THE LIBRARY OF THE COMMONS: HOW TO LIVE FROM FIRE TO FIRE

During this evening, speakers and performers address the question: How to live from fire to fire? Or: How to rise from the ashes? Reflecting on language, politics and art, they draw inspiration from a new book in the Kayfa ta (or "how-to") series by publishers Maha Maamoun and Ala Younis, about the disappearance of paper newspapers in Lebanon and the resilience of language.

Using underground publishing practices in Lithuania as a case in point, artist Anastasia Sosunova explores how old printing techniques resonate in the digital age. She also sheds light on the often invisible social and material aspects of printing and publishing, like language, copyright, censorship and distribution. The evening continues with a presentation from publishers Kayfa ta, who explain their unique "how to" survival book series while reflecting on their publishing and curatorial practices. To conclude, author, artist and curator Olivier Marboeuf takes you on a spoken journey through myths, archives and fables, in which fire comes to symbolise Caribbean culture, colonial oppression and ecological disaster.

This event is part of The Library of the Commons, which collects and showcases publications that explore the histories, ideas and practises of the commons in the arts.  As a living and experimental platform, it wants to open up access to independent publications from the Global Majority. The library will be located in Kanal and CIVA.