Propagating the Potato Library
The Local Challenge
A recent Eurobarometer survey shows culture is the strongest factor fostering community among Europeans, yet only half believe artists receive fair pay. In Warsaw, there is no permanent, free, and accessible space for self-directed learning that supports and professionalises the artistic community. This absence is critical, as cultural workers are among the most precarious yet make essential social contributions. In times of crisis, artists play a vital role in helping society interpret challenges, foster resilience, and imagine sustainable futures.
The Initiative
The Potato Library, founded by the Ziemniaki Foundation and based in Warsaw’s Osiedle Jazdow, sustains a free, permanent space for self-directed learning that supports and professionalises the artistic community. The library opens itself to co-ownership, ensuring it remains a welcoming, accessible hub for reflection, growth, and ecological engagement. Activities include two co-design workshops: one exploring community ownership and authorship, and another developing a nonlinear shelving system with young designers. An eco-steering committee maps sustainable practices, while a Seed Library and public seed walk promote biodiversity. Workshops and presentations address eco-grief, showing how cultural practices engage more-than-human perspectives and contribute to environmental awareness and resilience.
What’s Next?
The Potato Library will strengthen Warsaw’s cultural ecosystem by giving cultural workers and residents access to knowledge, networks, and ideas rarely found in free community spaces. Artists will shape the library’s future, ensuring it remains adaptable and resilient, while the wider public will gain skills in biodiversity, seed saving, and ecological care. By linking artistic practice with ecological knowledge, the library will nurture a culture of sustainability, helping participants integrate concepts like climate justice, ecological restoration, and posthumanist perspectives into daily life and creative work. Impact will be assessed using Creative Evaluation Methods developed at Lancaster University, which emphasise participatory analysis: diverse voices will be included, and reflection tools such as Cards on the Table will generate shared learning, community ownership, and stronger ecological awareness.
Contact theeuropechallenge@culturalfoundation.eu if you have any questions or want to be connected with the team behind the project.
