RML2: Poetics and Actions, the second phase of Reading the Migration Library, was a pandemic time (2020-2021) departure from the community workshops and events. To deal with the restrictions on travel and gathering, RML2 invited artists who were already working with migration themes to produce a publication in collaboration with artist-host Lois Klassen. To unify the series, Klassen worked with book designer Victoria Lum to produce the publications using a unifying mini-book series design. The series began with collaborations with Crista Dahl, Carlos Colín, Lori Weidenhammer, and Gabriela Galíndez. Once those collaborations were underway, Sylvia Arthur (Library of Africa and the African Diaspora/LOATAD and Present Cartographers) joined the project to publish an three poetry chapbooks featuring jury-selected Ghanaian writers: Sally Afia Antwi Nuamah (SAAN), A.B. Godfreed, Jay Kophy, and Gabriel Awuah Mainoo.
Sponsors and partners in RML2: Poetics and Actions include: Library of Africa and the African Diaspora (Accra, Ghana), BC Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, SFU’s Critical Media Art Studio, SFUs Community Engagement Initiative, BC Federation of Writers, Vancouver Art Book Fair, Richmond Public Library, and more. Public presentations included:
- 2024 – Performance Studies International Conference, Royal Centre School of Speech and Drama (online hybrid, London, UK)
- 2023 – Academia in Focus, Forced Migration in the Arts, online series hosted by Ambrose Musiyiwa (online).
- 2023 – 37 Looe Street (Plymouth, UK)
- 2023 – Mount Pleasant Poetry Walkabout hosted by Kevin Spenst, Jane’s Walk (Vancouver, BC)
- 2022 – “Tertulia: Artist Book Publishing by American, Canadian, and Mexican Artists,” Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre
- 2022 – Centre for Migration Studies (on-line, UBC, Vancouver, BC)
- 2022 – Vancouver Black Library (in person/on-line hybrid, Vancouver, BC)
- 2022 – Seminario Investigación-Creación/Research-Creation Seminar (Universidad Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia)
- 2021 – International Association of Studies on Forced Migration (online, University of Ghana, Accra)
- 2021 – Richmond Public Library (on-line, Richmond, BC)
- 2021 – Vancouver Art Book Fair (on-line, Vancouver, BC)
- 2020 – Vancouver Artist Book Month (on-line, Vancouver, BC)
- 2020 – Ever Elsewhere: Siting a Mennonite Imaginary (group exhibition), The Reach Gallery Museum, Abbotsford, BC.
Poetics and Actions
Imagine the world’s entire migration library as a vast archive that, like its subject, refuses to be confined within a single location. Reading the Migration Library is an art project that provides opportunities for people to make books; and to read and discuss the contents of this library in public settings. The project, hosted by Vancouver-based artist Lois Klassen, is comprised of collaborative artist book publishing, workshops, one-on-one interviews, exhibitions, readings and performances. Participants are invited to make books (during interviews or workshops), and join reading or exhibition events.
Meet some of the artists and contributors to RML2: Poetics and Actions
Meet some of the contributing artists to RML2 – Poetics and Actions