Parts of the Keleketla! Library at the historic Drill Hall in Joubert Park have on several occasions been wheeled out onto the street.
Artists who visit the Drill Hall on residencies seem to be especially fond of the idea of the library going mobile, and indeed, this is in line with Keleketla!’s ethos: in a part of town where bookshops are as scarce as snowballs, a public library has to work hard to attract its public.
The most recent iteration of the mobile Keleketla! library is a project by American artist Kevin Clancy, titled Portable Utopia. A small, kiosk-like unit that folds up and can be carted around on wheels, Portable Utopia offers the public more than just books. It also has a compartment for prints and drawings and another for archival paraphernalia.
It even has a lectern, a flag, an inflatable dome and a folding chair for very small, spontaneous rallies. Clancy describes Portable Utopia as “a transient platform for learning, sharing, making and discussion.” For more information, visit the project website: www.portableutopia.org