World Histories of the Commons

World Histories of the Commons is a year-long programme of events, workshops and publishing activities that examines how the arts can be transformed through the commons.

The commons are resources that are managed collectively according to values such as diversity, sharing,  equity and sustainability. Historically associated with the stewardship of forests, deserts or seas, and more recently with movements for open-source software and free information, commoning practices are so diverse that it has become impossible to list them all, or to imagine our contemporary society without them. Reflecting their role in the long history of the emancipation movements (whether they are decolonial, environmental, anti-capitalist, feminist or LGBTQIA+), the commons remain an essential condition for resisting the appropriation of resources and the rhetoric of ‘us against them’.

The commons are an integral part of humanity’s cultural heritage and a major source of inspiration for artists. As a city shaped by many diasporic trajectories, Brussels is rich in histories and traditions of the commons across the arts, activism, theory, and institutions. Investigating decades of experimentation with transforming art through the commons, World Histories of the Commons accompanies the opening of KANAL-Centre Pompidou, a new museum that aims to contribute to local and international efforts to develop fairer and more sustainable institutional models.

By tracing narratives of the commons across geographies and disciplines, each event, workshop and publication offers an opportunity to explore questions such as: How can the commons provide us with tools to engage with socio-ecological crises? What part can arts and culture play in preserving existing commons and fostering the new ones? And, conversely, how can the commons be used to develop new models for arts and cultural organisations?