Back in 2022 we had the pleasure of inviting Brussels-based Kriticos Mwansa to bring his Book Club concept to Finland! Focusing on masculinity, The Book Club took place in collaboration with the Jäbät ja Tunteet community in Helsinki, creating a much needed space for vulnerability among men.
Discussion: The Book Club XL
This XL edition takes place during the 25th edition of the URB Festival, the annual street art and culture festival produced by the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki.
The Book Club is a round table for philosophers and curious minds to join in conversation about a topic or book at hand. The Book Club conversations spark very insightful thoughts, and it is encouraged to voice your thoughts and ask questions. Hosted at creative hub and multipurpose venue Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki, Finland on the 5th of June, this unprecedented Book Club session welcomes participants, whether you’ve read the book or not.
Participants will be gathered in a room spectating a conversation between creatives from Finland’s landscape, discussing generational challenges and perspectives. The panelists invited by Kriticos are film director and choreographer Ima Iduozee, director Mitro Boahene, fashion designer Sasha, CEO Melina Shangali and artist Ritni Ráste Pieski. The spotlight will be on a round table of these carefully chosen unique thinkers, and the conversation will unfold with an engaged audience with room to reflect and contribute to the conversation. Join the conversation, you don’t have to read any of the books to participate!
The books discussed at the event are Caleb Azumah Nelson’s love story Open Water (2021) and Questlove’s Creative Quest (2019) about creativity and the music world.
Practical Info
5.6.2024 at 16:00–18:00
1. floor, Seminar
Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma
Mannerheiminaukio 2, Helsinki
The event takes place in English and is free to attend. You do not need to have to read any of the books to participate.
Visit the event page on the Kiasma website (in Finnish).
Kiasma is fully accessible. There is a wall switch that opens the front door. All floors can be reached with a lift. If you need a wheelchair space, we recommend you contact Kiasma’s info beforehand. Accessible restrooms are located on the first and fifth floors. They are designed to accommodate children as well. For more details on accessibility visit the visitor information page on Kiasma’s website.
Kriticos’ Book Club is supported by the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux.
About Kriticos Mwansa
Kriticos Mwansa is a multidisciplinary creative, based in Brussels, Belgium. Kriticos wears multiple hats, as a musician, Kriticos released his EP Bemba Chagga honouring his roots in Zambia & Tanzania.
As an activist, Kriticos co organised the first ever Black Lives Matter protest in Belgium, he worked with Amnesty international as the lead speaker for their campaign against racial profiling. He also organised a breathing session for people of colour and allies during the 2020 BLM protests.
Since 2021, Kriticos created “The Book Club”, a book club for people that didn’t read the book. Kriticos seeks to create safe spaces for intimate honest conversations, while educating people on art, literature and culture. His hope is to make knowledge accessible to all.
Kriticos held the first-ever Book Club in Finland in 2022. Focusing on masculinity, The Book Club took place in collaboration with the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux and the Jäbät ja Tunteet community. The session was based on the book The Will to Change: Masculinity, Men & Love by writer and activist bell hooks.
Cover photo: Kriticos Mwansa hosts the first-ever Book Club in Helsinki, Finland. Photo by Yohannes Henriksson/The Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux