AFIELD Studies are online co-learning programs led by members of the network on different topics. Comprising closed sessions and public workshops, they seek to nurture synergies between like-minded practitioners, allowing for exchange of skills and knowledge.
The AFIELD Study Program titled “Keeping on Commoning” led by Sophie Jerram took place online over 3 sessions of 2.5 hours each on the February 26, February 29 and March 1st, 2024.
Initiated by Sophie Jerram and co-facilitated with members of AFIELD who have initiated space-based commons
projects, this program generated conversation from Volgermorn, a community-owned space in Wellington, New Zealand.
Architectural sketch by Elisa Silva
Introduction (20 min)
Meeting and commoning practices
Case Studies and Q&A (60 min)
Kathrin Böhm, artist and cultural producer, led a collective drawing exercise to explore the personal and collective contexts of commoning among participants. Her practice engages in long-term collaborative projects that merge artistic and civic infrastructures.
Jaimie Waititi, member of FAFSWAG, shared the journey of FAFSWAG as an artist-led collective in Aotearoa that provides safe spaces for queer indigenous creatives. She reflected on the paradox of commoning spaces shifting in accessibility and safety over time.
Yin Aiwen, researcher and designer, introduced her theoretical framework, the “Solidarity Trinity” (Labour, Space, and Relationship), to examine how communities form and sustain themselves through interdependent structures of care and co-creation.
Discussion (30 min)
Breakout & Summary
Sophie Jerram, curator and researcher, discussed how the sensory experience of space influences commoning practices. She introduced the Legal Personhood of Te Urewera forest in Aotearoa New Zealand and its implications for collective guardianship.
Case Studies and Q&A (60 min)
Elisa Silva, architect and researcher, presented historical and contemporary models of land commons, from pre-industrial London to agave-based Ejidos in Mexico, and explored self-built settlements such as La Casa de Todos in Caracas.
Giuseppe Micciarelli, political philosopher, questioned the transmission of commoning stories across cultures. He highlighted the bias towards celebrating success over sharing failures and proposed fostering a transnational platform for learning from both.
Discussion (30 min)
Breakout & Summary
Hema’ny Molina, activist and descendant of the Selk’nam people, recounted the efforts to reverse the legal erasure of the Selk’nam community. She discussed how artistic and cultural practices serve as tools for reclamation and resistance in the face of historical displacement.
Case Studies and Q&A (60 min)
Theo Prodromidis, artist and educator, introduced two initiatives in Athens: the Open Orchestra, a collective music-making space, and a community-run language school for migrants, which also serves as a model for grassroots governance and self-organization.
Giuseppe Micciarelli, legal theorist, examined the paradox of commoning within legal frameworks. He argued that while commons ideally exist beyond state and market, they must engage with regulatory structures to ensure sustainability. He proposed transposing governance models from environmental commons (e.g., fisheries, forests) to cultural and urban spaces.
Discussion (30 min)
Breakout & Summary