The Library of Unread Books: Working for the Commons with Books

Heman Chong’s and Renée Staal’s “book space” as exhibition has expanded and reciprocally profited from what CASCO set out to do: working for the commons. The library has moved on, may be seen as another page in the book of activities that generate more democratic discourses, experiences and lives. T.J. Demos has described at a recent “Art & Activism”-themed conference, Leiden University, what is necessary now that the field has developed so many diverse and creatively performative initiatives: a movement of movements. The Library of Unread Books, its artists, hosts, donors and readers can certainly contribute their part to that. The books are assembled, given, read, imagined, discussed, felt, maybe loved against the odds and they are on the move to further iterations: they keep working for the commons.