UnMonastery Project Revives Ancient Knowledge Networks Through Modern Hackerspaces
Harry West, an anthropologist and professor at SOAS, University of London, has dedicated six years to exploring artisan cheesemaking throughout Europe. His work highlights traditional techniques, such as kneading udders and marinating tripe, and reveals how ancient monastic communities disseminated cheese-making skills. For instance, Alpine practices have been identified on a Greek island, while Italian mozzarella has impacted Turkish kasar. At Design Miami/Basel in June 2014, Ben Vickers, previously with Serpentine Galleries, presented the unMonastery project, which originated from the Edgeryders initiative. Initiated in March 2014 in Matera, Italy, it transformed abandoned sassi cave dwellings for community use. Vickers aims to create an 'unMonastery in a box' and reopen in spring 2015, with plans to extend to Greece, Poland, and Italy.
Key facts
- Harry West is a professor of anthropology at SOAS, University of London, specializing in artisan cheesemaking.
- West's research maps cheese-making influences across Europe, linking ancient monastic networks to knowledge transfer.
- Ben Vickers, a writer and former digital curator at Serpentine Galleries, presented the unMonastery project at Design Miami/Basel in June 2014.
- The unMonastery project originated from the Edgeryders initiative, a pan-European community of young people.
- The first unMonastery opened in March 2014 in Matera, Italy, using disused sassi cave dwellings for a four-month prototype.
- Fourteen 'unMonks' with technical skills were selected to live collectively and work on community projects like water management and open-source software.
- The project aims to formalize hackerspaces, promoting collaboration, skill-sharing, and off-grid independence.
- Vickers is developing an 'unMonastery in a box' set, with plans to reopen Matera in spring 2015 and expand to Greece, Poland, and Italy.
Entities
Artists
- Harry West
- Ben Vickers
- Hettie Judah
Institutions
- School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
- University of London
- Serpentine Galleries
- Design Miami/Basel
- Edgeryders
- unMonastery
Locations
- Turkey
- Basque mountains
- Auvergne
- Home Counties
- England
- London
- Matera
- Italy
- Greece
- Poland
- Switzerland