Feminist spatial practices: Queering rural periphery through spatial activism

Abstract

This paper explores feminist spatial practices operating outside traditional boundaries of architectural profession, focusing on self-organised spatial activism in rural Sweden. It centres on the art collective Not Quite, operating from the premises of a former paper mill in Fengersfors, Dalsland. Founded over two decades ago by craft-makers, the collective has cultivated a vibrant cultural space in a peripheral region. While Not Quite is not explicitly named a feminist collective, its activities are largely sustained by women and non-binary individuals and informed by queer-feminist organisational models. In response to the threatened sale of its premises, the collective acquired and began restoring an abandoned carpentry workshop, using craft techniques and repair to reclaim space and foster community. These acts of maintenance are framed as feminist spatial practices—concrete, collective interventions that challenge capitalist development logics and dominant urban planning models. The paper situates these practices within broader discussions of the ethics of care, commoning, and diverse economies, positioning architecture not as a static form, but an ongoing, relational process. Through participatory action research, the study highlights how collective repair practices serve as both spatial and political strategies, offering grassroots, smaller-scale, community-oriented approaches of living and making together at the margins.