Đất Nước Library

We are a group of artist-run initiatives joining the worldwide call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. In the face of genocide, we are coming together in solidarity against the state-sanctioned colonial violence of Israel towards Palestine. We strongly condemn the escalating violence in the region which continues to heavily impact innocent Palestinian families and civilians. We urgently call for humanitarian aid, to further prevent the loss of life, and to support those directly affected.  We recognise the important role art plays in offering a mirror to the urgent issues of the world, and the role that arts organisations have in platforming artists and shaping culture. This is a duty that we, collectively, take seriously, operating on stolen lands. In our local arts community, we have seen artists who have courageously and bravely stood up in support of Palestine, even while facing threats of harassment and loss of opportunities and funding. As artist-run organisations, our solidarity will always be with artists, not with systems that suppress and silence artists. You inspire us with your leadership and advocacy, and our statement is written in this spirit.  This statement is the first step for our collective, and we will be sharing more shortly. If you want to co-sign this letter, please get in touch.  Signed, Bus Projects @busprojects   Seventh @seventhgallery   KINGS Artist-Run @kingsartistrun   TCB Gallery @tcb_gallery   un Projects @un_projects Cathedral Cabinet @cathedralcabinet   Trocadero Projects @trocaderoprojects   Cool Change Contemporary @coolchangecontemporary Constance ARI @constance_ari   Unassigned Gallery @unassigned_gallery Runway Journal @runway_journal Best Soup @bestsouppress FELTspace @feltspace   Wreckers Art Space @wreckersartspace   TempContemp @tempcontemp ALT-HOUSE @alt___house The Old Bar Gallery @theoldbargallery Fire Escape Contemporary @fireescapecontemporaryart Read the Room @readtheroom_ recess @recess.net.au Dogmilk Films @dogmilkfilms Continued in comments.

What a wonderful time at last week’s Language in Community Festival! We loved the colourful dances, performances and stalls which celebrated the vibrant languages we’re so lucky to have in our community. And of course, it’s always great to make some new friends and catch up with old ones 🥰 Thank you to everyone who popped by our reading stall, and a big shoutout to @vietspeak for making this happen! #communityfestival #languages #multicultural #melbourne

A Library of Libraries 📘 This March, Blindside will become a place of convergence for many of Narrm’s independent libraries, community collections, experimental archives & para-institutional researchers. Collections of books, historical artefacts, art works, everyday objects, embodied knowledge and more will be housed in the gallery, and made available for public browsing. Brought together, these existing bodies of knowledge will form a ‘A Library of Libraries’. There are many ways to experience the library. Come in to browse, and stay for as long as you like to read, rest, or work from the space. There will be comfortable seats and study tables available, whether you’re popping by or staying for the day. 📅11 March - 28 March Opening Event: Thurs 12 March, 6-8pm Curated by our Artistic Director: @grey.dear Contributors: @pagbasaarchive @s_a_l_u_h_a_n @datnuoclibrary @noreply_collective @changecommons @silentarmyprojects @archivingthepresent @betweeniaproject @roundtablereadings @ordinary.acts @dogstarzine @fragment31 @estheranatolitis @dolecheqkabana @saritaslaterprints @alma.sammel @emphaticallyem @non.binary.finery @molstar_roxy101 @elenafolio @chhrrr_lee @l___posting @karina.curates @ey.ey.ar.oh.en @lea.kylie.rose @niawhte @zoe.bastin @audax__audax Image Credit: Leisa Shelton-Campbell, Documentation Image from Reparative Reading, Courtesy of the artist.

