About the project
Imagine a room, women sitting on chairs and low benches. A woman lying down on the soft carpet. A hurting back, hands that do not obey. Tea, coffee and fruit on a tray. A plastic box with homemade kubba, fresh bread, and some leftover cookies. A woman shows an image of her as a small child in Pakistan 60 years ago. It triggers questions, memories, conversations, tears, and laughter. Phone’s ping as an image is sent around our WhatsApp group. Someone sighs, while one gets up to walk around, a new woman enters. We talk about the recent election. Someone wants to expel all men, others object. Everyone wants change. Tulay calls from the kitchen. We eat and then continue writing our collective manifesto for struggle and sickness.
The Women’s Centre in Tensta-Hjulsta is a key but overlooked example of how women form a tight unconditional solidarity and space that not only supports one another in struggles and sickness, but builds a place for others to be welcomed and learn together. k.ö.k (kvinnor önskar kollektivitet) explores instituting a feminist artspace from within this self-organised community with an aim to support existing structures and activities and highlight the importance of new forms of politics based on sharing and slowness. k.ö.k is defined by the community and develops in line with its needs and desires.
In close collaboration with the centre k.ö.k challenges hierarchical and neoliberal ideas of knowledge production and artistic practice, by developing situations of mutual exchange and slow learning, which respect our different social and political conditions and experiences.
k.ö.k and the Women’s Centre build alliances by inviting and hosting a broader constituency of both local and international guests committed to feminist organising.
Our communal website launches on Dec 16 2018.
Women Desire Collectivity is initiated by Muna Alyaqoobi, Petra Bauer, Jenny Richards, Kvinnocenter i Tensta-Hjulsta.
About the artist
k.ö.k (kvinnor önskar kollektivitet) explores instituting a feminist artspace from within the Women’s Centre in Tensta-Hjulsta which is run by women with experience of marginalization and migration. The centre is financially precarious as we refuse to adapt to neoliberal demands of Swedish society. k.ö.k acknowledges the urgency of spaces like the centre by highlighting the political radicality within the daily routines of the centre. k.ö.k builds collectivity amongst women across cultural, language and political divides.