most interesting young Italian artists as part of the Edu Summer 2022 program.

The project, titled “Tuttoattaccato” revolved around the idea of an ecosystem in which everything around us is connected and interlinked. Conceived and developed by the artist duo The Cool Couple together with the Arts Tutors of Pirelli HangarBicocca, the project was inspired by the temporary exhibition “Metaspore” by Anicka Yi, which reveals how all beings—living and even non-living—share a common, interconnected world that can be explored through our senses.

Each day, children engaged in activities that combined the languages of art, science, and technology to imagine and create fantastic, unexplored planets together with the artists. Through expressive activities, games, books, and local outings, they discovered how everything around us is the result of relationships and connections—and how art and science together can help us imagine new possible futures.

Children aged 7 to 11 were welcomed each morning by the Arts Tutors of Pirelli HangarBicocca, who guided them on a journey of discovery, wonder, and new challenges to be faced with fun and imagination.

The Cool Couple (TCC) is an artist duo based in Milan, founded in 2012 by Niccolò Benetton (1986) and Simone Santilli (1987). Their research focuses on the everyday relationship between people and images, and through a multidisciplinary approach, they explore how images influence the way we think, see, and act upon the world. TCC teach at NABA, Milan, and are Course Leaders of the BA in Visual Arts at MADE Program, Syracuse.

“Racconti dal futuro”
In collaboration with artist Rachele Maistrello and filmmaker duo Kinonauts

From June 9 to 11, artist Rachele Maistrello guided children on a journey of discovery through the local area, engaging in dialogue with its inhabitants and uncovering new connections between the museum space and its surroundings.

During the weekly camps from June 14 to July 2, the filmmaker duo Kinonauts explored with participants the languages, techniques, and secrets of cinema. Children and young participants took on the challenge of designing and creating all the elements needed—from costumes and sets to props and directing—to produce short films blending documentary and science fiction storytelling.

Children aged 7 to 11 were welcomed each morning by the Arts Tutors of Pirelli HangarBicocca, who accompanied them on a journey of discovery, wonder, and new challenges to be faced with fun and imagination.

Rachele Maistrello (1986) is an Italian artist who studied at IUAV in Venice, the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and ZHdK (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste) in Zurich. In 2020, she won the Graziadei Prize and the Art4Future Prize by Unicredit, and was an artist-in-residence at MAMbo (Nuovo Forno del Pane). In 2019, she was invited to the Inside Out Museum in Beijing for their residency program. In 2018, she received the Movin’Up and NCTM e l’arte awards, and was selected for Plat(t)form at Fotomuseum Winterthur. In 2017, she won the ABITARE grant, commissioned by MiBACT, the Museum of Cinisello Balsamo, and Triennale Milano.

Kinonauts is a filmmaker duo founded in 2014 in Venice by Matteo Primiterra (1985) and Matteo Stocco (1986). Their work focuses on observing dynamics of contemporary society through a hybrid cinematic lens, blending video art and documentary languages across various digital platforms. They have taught at IUAV Venice and Ca’ Foscari University and participated in several international artist residencies. Their projects include RedHero in Mongolia, Guwahati Research Program in India, and Los Caminos del Café in Cuba. They have collaborated with scientific, marine, and academic research institutions in the Venice lagoon area, including the Global Campus of Human Rights, Microclima, Ocean Space, ISMAR, and BTM. In 2019, they co-founded Tele-spazio, a cultural and design space, together with other visual communication professionals.

“Capanne: piccoli luoghi speciali”
A project by Alice Ronchi in collaboration with the Arts Tutors of Pirelli HangarBicocca

The project titled “Capanne: piccoli luoghi speciali” was inspired by the major exhibition “Remains” by Sheela Gowda, which explored the theme of temporary shelter as both an individual and collective space. Starting from Gowda’s idea of refuge as a place of protection, Alice Ronchi and the Arts Tutors of Pirelli HangarBicocca invited children to create their own personal hut using a variety of shapes, colors, and materials, guided by their own sensitivity and imagination. This constellation of temporary homes came together to form a single village—a shared space filled with countless stories, dreams, and desires.

Each day, children experimented with different design methods—drawing, collage, painting, photography—and construction techniques, including material selection, assembly methods, and interior decoration.

Costruzione, collaborazione, protezione e gioco were the key themes of the project, which included both individual moments—within the  small special places created—and collective exchanges in a playful and exploratory atmosphere.