✨️Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first library cafe last weekend✨️ It was a gentle afternoon after what feels like a busy start to the Year of the Fire Horse 🔥🐎 We quietly read, had beautiful tea amongst the trees served by @subtlebodies.space , delicious desserts by @pandandreaming and crafted cute origami horses, red pockets and lanterns for LNY🧧🫖🍮 For those who didn't make it, we've added more books to the collection, so swing by at the next @thatplaceonvictoriast event to browse and borrow 📚💙

We're going to be adding more books to the borrowing collection @thatplaceonvictoriast for you all ✨️ See you on Saturday at our first library cafe event ''Những Buổi Nhâm Nhi' 🥰📚🧧

Hi friends, we're excited to invite you to 'Những Buổi Nhâm Nhi' (A Time to Slowly Sip and Nibble) - our very first Library Cafe on Saturday, 21 Feb 1-5pm 🌿🍵 📚 Join us for a chill, low-key afternoon @thatplaceonvictoriast where you can browse and borrow new titles from the collection, and find a cosy spot to read or chat while you sip on beautiful tea served by @subtlebodies.space and enjoy delicious desserts by @pandandreaming 💚💫 There will be comfy seats and relaxed tunes. If you're feeling creative, we'll also have some Lunar New Year themed crafts 🔥🐎🧧🎆 All are welcome (including our non-Viet friends!). Can't wait to soak up the serenity with you ✨️

💠 Help us grow the library! 💠 It's important that Đất Nước Library is a community-curated collection, so we want to know - what do you want to see in the collection? More zines? More non- fiction? Titles by a specific Viet author or artist? Obscure stuff you can't find in other libraries? Share your wish-list and we'll collect what we can 💙 Add your suggestions in the comments below or to our suggestions spreadsheet (link in bio). You can also see what we currently have in our online catalogue (link in bio).

What a beautiful, wholesome night ✨❤️ After a hiatus earlier this year, we're back and excited to have a small borrowing collection at Shop Bao Ngoc 📚 Thank you @thatplaceonvictoriast for your support, we’re grateful to have found the collection such a special home. Thank you to everyone who came to eat, chat and browse the collection. We're still thinking about those Vietnamese pizzas and juicy tofu skewers, dreamy pandan and ube waffles by @pandandreaming and the best iced lemon tea and cake by @diddly_din 🍋🍰 We'll be updating you soon on future events in the space but in the meantime you can browse our collection online, borrow from the collection IRL at Shop Bao Ngoc and suggest books you want us to purchase (see bio for links) 🥰

(It’s just us trying to stay on brand 👀) EVENT DETAILS Hosted by @incendiumradicallibrary and @irlinfoshop , join us for a day of learning through stories and create networks of solidarity. Held on the stolen lands of the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation, we’ll be running a small reading stall - come say hi if you’re dropping by and browse through a selection of our texts. WHEN 2:00PM – 5:00PM (AEDT) Saturday 12th October 2024 WHERE Catalyst Social Centre 144-146 Sydney Rd Coburg VIC 3058 ACCESSIBILITY The Catalyst Social Centre is wheelchair accessible and childcare is available. We encourage all to wear masks and masks will also be provided. (Swipe across for directions) ACCESSIBILITY INFO VIA LINK IN BIO - PLEASE SHARE

CO-FACILITATOR SPOTLIGHT DARVEY TO (SHE/HER) Darvey (@wontaekn ) is a Naarm-based writer, who spends too much of her time thinking up of ideas for projects she never finishes (or starts) and daydreaming of the impossible. As an autistic and queer Vietnamese person, she shares her experiences of mental health, identity and self-acceptance through fiction and poetry.  For over a decade, she has been affiliated with 100 Story Building, a non-profit organisation that encourages creative writing of the youth. Other than co-facilitating publishing program Early Harvest for the last three years, she has also attended the 2018 International Congress of Youth Voices in San Francisco as a 100SB representative. Her poetry piece ‘Awetistic’ has been published in RMIT’s ‘Mine. Yours.’ magazine.   —- EVENT DETAILS Come along and join Đất Nước Library for an exciting, 2-hour writing workshop! This workshop is open to all and no formal writing experience is necessary. Co-led by insightful, Naarm-based Vietnamese creatives Darvey To (@wontaekn ) and Phương Lê (@phuong.io ), the workshop will be an opportunity to work on a piece of writing (e.g. a letter, essay, poem etc.) with community and chitchat over Vietnamese snacks. We ask that participants bring an item they can speak to and potentially inspire their writing; something of comfort or sentimental value. Our facilitators will be able to support you with your writing or you can bring an existing piece to work on. Materials will be provided, but workshop participants are encouraged to bring any supplies they'd like. This may include cut-outs and clippings, stationery, stickers and photographs. COST AND TIME Free, 10:30AM - 1:00PM (AEST) Saturday, 25th May 2024 (Workshop will start at 11AM sharp) WHERE Arts Gen (Mario's Studio) Footscray Community Arts Centre 45 Moreland Street FOOTSCRAY VIC 3011 @_artsgen is wheelchair accessible via @footscrayarts with parking available on-site. We encourage all to wear masks. RSVP VIA LINK IN BIO
 *The event will be delivered in English with some Vietnamese spoken

