A library in the city, an archive of the Other 

Rumah Attap Library & Collective is located in a row of restored c.1950s interconnected shophouses in Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur. Rumah Attap is both a physical library and an imagined space. On the one hand, it is a space for reading, discussion, publication, workshops and forums. Researchers, artists and the public are also able to exchange books and thoughts related to cultural studies, arts, literature, philosophy and social sciences. On the other, it is an imagined space where ideas and discourses intersect, ferment, spread, converge and mutate. We hope to build an open and critical alternative knowledge system through this library, creating a critical and “living coordinate” generated by public participation. Rumah Attap works towards charting a new intellectual map that connects geography, history, time, society, politics, culture and the arts.

In this rapidly growing city, boundaries and appearances of communities have been constantly changing. Located at the intersection of two rivers, KL is also an interchange for heterogeneous culture. However, who belongs or does not belong to this city? Who holds the right to speak and define this city for us? Can we move away from the given framework, be able to see the Other outside the comfort zone? Who are the Other in the city that we don’t usually see their faces? Is it possible to build an archive of “the Other” to collect the stories of them? Could this be a method to defamiliarize the city, for the sake of familiarizing it again?

Rumah Attap’s latest project 【Archive of the Other: Mapping KL and Its Imaginary】 is a multi-faceted art project, aiming at using the method of "cultural mapping", to rediscover the history and Kuala Lumpur and its stories of urban developments. It is designed to include "the Other" that has always been excluded from our vision and imagination of the city. It involves a 3-dimensional archive which collects books, things, and documents that are related to Kuala Lumpur, and have them exhibited in the library. It also holds talks and discussions to have dialogues on the landscape and developments of KL. Thirdly, it creates a "participatory mapping" project that invites the public to walk into the neglected community of KL, including Petaling Street area and Kota Raya migrant community .It will be showcased through words and images.

Our target donation is RM 20,000. Through your kind support, we could:

1. Build up a borrowing system for the library, allowing members to borrow books;
2. Purchase more related books for the library;
3. Upgrade the infrastructure of the library, creating a comfortable reading space for the users;
4. Provide one-year basic operating expenses for the library to hold workshops, discussions, and talks;
5. Create an “archive of the Other”, collecting stories of Kuala Lumpur;
6. Complete a zine on “Mapping the Other in KL”

To appreciate your support, you will receive our tokens of appreciation as follows:

RM50

A set of bookmarks designed by Rumah Attap

RM100

One-year membership of Rumah Attap (can borrow books and enjoy exclusive benefits)

A set of bookmarks designed by Rumah Attap

RM200

One-year membership of Rumah Attap

“Mapping the Other in KL” zine

A set of bookmarks designed by Rumah Attap

RM300

One-year membership of Rumah Attap

“Mapping the Other in KL” zine

A tote bag designed by Rumah Attap

A set of bookmarks designed by Rumah Attap

RM500

One-year membership of Rumah Attap

“Mapping the Other in KL” zine

Amateur’s zine “Intellectuals” （业余者小誌《知识分子》）

A compilation of Streetvoice magazine （《街报》合辑）

A tote bag designed by Rumah Attap

A set of bookmarks designed by Rumah Attap