About
Francis Alÿs has documented children at play all over the world, from kids playing knucklebones in Nepal to musical chairs in Mexico or flying kites in Afghanistan. He filmed in peaceful towns and villages, but also against the backdrop of conflict and tension, such as at a Yezidi refugee camp in Iraq or in besieged Kabul. This book shows the ways children everywhere pass the time and create their own fantasies in games and leisure, whether skipping stones, sandcastles, marbles, or hopscotch. The project is presented here as a series for the first time, with contributions by journalist Lorna Scott Fox, filmmaker David MacDougall, and art critic and curator Cuauhtémoc Medina.