CO-FACILITATOR SPOTLIGHT PHƯƠNG LÊ (HE/HIM) Phương (@phuong.io ) is a Vietnamese emerging artist studying in Naarm. He was the recipient of the Tall Poppy Press Runner-up Publishing Prize in 2023, which resulted in his debut publication 'Sunshine', released in March 2024. His project 'Letters to Home', a collaborative project featuring letters and portraits of members from the Maribyrnong and Collingwood community, was exhibited at Collingwood Yards in 2023, in collaboration with Centre for Projection Arts. Phương also frequently contributes to Transference Magazine, a research platform for contemporary photography and lens-based arts. —- EVENT DETAILS Come along and join Đất Nước Library for an exciting, 2-hour writing workshop! This workshop is open to all and no formal writing experience is necessary. Co-led by insightful, Naarm-based Vietnamese creatives Darvey To (@wontaekn ) and Phương Lê (@phuong.io ), the workshop will be an opportunity to work on a piece of writing (e.g. a letter, essay, poem etc.) with community and chitchat over Vietnamese snacks. We ask that participants bring an item they can speak to and potentially inspire their writing; something of comfort or sentimental value. Our facilitators will be able to support you with your writing or you can bring an existing piece to work on. Materials will be provided, but workshop participants are encouraged to bring any supplies they'd like. This may include cut-outs and clippings, stationery, stickers and photographs. COST AND TIME Free, 10:30AM - 1:00PM (AEST) Saturday, 25th May 2024 (Workshop will start at 11AM sharp) WHERE Arts Gen (Mario's Studio) Footscray Community Arts Centre 45 Moreland Street FOOTSCRAY VIC 3011 @_artsgen is wheelchair accessible via @footscrayarts with parking available on-site. We encourage all to wear masks. RSVP VIA LINK IN BIO
 *The event will be delivered in English with some Vietnamese spoken

EVENT DETAILS Come along and join Đất Nước Library for an exciting, 2-hour writing workshop! This workshop is open to all and no formal writing experience is necessary. Co-led by insightful, Naarm-based Vietnamese creatives Darvey To (@wontaekn ) and Phương Lê (@phuong.io ), the workshop will be an opportunity to work on a piece of writing (e.g. a letter, essay, poem etc.) with community and chitchat over Vietnamese snacks. We ask that participants bring an item they can speak to and potentially inspire their writing; something of comfort or sentimental value. Our facilitators will be able to support you with your writing or you can bring an existing piece to work on. Materials will be provided, but workshop participants are encouraged to bring any supplies they'd like. This may include cut-outs and clippings, stationery, stickers and photographs. COST AND TIME Free, 10:30AM - 1:00PM (AEST) Saturday, 25th May 2024 (Workshop will start at 11AM sharp) WHERE Arts Gen (Mario's Studio) Footscray Community Arts Centre 45 Moreland Street FOOTSCRAY VIC 3011 @_artsgen is wheelchair accessible via @footscrayarts with parking available on-site. We encourage all to wear masks. RSVP VIA LINK IN BIO
 *The event will be delivered in English with some Vietnamese spoken