IBSA Foundation was at the 17th Venice Biennale International Kids’ Carnival with its HappyLabs: engaging workshops for kids and adults that looked into the relationship between identity, wellbeing and the digital world.
Venice, 12-13 February – The initiative was included in the educational programme for the Venice Biennale as part of the collaboration between IBSA Foundation and Biennale Educational, which has seen the Foundation becoming a Supporter of the Educational Activities of Biennale Arte 2026. The masks, creativity and transformation associated with the symbolic setting of the carnival provided plenty of scope to think about who we are, both online and offline.
Organised in tandem with Lugano Living Lab, the HappyLab workshops were part of the Happiness2.0 project. They combined not only art and science, but also in-depth discussions and practical activities. Experts from the fields of psychology and communication guided participants through a process of reflection on emotions, how the digital experience works, and the factors that influence identity development during adolescence.
Masks, values and sharing views: the HappyLab experience
The creative focal point was a masks workshop: a chance for the young participants to have fun and use their handicraft skills to give visual form to their digital identities. The masks that they made served as concrete symbols of the many facets of the Self and triggered an open debate about the meaning of authenticity in a social environment where external expectations have a huge impact.
The process was brought to a close by the wellbeing pyramid, which gave everyone a chance to come together and think about personal values and the concept of happiness. The participants were encouraged to reflect on what feeling good means to them and to contemplate the connections between needs, priorities and behaviour in the real and digital worlds.
As part of a carnival featuring international cultural institutions and new educational formats, the HappyLabs provided opportunities to compare experiences, raise awareness and engage in discussions. They underlined IBSA Foundation’s commitment to promoting accessible scientific culture, with a contemporary approach to communicating with the younger generations.
