As part of its role as Supporter of the Educational Activities of Biennale Arte 2026, IBSA Foundation for scientific research is offering secondary schools Happiness2.0 – Social media use, AI and wellbeing in adolescence, an experiential workshop that brings together scientific research, art and creativity to reflect on the relationship between young people, digital technology and wellbeing.
Among the educational activities of the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh, is Happiness2.0 – Social media use, AI and wellbeing in adolescence, the workshop developed by IBSA Foundation for scientific research and aimed at lower and upper secondary schools, available from 29 September to 22 November.
The initiative is part of the activities promoted by the Foundation in its role as Supporter of the Educational Activities of Biennale Arte 2026 and aims to offer students an opportunity to reflect, through an interdisciplinary approach, on the relationship between identity, social media, artificial intelligence and wellbeing.
INFORMATION & BOOKINGS
Tuning in to "minor keys" in a world of notifications
The workshop was developed in dialogue with the themes of In Minor Keys, the exhibition curated by Koyo Kouoh, which invites visitors to slow down and listen to those "minor keys" that are often drowned out by the noise of the present. By placing people, care, relationships and our connection to the world around us at the centre, the exhibition offers a reflection that naturally resonates with Happiness2.0.
There is, in fact, a deep connection between the path envisioned by Kouoh and the questions the workshop poses to young people: while In Minor Keys invites us to value what usually stays in the background, digital technology tends to push in the opposite direction, encouraging immediate response, constant exposure and a continuous flow of stimuli. Happiness2.0 therefore invites young people to pause, observe their relationship with technology more consciously, and reflect on how social media and artificial intelligence shape their identity, relationships and personal wellbeing. Selected works from the exhibition become the starting point for a journey that brings contemporary art and scientific research into dialogue, offering participants new tools to understand and navigate the challenges of adolescence in the digital age with greater awareness.
An experiential workshop
The session, lasting around two hours, combines a visit to the exhibition with a hands-on, participatory workshop structured in three stages.
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It begins with a scientific introduction and a guided discussion on real and virtual identity, social media use, artificial intelligence and their influence on the development of personality, relationships and wellbeing in adolescence.
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This is followed by the creation of a personal mask: each participant starts from the same base, a white mask, which is then personalised with different colours and materials, turning it into a representation of their own identity. The mask thus becomes a metaphor for reflecting on how one presents oneself online, on what one chooses to show, and on what instead belongs to a more authentic dimension of the self.
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The workshop closes with the wellbeing pyramid, a moment of collective sharing and reflection that helps students identify the main factors contributing to their wellbeing and pinpoint concrete strategies for a more balanced and conscious relationship with digital technology.
A project in constant evolution
Founded in Lugano in 2024, Happiness2.0 is today one of IBSA Foundation's leading educational projects dedicated to digital wellbeing.
Over the years, the workshop has been progressively expanded, broadening its content to include artificial intelligence and reaching increasingly diverse settings: from secondary schools in Ticino to the Venice Biennale International Kids' Carnival, and on to Barcelona and Boston. Each experience has helped strengthen a format that places dialogue with young people and the promotion of a more conscious use of digital technologies at its core.
Joining the Educational programme of the Biennale Arte 2026 marks a further step in the project's growth and confirms IBSA Foundation's commitment to promoting initiatives that bring scientific research, art and education into dialogue.
