Perino & Vele's The Big Archive workshop engages 80 children in Fabriano

On September 7, 2017, the Italian artist duo Perino & Vele (Emiliano Perino and Luca Vele) led a workshop titled The Big Archive at Elica in Fabriano, Italy, as part of the E-straordinario for Kids series curated by Marcello Smarrelli. The workshop involved 80 children aged 3 to 11, who collected paper at home, shredded it with parental help, and produced colored papier-mâché to fill pre-drawn shapes on wooden boxes. The boxes were then assembled into a puzzle-wall forming stylized animal figures, a recurring subject in the duo's work. The artists noted that the initial plan for uniform colors was altered as children played with the material, creating unexpected tonal gradations. Perino & Vele have been conducting pedagogical workshops since 2001, including a notable 2002 project in Scampia, Naples, where they covered school furniture with papier-mâché alongside students. The duo emphasized that each workshop provides new insights and influences their future artistic development.