The Little Book of Kabul

The Little Book of Kabul is a book project that depicts a portrait of Kabul through the daily activities of a number of artists who live in the city.

The Little Book of Kabul is a book project that depicts a portrait of Kabul through the daily activities of a number of artists who live in the city.

The book is a collaboration between photographer Lorenzo Tugnoli and writer Francesca Recchia.

The Little Book of Kabul dives into the lives of the three main characters exploring what it means to be an artist in Kabul and hence unveiling the beauty and brutality of the city.

The research for The Little Book of Kabul began in 2011 with an eye towards the future. With 2014 still looming far, concerns of what would become of the country after the scheduled drawdown of the international forces and the national elections were already on the minds of many. Political instability, combined with the pervasive presence of development agencies and the constant flux of aid money, fostered a widespread and dangerous dependency mentality that left the issue of long-term sustainability open. However low on the priority list of political agendas, cultural production has not been exempt from such dynamics.

We looked for people who were interested in a dialogue within and outside the country, but would not entirely rely on external support to do art; for people who would make of the creative drive the main motivation of their daily practices.