Van Abbemuseum Brings Participatory Practices to Palazzo Grassi's Grand Tour

Palazzo Grassi – Punta della Dogana in Venice hosts the Van Abbemuseum of Eindhoven as the guest of honor for the 2022 edition of its Grand Tour residency program. On November 18–19, the Dutch museum presents a program focused on participatory strategies, questioning the role of museums in local communities and how to embrace diverse perspectives. The initiative includes a closed-door professional meeting on November 18 at the Teatrino di Palazzo Grassi, featuring activities such as the Love Letters Tour by the Office for Queer Affairs, an LGBTQIA association. This workshop invites participants to compose love letters to artworks, inspired by personal ads from the 1980s and 1990s homosexual communities, fostering a queer approach to museums. On November 19, three public workshops in English aim to make museums more inclusive: Love Letters Tour, Braiding the Conversation (open dialogue), and Drag the Toilette (focusing on public restrooms as sites of power and gender structures). The program concludes with a collective reflection on shared experiences. The Van Abbemuseum is known for its multisensory exhibition launched in 2021, where visitors engage with 120 artworks using all senses, incorporating Braille texts, soundscapes, and olfactory interpretations. Previous Grand Tour guests include Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Centre Pompidou, Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Manifesta 12, S.M.A.K., MAXXI, and ECAL.