Sometimes you only know the true impact of an experience when you’ve spent time away from it. Not necessarily to reflect, but to contrast, in my case, my everyday life in Malta to the 5-week stay in Fiesole e dintorni (and surroundings) in April and May 2026.
I arrived in Tuscany in April this year full of enthusiasm and openness, no clear plan on the agenda other than that of working on the first draft of my graphic novel at the EUI Library. My graphic novel explores (post) memories and archives to tell a small part of the story of Italian colonialism in Libya. A quick search online confirmed that the library had most the books I needed to reference at this initial stage of my desk research.
The outreach team almost immediately extended an invitation to visit the library in Fiesole in 2026. I was so excited that my project, of great personal interest, was starting to resonate outside of my immediate family. With the strong cultural context of my project and the backing of a renowned educational institution - the EUI - I secured the Culture Moves Europe fund administered by the Goethe Institute by late March 2026.
At the EUI I grew fond of the little corner of the library I frequented, I spent most of my visits there, a pile of books at hand and my sketchbook at arm’s reach. How could I distill what I was reading so as to make it most useful for me down the line? I opted for both a classic typed up bibliography and an alternative sketched one. In truth they are complimentary, both ways of presenting data that can, if implemented properly in my comic, add depth, historical context and nuance to the family stories I’m recounting.
Spring at the EUI is special not just for the views of cypress trees, rolling hills, and the centre of Florence from the Badia Fiesolana. The air at the Badia is imbued with a sense of scholarly calm and focus. Walking to the mensa you can easily overhear researchers and academics discussing the latest development in their research or deconstructing theories they would have heard at academic conferences in the building.
During my stay I had the opportunity to attend a conference on minority studies, meet post-doc scholars working on Queer and Roma studies, and join discussions on activism at the EUI. Although I was just a visiting art researcher I was made to feel welcome by the community of full time researchers and my project was met with curiosity and interest.
I also felt seen by the library outreach team, who consulted me on my areas of expertise, namely queer and trans rights, and together we brainstormed activities for pride month. For which I returned at the end of pride month to lead a zine workshop at the EUI Library.
It’s now on me to find an inner sense of library calm to continue my project at home, to not stop the momentum of the first 50 pages of graphic novel thumbnails developed in Italy and see my project through its next phases.
I really encourage artists or cultural practitioners to reach out to the EUI Library with their project ideas, maybe you will be the next Culture Moves Europe visiting artistic researcher to benefit from the calm, scholarly atmosphere at the EUI.
About the author
Mina Jack is a trans activist, zine-maker and graphic novelist from Malta. The desk research for their debut graphic novel Between Memory and Archive was carried out at the EUI Library in spring 2026 and supported through a Creative Europe fund administered by the Goethe Institute.
This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.