Architectures of togetherness

Dinner of Doing Things

This project was jointly conceived by the Exit Map community who created the zine Architectures of Togetherness where processes consisted of sharing dinners and conversations about our connections to others and environment. It reflected on our day to day movements, existing initiatives, living spaces, needs, Covid, information speed and how the drawing of intentional and spatial boundaries impacts us. It inspired us to find ways to soften yet respect social and spatial boundaries that support the individual and simultaneously renew a sense of collectivity.

The Dinner of Doing Things is a format where a group of people gets organized to visit each other at home. Whoever is being visited shall articulate a need of theirs that the others offer help with. The need could address the home space directly such as gardening but could also be expanded to support any kind of need and may express itself in conversations, body work or project/ work support. The deal was sealed with food that we shared.

The aim was to somehow de-privatize our home space by co-authoring it. To make ourselves feel more welcome or even just able to visit people who live nearby and share the outlook of wanting to do things together. And of course, get things done.

To open your home however and invert our social imprint of presenting a perfect home, cleaning before guests come and preparing food to instead open doors and share what we need help with and welcome our guests delicious gifts, was not easy. It showed that there is a long way to go to arrive with each other the way we are and feel. Without preparing or altering our image, it revealed the intimacy hidden in admitting our own fragility that in the end nurtures our togetherness and brings us closer.

Would you like to try?

It continues when there is people who want to do the same. If you would like to be involved, let us know. info.exitmap@gmail.com

Many Thanks to all who joined: Dagmara Bilon, Alexandra Baybutt, Thomas Herzmark, Joanna Flannery and daughter, Will Lang, Karen McCarthy, Emi Silvas, Katie Dodthing, Mao Mao Ju, Ziquing