Taboo in Children's Art

Themes like death and illness raised in the 19th century in stories for children by H.C. Andersen were then for a long time absent in art addressed to children. Other taboo subjects such as sex and violence in family, parent’s divorce a. o. have begun to appear both in children’s literature (thus, too, in illustration) in recent decades. 
 
The aim of Taboo in children’s art is to present this tendency in Poland, where books discussing taboo subjects not always enjoy the understanding and acceptance of parents, teachers, librarians - and thus extend adults’ knowledge about how to deal with those themes in their work with children, to provide children with space for creative work relating to taboos, to start up a dialogue between generations about how to talk and how to react to “forbidden” subjects. 
 
The project consists of exhibition of books for children and illustrations and a series of lectures and workshops for children and adults. Among our guests there are well known authors and illustrators: Svein Nyhus from Norway, Dorte Karrebeak, Oscar K and Louis Jensen from Denmark, Pernilla Stalfelt, Ulf Nilsson and Ulf Stark from Sweden, Paolo Galindro from Portugal and Mikael Grotzer from Switzerland.  
 
Taboo in children’s art travels from Gdansk (1.10 - 16.10) to Warsaw (22.10-20.11) and to Poznan (25.11-11.12).
 
To read more about the project click here 

The concept and coordination by Danish Cultural Institute in Warsaw
Partners EUNIC Warszawa
Main sponsor Nordic Culture Fund