The week’s activities also included workshops related to the exhibition “CITTÀDIMILANO” by Giorgio Andreotta Calò, as well as organized outings around the city of Milan.

Alice Ronchi (1989) is an artist living and working in Milan. She graduated in 2012 from the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan and in 2015 from the Sandberg Instituut in Amsterdam. In her work, everyday objects meet the world of invention and imagination. The pursuit of meraviglia is a constant theme in her practice, populated by familiar yet enigmatic figures, shaped through her own abstract reinterpretation. Balancing between playfulness and minimalism, her work is a perfect synthesis of formal rigor and expressive simplicity. Using a range of media—from sculpture to photography, performance to video—Ronchi explores reality with a curious and attentive gaze, offering us her magical vision of the world.

Molti Mondi: Games for the Creation of New Universes

A project by Roberto Fassone in collaboration with the Educational Department

The project “Molti Mondi: Games for the Creation of New Universes” was conceived and developed by artist Roberto Fassone (Asti, 1986) in collaboration with the Educational Department. It guided children and young participants through an original and thought-provoking “game,” where the rules became a starting point to explore artistic themes and languages, while experimenting with their own creative and expressive abilities.

The activities, led by the Arts Tutors of Pirelli HangarBicocca, took inspiration from the large-scale exhibition “The Feeling of Things” by Matt Mullican, which featured hundreds of works—sculptures, installations, photographs, drawings, and paintings—arranged to form a universe with its own rules, colors, classifications, languages, and symbols.

Building on Mullican’s concept of “world,” Fassone invited participants to engage in a true “game for the creation of new universes,” which, through playful and creative activities, led them to invent their own unique and original worlds—complete with colors, languages, flags, dances, costumes, plants, and animals. Each day, children explored different ways of “making art,” from drawing to performance, writing to photography, using a variety of techniques under the guidance of the artist and the Arts Tutors.

Creating a “new world” tailored to their imagination was also an opportunity to introduce children to the way artists think—helping them understand, in a playful and exploratory environment, the processes behind the creation of a creative project or artwork.

The week’s activities also included workshops related to the exhibition “The Dream Machine is Asleep” by Eva Kot’átková, as well as organized outings around the city of Milan.

Roberto Fassone (b. 1986) lives and works in Florence. In recent years, he has performed, exhibited, and presented his work in Italy and abroad at institutions such as Naturhistorisches Museum Bern; MOCAK, Krakow; Carroll/Fletcher, London; ZKM, Karlsruhe; ZHdK, Zurich; MARS Gallery, Melbourne; MAMbo, Bologna; Mart, Rovereto; and Fanta Spazio, Milan. He describes his practice as follows:
"Part of my research is about designing works that can be described in a few words. The other part of my research explains how to develop such works, but it’s impossible to describe in a few words." In his workshops—held at institutions such as ZKM in Karlsruhe and OGR in Turin—Fassone engages adults, children, and teenagers in practical activities and performances that reveal their creative and expressive potential. In 2016, he developed a software called sibi, which allows users of all ages to create their own artwork through ever-changing constraints and instructions.

“ARTE DA SCOPRIRE”

The summer camps at Pirelli HangarBicocca, dedicated to children aged 7 to 12, became a fascinating exploration of the work of Italian artist Rosa Barba and Polish artist Miroslaw Balka.

Children and young participants had fun discovering and experimenting with the captivating cinematic language of 35mm and 16mm film and the kinetic sculptures of Rosa Barba. Beyond sight, they engaged all their senses—because, as Miroslaw Balka states, visiting an exhibition is not just about seeing: “It is the body that becomes the main protagonist of the visitor’s experience within the exhibition space.”

The children delved into the imaginative worlds of Rosa Barba and Miroslaw Balka, engaging with the evocative power of their artworks.

Both artists embraced the opportunity to “play” with the space of Pirelli HangarBicocca: the films and sculptures in Rosa Barba’s exhibition “From Source to Poem to Rhythm to Reader” and the immersive installations in Miroslaw Balka’s major retrospective “CROSSOVER/S” entered into a dialogue with the industrial architecture of the exhibition venue, challenging the visitors’ entire sensory perception.

In addition to the creative and hands-on activities designed by the Educational Department of Pirelli HangarBicocca, each week included moments of play and recreation, as well as two field trips to cultural institutions in the city of Milan to complement the experiences within the exhibition space.

