New Friends are available for Willem Oorebeek and Paulo Nazareth's exhibitions!
For WIELS' exhibitions, scenographer Leia Walz creates Friends that our youngest visitors can carry with them during their visit. These soft companions offer a playful way to explore the exhibitions. We asked Leia to tell us more about her cuddly creations.
Friends inspired by Willem Oorebeek's exhibition
Friends inspired by Paulo Nazareth's exhibition
Photo: Raquel Echevarría
Can you tell us more about the Friends you created for WIELS?
Those tiny Friends are based on characters that appear in WIELS' exhibitions. I wanted to translate their individual traits into tangible, three-dimensional textile objects.
In my design practice, I want to create tactile experiences by combining unexpected materials, colours, and textures. I find it exciting to transform the painted characters into huggable companions. Each Friend was carefully crafted to offer a distinct tactile sensation and is an invitation to interact and engage with the exhibition.
From initial sketches to sourcing fabrics, every step of the creation process influenced the way I continued. It was important to me to give each Friend their characteristics and to reinforce the sensory impressions with certain details.
What is the educational approach behind the Friends according to you?
It can be nice for children to carry and hold a character in their hands or arms that interacts with the exhibition. I like the idea that the dimensions of this very space can shift when holding and touching something. This allows for a somewhat intimate experience emerging from familiar spaces and thus, making the unknown space approachable. These Friends can accompany the children during their visit to the exhibitions and foster a sense of connection and trust within the space. Recognising the Friends and their traits in the works can create a playful engagement with the artworks and create beautiful moments of interaction.
The new Friends are available for children at the reception desk during the exhibitions (until 27 April 2025).
