Graphic Design Seniors Participate in Study Trip to Italy

Over the course of a week, the group explored Venice and Florence. Dr Hesperia Lliadou-Suppiej, renowned curator, museum consultant and lecturer based in Italy, was their guide for the entire trip. Suppiej was also the curator for an alumni exhibition held to mark VCUarts Qatar’s 25^th anniversary.

In Venice, they visited the Venice Biennale Arsenale, the Qatar Museums Exhibition at Palazzo Franchetti and the acclaimed Peggy Guggenheim Collection. 

It wasn’t all about watching or observing. The students and faculty gained hands-on experience through a series of workshops – they learned the craft of paper marbling at ARZANÀRT,  took part in perfume-making at the Olfactory Bookshop and tried out the techniques of gold-leafing/gilding from Elisabetta Mason, a master gilder in Venice. 

In the paper marbling workshop, master craftsmen Federico and Isbella introduced the group to the materials and methods involved in the process of creating marbled paper. They also learned about the various applications of the finished product, from books covers, postcards and greeting cards to paper weights, and magnets. According to the participants, the best part was when they got to design a large sheet of marbled paper using colors of their choice.

Anastasia Marinova, one of the students, shared her experience taking part in the gold-leafing workshop. 

She said, “It was truly special to participate in the gold leafing workshop led by Elisabetta Mason, who learned the skills from her father. She is an expert in a dying art form, gilding, which requires decades-long practice. In fact, we learned that there is only one gold-leaf maker left in all of Venice!

In Florence, the group visited the Helen Frankenthaler Exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi, and the Museum Salvatore Ferragamo, a fashion museum dedicated to the life and work of Italian shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo. 

With so many design-focused visits and workshops checked off the itinerary, there was one more workshop they were looking forward to. A cooking class.

Another senior, Aiman Mohammed, said, “The cooking class led by Alessandra in A Tavola was unforgettable. She taught us to make Orecchiette pasta with sauce, and fish meatballs. Every student got a chance to try their hands at pasta-making. We learned to make the pasta dough using flour and water, then to roll it out and shape the dough into the appropriate shape using our thumb and index fingers.”

For the students, the trip reinforced the multi-disciplinary nature of design, especially in the modern world. 

As Mohammed explained, “The exposure to different crafts and techniques highlighted the value of a multidisciplinary approach to learning. Whether it’s combining culinary skills with storytelling, or understanding the beauty behind perfume-making, we were inspired to explore how seemingly unrelated fields can intersect and enrich one another. We felt encouraged to pursue interests that aren’t confined to a single discipline, like experiential design, museum curation, or sustainable living practices.”

He added that, following the trip, a few senior students felt inspired to incorporate elements of their learning into their final thesis projects.

“Those whose thesis revolves around scent foresee introducing perfume-making into their outcome. Additionally, those whose thesis revolves around cultural preservation and/or food foresee introducing the cooking workshop and the gilding workshop as a research reference for preserving a dying craft.”