PRIMARY EDUCATION : The Art of the Small
Interactive tour for primary education in het exhibition Statuettes
Does art have to be big to be special? Or can something small tell a big story?
During this tour, children discover that sculpture is not only found on public squares, but can also live in people’s homes. In the exhibition Statuettes. Small Sculptures at Home, we search together for small sculptures that can be held, moved or given a place in a house – much like toys, souvenirs or favourite objects.
An exhibition is also a collection. What do children sometimes collect themselves? And how can a collection be organised in different ways: by size, colour, value or memory?
The guide takes the class on a discovery journey among small sculptures in many shapes and materials: smooth or rough, heavy or light, old or very new. Each sculpture has a story. Sometimes it remembers a person, sometimes it is decorative, sometimes it represents a fantasy figure. Children observe, compare and share what they see and feel.
What do we do during the tour?
Looking games: which sculpture is the smallest? which one looks the heaviest?
Seeing with your eyes: does this sculpture look soft or hard? cold or warm?
Imagining a home: where would you place this sculpture in your house?
Inventing stories: who or what might this sculpture represent?
Discovering shapes and materials: which works are made of stone, plaster or bronze?
The tour is interactive, carefully structured and adapted to the age of the pupils. There is plenty of room for imagination and conversation.
At the end, teachers receive a creative follow-up activity for the classroom.
What do children learn?
That art exists in many sizes and forms
That objects can carry meaning and tell stories
That looking, comparing and expressing ideas are important
That art can connect with their own everyday world
Practical information
Target group: Primary education (ages 6–12, adapted per age)
Duration: 1.5 hours
Price: €80 per guide
Students and accompanying teachers: free admission
Group size: max. 25 pupils per guide
Languages: Dutch, French, English or German
Location: Venetian Galleries, Ostend
A museum visit that shows how small things can carry big stories.