Arguing that there is more to Afghanistan than war and violence, The Little Book of Kabul aims to reveal a hidden face of the city, where there is a rich and diverse culture that news and media seem to forget: artists, craftsmen, designers, and musicians who struggle everyday to preserve a sense of normality that allows for the expression of their creativity.
"After long discussions, we chose to work with film photography: in black and white, small and medium format," say Tugnoli and Recchia. "Drawings and pencil/ink sketches are the main source of inspiration. The same goes for the text: not a lengthy essay, but a collection of snapshots, of small portraits of details that combine into a complex collage of the daily reality that creative people experience in Kabul."
The Little Book of Kabul looks towards the future — the 2014 transition. While there is a lot of international interest in questions of youth, art and culture in Afghanistan, and foreign governments and NGOs are investing in these fields, very few people are thinking about the sustainability of this model. "We want to take a critical stand on this and try and look what is there beyond the international circles," states the authors. "Hence the main question of the book is what is it that is going to be left after 2014? And what can cultural practices really contribute to this political phase?"
Tugnoli and Recchia are simultaneously keeping a diary of their research in the Afghan capital — the blog version of The Little Book of Kabul collects their thoughts, field notes and little stories of daily life in the city.
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