Ilija Prokopiev and Marija Hristova In conversation with Ivana Mirchevska, Gjorgji Despodov, Klelija Zhivkovikj, Jovan Josifovski, Viktorija Poposka, Dzemiliana Abdulova, Hristina Krsteska, Viktorija Machkovska, and Hana Korneti, Ivana Chaloska and Dimitar Samardjiev 

In this book, curators Ilija Prokopiev and Marija Hristova invite readers into a rich and reflective exploration of emerging art practices within the cultural landscape of North Macedonia. A Book of Nine Books is the culmination of a three-year journey of collaboration, dialogue, and creative experimentation with a new generation of artists and cultural workers—those who defy easy classification, resist imposed systems, and move fluidly between disciplines and identities.

Through fieldwork, studio visits, and close-knit collaborations, A Book of Nine Books reveals a growing ecology of artists rethinking authorship, identity, and social engagement. From queer memory work in small towns to feminist archaeology, from permaculture storytelling to Roma cultural resurgence, the featured projects refuse static definitions, embracing experimentation and uncertainty as vital tools for cultural transformation.

Book of Nine Books is the first volume in the Curatorial Insights series, published by PrivatePrint. The Curatorial Insights series examines contemporary curatorial practices and working methodologies and offers different perspectives on the theoretical and practical frameworks that inform curatorial discourse today.

The project is sponsored by Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development