Finally, after weeks of preparation, we launched the website of our book project “Travelling Homeland”. And even more, the first book from Pristina has arrived, thanks to the engagement of Flaka Haliti.

http://www.travelling-homeland.net

Within the scope of the LHE in the summer of 2006, we handed out a blank book in each of the eight cities we were visiting on our trip through the territories of the Western Balkans.
We gave this “blank” books to people we considered trustworthy and asked them to contribute their personal view on the term of homeland – that could be text, paintings, photos or collages. Homeland, as we understand it, is a persons’ map of experiences and relationships: the book shall collect these personal stories of each city.
Besides we asked each of our first contact persons to hand this book over again to another person they like or feel trustful with.
To make sure the handing out of the books would not flow into a dead-end, we inscribed our address as an anchor for returning home. Nevertheless, we are aware, that a so called dead-end can at the same time mean an open-end: filled with personal stories the books come together – or not.
With other words, this project is not about only exploring the topic of homeland in aspects of content, but at the same time it is about inventing an experimental character in terms of social distribution: will the linearity transform into circularity – or: will the chain of trustfulness, responsibility and solidarity be strong enough to let the books return to their starting point – their homeland – one day?