“Arte o Scienza?”

Children and young participants experienced a new way of engaging with artworks within an exhibition space. Carsten Höller presents sculptures, videos, photographs, and immersive environments, along with installations that invite active visitor participation and works based on optical experiments that stimulate perception.

Participants explored the imaginative world of Carsten Höller, who, in addition to being an internationally renowned artist, has a scientific background that deeply informs his artistic practice. Drawing in particular from his studies in phytopathology and perception, Höller transforms architectural space into a disorienting environment, where art becomes a tool for reflecting on both human nature and the role of the viewer within an exhibition.

The program “Arte o Scienza?” ran for three consecutive weeks, each dedicated to a specific age group.

The weekly summer camps, designed for children aged 7 to 12, were inspired by the themes of Höller’s exhibition “Doubt” and offered a unique blend of creative exploration and scientific curiosity. In addition to the “Arte o Scienza?” summer camps, the educational program expanded to include a new format: the “Arte e Città” artist-led workshop, part of the “Outside the Cube” initiative. This three-day workshop was designed for teenagers aged 13 to 17 and focused on Street Art and artistic practices connected to urban and public spaces.

“ARTI E MISTERI”

The summer camps at Pirelli HangarBicocca, dedicated to children aged 7 to 12, became a fascinating journey into the artistic universes of Spanish artist Juan Muñoz and Mexican artist Damián Ortega.

Children and young participants discovered that artworks are not always what they seem: optical illusions, perspective tricks, and spatial distortions were just some of the elements that challenged their perception and sparked their curiosity throughout the camp.

They explored the imaginative worlds of Muñoz and Ortega—two artists who constantly engage in dialogue with other disciplines and the cultural traditions of their respective countries. Their works ignited the imagination and creativity of the young visitors. Both artists love to “play” with the viewer in ironic and surprising ways, inviting children to uncover the “tricks” hidden within their installations.

Each week included moments of play and recreation, along with two half-day outings in the Bicocca neighborhood, designed to support and enrich the activities carried out within the exhibition space.

“L’arte in tutti i sensi”

The summer camps at Pirelli HangarBicocca, dedicated to children aged 7 to 12, became a fascinating exploration of the magical world of Brazilian artist Cildo Meireles.

Participants discovered that an artwork is not just something to look at—it’s something to experience with all the senses: taste, smell, touch, and hearing. Each sense plays a vital role in enriching our understanding of art and the reality that surrounds us.

Throughout the week, children engaged with the materials used by Meireles in his grand retrospective: plaster, charcoal, wax, water, glass, eggs, and even the sounds of radios became central elements in group activities, sparking curiosity and creativity.

In addition to being guided by the Arts Tutors from the Educational Department, participants were supported by experts who introduced them to the sensory dimensions of art and the secrets of the materials.

Each week also included moments of play and recreation, along with two half-day outings in the Bicocca neighborhood, designed to complement and enrich the activities held within Pirelli HangarBicocca’s exhibition space.

“Non solo arte!”

The summer camps at Pirelli HangarBicocca, dedicated to children aged 7 to 12, offered a unique opportunity to explore the secrets and mysteries of some of the most fascinating professions in the world of contemporary art—and beyond.
Inspired by the monumental installations of Mike Kelley, hosted at Pirelli HangarBicocca and characterized by a fusion of diverse artistic techniques, participants transformed each day into something new: sculptors, actors, screenwriters, photographers, costume designers, architects—guided by professionals from each field and the Arts Tutors of the Educational Department.

For the first time, children had the chance to experience, in just one week, a variety of professional roles—some perhaps only dreamed of—alternating with moments of play and recreation.

Each week also included three half-day outings within the Bicocca neighborhood, designed to support and enrich the activities carried out inside Pirelli HangarBicocca.

“A TUTTO CINEMA!”

From Monday to Friday, participants became a real film crew.

Pirelli HangarBicocca and the MIC – Museo Interattivo del Cinema were transformed into extraordinary locations—true film studios—where the production, shooting, and post-production of a short film took place. But what was the film about? The subject and screenplay were created by the participants themselves, drawing inspiration from some of the most iconic and beautiful scenes in cinema history, preserved in the Film Archive of the Cineteca Italiana.

The set was coordinated by young filmmakers, graduates of Milano Cinema e Televisione, who guided the children through every phase of the creative process.

Each day was structured around a variety of activities, alternating with moments of play and recreation.