temporary library

The “Temporary Library” is a curated collection of books around a specific topic, that is on display temporarily, the books are mostly donations by the publishers. The concept of a “Temporary Library” has been developed by Alessandro Ludovico, and he has compiled together with Creating Commons a “Temporary Library for Creating Commons” (Score #9) as part of the exhibition “OPEN SCORES – How to program the Commons” at panke.gallery from 21 September to 12 October 2019.

After the exhibition, the books have been donated to MIZ, the library of Zurich University of the Arts, where they have been cataloged, indexed, and are now available for loan.

Check out the catalog, and find 56 books and publications around digital culture, the arts and the commons.

Many thanks to the staff of MIZ, especially Felix Falkner, Rolf Wolfensberger and Maya Penasa Oehninger, for providing a permanent home to the “Creating Commons” version of the “Temporary Library”!

“Temporary Library” on display at panke.gallery Berlin, 21 September – 12 October 2019

Handover of the Temporary Library: Felix Stalder, Rolf Wolfensberger, Shusha Niederberger,
16. December 2019.

Alessandro Ludovico is the co-founder of neural, a printed magazine established in 1993 dealing with new media art, electronic music, and hacktivism.

This interview focusses on two things. First, Alessandro reflects on his experience of how print publications changed over the last 25 years and their potential in a fully digital universe. They are now less about providing access, but more about providing a filter and stability against the very dynamic overflow of information. The second major theme of the interview is the “temporary library”, a collaborative practice to create short-term specialized libraries in the context of cultural events (festivals, exhibitions, etc.). After the event, they are donated to established libraries, thus contributing to making underrepresented aspects of (digital) culture available in the long-term.

Transcript of the interview Download

Interview with Alessandro Ludovico, conducted by Felix Stalder, 16 September 2018, HeK (House of Electronic Arts Basel).

New home for the “Temporary Library for Creating Commons”

Publishing as Commons Practice, Interview with Alessandro Ludovico