Kilometer Zero is a collective of international artists and writers that produces magazines, theatre, and artistic performances. It was founded in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France, at the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in 2000. The group operates as an association under the French laws of 1901. The name derives from ' Kilometre Zero', the point in front of Notre Dame cathedral. The ''Kilometer Zero'' magazine was created as an advertising free creative and political platform. Contributors have included

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a ...

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American lawyer and political activist involved in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. He is a Perennial candidate, perennial presidential candidate. His 1965 book '' ...

Dennis Cooper Dennis Cooper (born January 10, 1953) is an American novelist, poet, critic, editor and performance artist. He is best known for the ''George Miles Cycle'', a series of five semi-autobiographical novels published between 1989 and 2000 and describe ...

Tom Tomorrow Dan Perkins (born April 5, 1961), better known by his pen name Tom Tomorrow, is an American editorial cartoonist. His weekly comic strip, '' This Modern World'', which comments on current events, appears regularly in more than 80 newspapers acros ...

Daniel Stedman Daniel Stedman is an American entrepreneur, film director, producer, writer, and publisher. He founded Pressto, an educational platform after leading Northside Media Group to its acquisition in 2015. He also established The ''L Magazine'' and B ...

, CD Wright, and Sparkle Hayter. Kilometer Zero has produced performances in Paris, London, Brooklyn, Amsterdam, Marseille, and Beijing. The founding of ''Kilometer Zero'' is documented in Jeremy Mercer's novel ''Time Was Soft There'', published in 2005 by

St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan in New York City. It is headquartered in the Equitable Building (New York City), Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishe ...

Notable Kilometer Zero projects

* ''Th
Robin Hood Project
' (Summer 2002): A product placement sting where major designer labels were duped into donating their goods to French charities. *
Lysistrata
' (March 2003): Kilometer Zero produced an adaption of

Lysistrata ''Lysistrata'' ( or ; Attic Greek: , ''Lysistrátē'', ) is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's mission to end the Peloponnesian War between Greek city ...

as part of an anti-war statement made by theaters around the world. *
Pssst... America
'' (October 2004): A seven city political barnstorming tour emphasizing social inequity in America in advance of the 2004 presidential elections. *
The Short Step
' (May 2005): (pictured) Kilometer Zero opened the Dashanzi International Arts Festival in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

by grouping together 400 westerners dressed in traditional Chinese factory uniforms.Review of The Short Step
by Garbo Garboson The performance was interrupted by Chinese officials.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Kilometer Zero official site

Kilometer Zero blog
Advertising-free magazines Literary magazines published in France Political magazines published in France Magazines established in 2000 Magazines published in Paris 2000 establishments in France