Last Utopia

Last Utopia or Laatste Utopie is special publication by Persis Bekkering (1987). The publication includes an English translation by Susan Ridder and is designed by Martin Groch, participant of the Jan van Eyck Academy in 2019-20.

The bilingual book (NL-EN) contains one chapter of her recent novel Exces (Prometheus, 2021), which she has been working on during her stay at the Jan van Eyck Academy. Set in the rave scene of 90s' Berlin, Last Utopia sketches the emotional landscape of an era that was supposed to be liberated, a time when the future was ostentatiously hailed. Yet in between the markers of optimism and progress, the first cracks announcing the permanent crises of today are revealed. Understanding techno as narrative device, this short novella - which can be read independently from the novel - traces echoes of utopian imaginary.