The book in the making, at the printer's (image by Hans Gremmen)
We are proud to announce our new publication: Trigger 6: Assemblies. After five years as a magazine, Trigger has now transformed into an annual book series, introduced with a new format, design, and rhythm. Our new book is published by the end of October 2025.
This first volume in the new series is the result of an intensive collaboration with guest editor Taous Dahmani. The publication is a project for reflection on photography, initiated by FOMU – Fotomuseum Antwerpen and published by Fw:Books. Its origins lie in the exhibition Assembly, curated by Dahmani for the Kamel Lazaar Foundation / Ibraaz during Jaou Tunis 2024.
👉 Pre-order your copy of Trigger 6: Assemblies now via the online shop.
Assemblies: radical agency
Taous Dahmani (see below) has shaped this volume around her conviction that “life is politics, and politics is life.” Assemblies is a collection of photographs, essays, and archival material that redefines socio-political gatherings across the SWANA region (Southwest Asia and North Africa). The book traces an insurrectional spirit, passed down through generations, where resistance is not occasional but a way of life.
At its core, the book focuses on gatherings (assemblies) as a radical form of agency, documenting the meetings of exiles and erased voices formed under fractured conditions. It explores the many forms of coming together — from reading circles and tents to cafés, living rooms, and bookshops — and emphasizes the often invisible affective labour required to sustain collective projects under precarity.
A new structure and the importance of allyship
This transformation follows an evaluation of the first five years of Trigger and reinforces our mission to foster deep collaboration and dialogue. The annual book now serves as the pivot point for critical reflections on contemporary photography. The digital platform will act as an extension, developing conversation lines and new research in photography in ways that are focused and accessible. At this point, we are still using our older format. Expect more news about this, in the beginning of 2026.
In my (Tom Viaene’s) Preface, I highlight how the making of this book required a profound commitment to allyship. This engagement was crucial, as many contributors worked amid war, displacement, or economic hardship. Allyship here meant providing time and resources and creating frameworks that protect fragile conditions, while collectively emphasizing that the making of books remains vital.
Contributors
Trigger 6: Assemblies features contributions from: Rabih Mroué, Ala Younis, Hoda Afshar, Myriam Boulos, Céline Semaan, Farah Abdessamad, Didem Pekün, Larissa Sansour, Jumana Manna, Khaled Barakeh, alongside an extensive archival section with works by Mashid Mohadjerin, Joyce Joumaa, Tashattot, Mahasen Nasser-Eldin, Arab Image Foundation, and more.
portrait (c) Oumayma Ben Tanfous
Meet our guest editor: Taous Dahmani
Dr Taous R. Dahmani is a London-based art historian, writer, and curator with French, British, and Algerian roots. She specialises in photography and has contributed to publications such as Aperture and FOAM. Her curatorial work spans the globe, including the Louis Roederer Discovery Award at Les Rencontres d’Arles (2022) and the Jaou Photo Biennale in Tunis (2024). Since September 2025, she has been curator at The Photographers’ Gallery in London.
For Trigger 6: Assemblies, Dahmani brings her critical focus on political photography in the SWANA region (Southwest Asia and North Africa). The volume reflects her belief that “life is politics, and politics is life.” This perspective shaped the original Assembly exhibition, curated for the Kamel Lazaar Foundation / Ibraaz during Jaou Tunis 2024.
Her editorial vision foregrounds voices that resist being reduced to narratives of violence or victimhood. Dahmani examines the insurrectional spirit in the region and explores gatherings (assemblies) as a radical form of agency, forging solidarity under fractured and precarious conditions.
Book Details
Title
Trigger 6: Assemblies
Guest Editor
Taous Dahmani
Coordinating Editor (FOMU)
Tom Viaene
Publisher
Fw:Books
Design
Hans Gremmen
Partners / Sponsors
FOMU – Fotomuseum Antwerpen
Kamel Lazaar Foundation / Ibraaz
ISBN
978-90-835197-8-4
Language
English and Arabic
Publication Date
November 2025
Launch Events
8 November 2025 – Ibraaz, London
14 November 2025 – Le Bal, Paris