Cultures of Assembly

CSAM talk about how alternative forms of mapping and storytelling can question established planning narratives and create space for different voices, values, and ways of seeing the city.
Centrum för studier av markanvändning (CSAM) challenges current models of urban development and the narratives that sustain them, using community engagement and art as tools for investigation. By engaging artists to interrogate the unjust allocation of urban resources, CSAM visualizes how major geopolitical shifts play out in local contexts. Founded in 2019 by long-time partners Victoria Percovich Gutierrez (economist), Åsa Bjerndell (architect), and Karl Landin (urban planner), our practice has grown out of work as architects and community organizers, and curating talks, exhibitions, and artistic interventions.

Noemi Biasetton talks about the entanglements of design, politics, and media, as well as potentials for navigating complex political landscapes in the times of crisis.

Noemi Biasetton is a design researcher, writer and editor based in Venice. Her academic studies focus on design cultures and visual representation, with a specific interest in how these are deployed within the social and political dimension. Her practice includes the production of essays and articles, the organization of talks and lectures, and the contribution to research projects for cultural and educational institutions. She is the author of SUPERSTORM. Design and Politics in the Age of Information (Onomatopee, 2024) and curator of the publishing series Bookcloud (bruno, 2022 – ongoing).

Najha Zigbi-Johnson talks about urban struggles and spatial injustice.

Najha Zigbi-Johnson is an independent writer, educator, and curator. Her work explores the intersections of the built environment, contemporary Black art, and social movement building. She is the editor of Mapping Malcolm, a publication that explores the legacy of Malcolm X as inscribed in the built environment. She is a graduate of Guilford College and Harvard Divinity School, and was a Research Fellow at the Graduate School of Architecture Preservation and Planning at Columbia University (2021-2022.) Najha’s work has been published by New York Magazine, Artforum, SEEN Journal, White Cube Gallery and more. Najha was raised in and currently resides in Harlem.

Florian Malzacher talks about assemblies as a form of art and activism.

Florian Malzacher is a curator, writer, dramaturg, and currently visiting professor for dramaturgy and curatorial practice at the University for Design and Arts in Karlsruhe. He is the host of The Art of Assembly, a series of lectures and talks about the potential of gathering in art, activism, and politics (since 2021) as well as co-editor of the series Postdramatic Theater in Portraits published by Alexander Verlag Berlin. His texts have been translated into more than 15 languages.

Portrait of Florian Malzacher, The Art of Assembly © Christine Miess.

Jonas Staal shares experiences on assemblies and internationalism contesting imperialist propaganda.

Jonas Staal is a visual artist whose work deals with the relation between art, democracy, and propaganda. He is the founder of the artistic and political organization New World Summit (2012–ongoing). Together with Florian Malzacher he co-directs the training camp Training for the Future (2018-ongoing), and with human rights lawyer Jan Fermon he initiated the collective action lawsuit Collectivize Facebook (2020-ongoing). With writer and lawyer Radha D’Souza he founded the Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes (2021-ongoing) and with Laure Prouvost he is co-administrator of the Obscure Union.

Portrait of Jonas Staal, © Ruben Hamelink