De Appel

This volume brings together 50 years of correspondence from the archive of de Appel contemporary arts centre in Amsterdam. In tracing a relational and affective history of the institution, each piece offers a glimpse into the artistic projects and programmes de Appel has commissioned and championed; the cultural shifts and careers it has nurtured; the celebrations and struggles it has weathered; and the collaborations and friendships sparked along the way. The book gathers materials from more than 100 voices, with paper and digital exchanges covering an intricate web of people, places, and events, ultimately coalescing into what can be perceived as the unified work of an institution.

Includes a light-blue satin Ribbon by Alison Knowles.

This publication emerges from an effort to better understand the conditions of contemporary art in disparate places. Featuring new writings in a variety of discursive forms (commissioned essays, conversations, profiles), the book is organised around three key terms: local time, situated infrastructure, and “cotranslations”.

Furthermore, it gathers perspectives and approaches to “the local” from art initiatives that operate outside of conventional frameworks. As the authors consider place and context in terms of social, economic, political, and historical circumstances, their writings also reflect upon these notions as sites for different conceptions of the self in relation to the world.