Communal breathing and belonging – the gift of space

This paper seeks to explore the gift of space in which restrictions concerning access to public space are lifted or challenged through articulations of women’s art-making.

The concept of the gift is complex and it entails thinking about the conditions generated by the
acceptance of a gift. I am particularly interested in art practices that allow for access to space mobilising positive modes of co-habitation and encouraging generosity and hospitality. Partum and Rajkowska, by questioning spatial environments and offering them as a gift, invite participation and reconciliation. Their acts of giving foster reciprocity that in turn generate hospitable and generous responses. Their interventions open up spaces for communal belonging.