Thursday, May 14, 2020

From Somewhere in the Mediterranean


The book is out! And my "Shadow Theatre" is in it.


CIRCLE SURFACE SUN From Somewhere in the Mediterranean


Edited by Irena Eden & Stijn Lernout
Schlebrügge.Editor | ISBN 978-3-903172-50-0 |
A few months ago I was commissioned to write a story inspired by the Mediterranean light for the new book Circle Surface Sun.
Vienna-based artists Irena Eden and Stijn Lernout invited 22 authors from all the countries along the Mediterranean basin to write about the light in their region. Whether autobiographical essay, subjective commentary, poetic description, or philosophical reflection—the texts were to articulate one or the other facet of the special light that unites this geographic area.
A photo series by the two artists on the subjects of sea and light condenses the atmospheric connection between the texts and, at the same time, documents the installative and illustrative way the two artists deal with the subject. 
The anthology situates its starting point in Albert Camus’ critical reflection on Europe at his time and its Mediterranean utopia of solidarity and simplicity, in which light and the sun play a major role. In the current economic, environmental, and humanitarian crises, the idea of an inclusive Mediterranean Europe based on cultural diversity seems to have eroded in favor of nationalist interests, economic isolation, and populist ideologies fanning hate and fear. In this climate, the prospect of reiterating Camus’ “solar thought” as an “art of living for catastrophic times” has attained new urgency.
The authors explore their present day, looking out from the Mediterranean shores as the mythological origins of Europe. Circle Surface Sun gathers these voices from different places and myriad perspectives in an attempt to open a transnational, border-crossing dialogue among countries and continents, and to create a space for community and joint thinking.
Countries included:
Albania~Algeria~Bosnia and Herzegovina~Croatia~Cyprus~Egypt~France~Greece~Gibraltar~Israel~Italy~Lebanon~Libya~Malta~Montenegro~Morocco~Palestine~Slovenia~Spain~Syria~Tunisia~Turkey

More information on Schlebrügge.Editor website: https://schlebruegge.com/en/content/circle-surface-sun