Laura DeVito is a writer who works across both contemporary art and children’s storytelling. She regularly writes art reviews, approaching exhibitions with curiosity, attentiveness, and a sensitivity to how visual experience shapes perception. Alongside this, she has recently begun creating children’s books, a creative turn inspired by welcoming her daughter into the world. In her latest projects, DeVito experiments with AI-generated illustrations as part of a modern, exploratory storytelling process. Her greatest joy comes from hearing her child eagerly ask for stories made especially for her. The warm responses she has received from both readers and fellow art lovers continue to encourage and energize her creative path.
Art Reviews
DOX: BabyDox Workshop | 2026 | February 12
Children peered at artworks through masks they had just made, perfectly timed for carnival season. It was a playful way to frame how we looked at art while also slowing us down to truly absorb everything Dox has to offer. BabyDox felt both joyful and immersive, and it was ideally suited for my almost four-year-old. Designed for ages two to four, the workshop had plenty for both children and accompanying adults to enjoy.
We took off our coats and shoes and stepped into the room, warmly welcomed by Dox staff. We were invited to create name tags with bright markers arranged on a cushion in the center of the expansive space. Once we settled in, the facilitators encouraged the children to search for puzzle pieces cleverly hidden throughout the room. Each child discovered one and brought it back to the circle, where the fragments assembled into an image of the building as it once appeared. Through this, we learned more about the history of the Dox site we were experiencing firsthand.
Next came mask-making. The children colored their designs, attached them to sticks, and we stepped into the exhibition. We were surrounded by the rich and varied work of Eva Švankmajerová, spanning painting, video, and sculpture. I was reminded of watching Jan Švankmajer’s films decades ago on a bunny-eared television in Kansas, so it felt especially meaningful to encounter those films again here, now in conversation with Švankmajerová’s work at the center. At first the children entered cautiously, then gradually grew more confident, lifting their masks to look closely at the pieces introduced to them.
After exploring the gallery, we returned to the children’s area to create our own art. There were many hands-on options: mixing paints to produce prints, drawing with white crayon and revealing it with broad brushstrokes, and digging through a sensory bin of rice to uncover small treasures like a golden spoon. There were also large foam panels for collaborative fort-building, which quickly became a favorite.
Overall, the experience felt carefully considered for this age group, and we had a truly lovely time. I genuinely appreciate when art spaces welcome children in such creative ways. Starting early with art helps them learn to see the world differently, and this workshop did exactly that.
#BabyDox #DOXPrague #KidsAndArt #ArtWithChildren #Familyart
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Click on book for purchase.
Click on book for purchase.