Visions of Europe 2016 International Mail Art Project Helsinki, Finland
VISIONS OF EUROPE 2016 International Mail Art Project Helsinki, Finland Participants: Haley Allen / Anonymous / Hanna Arney / Richard Baudet Martina Berger / Pedro Bericat / Angela Bohan Emilio Carrasco / Carta/Obra Collective / Colleen Clawson Ryosuke Cohen / Ryosuke Cohen + Kazunori Murakami Ryosuke Cohen + Salamon Arpad / Ryosuke Cohen + Tiziana Baracchi / Dara / de l’autre Europe Glória W. de Oliveira Souza / Lonna Dippel “E” Ambassadeur d’Utopia / Beth Eversole Wolfgang Faller / Patricia Fiammingo / Leanna Gibbs Kevin and James Gillen / Raquel Gociol / Roland Halbritter Andreas Horn / Savannah Hoskinon / Eni Ilis Susan Jarvis / Evan Kisner / Madeline Kissel Cally Jo Klausing / Uwe Klein / Wolfgang Krauss Gérard Lange / Serse Luigetti / Eiichi Matsuhashi Antonia Mayol Castelló / Elise McWilliams / Isabelle Miltioux Monika Mori / Emily Myer / Katerina Nikoltsou Clemente Padin / Kiara Perkins / Silvano Pertone Klaus Pinter / Poul Poclage / Kristina S. Pugh Nancy Raen Mendez / Dórian Ribas Marinho Jose Vicente Royo Diez / Heike Sackmann Roberto Scala / Marco Scarelli / Lars Schumacher Susanne Schumacher / Kyleigh Shearin / Snappy Corrie Sowders / Nasta Spencer / C. Stiliachus Renata & Giovanni StraDA DA / Jaromir Svozilik Bethany Swartzentruber / Jan Theuninck / Horst Tress Victor Vidal / Daniele Virgilio / Michael Wagner / Simon Warren Patricia Weeks
Publication data: Published electronically by John Gayer, Helsinki, Finland Project blog, exhibition and catalogue conceived, organised and realised by John Gayer 3rd rev. & exp. ed. – 15 August 2017 (1st ed. – 27 September 2016; 2nd rev. ed. – 16 November 2016) ISBN 978-952-93-9274-2 Copyright of the art works resides with the artists. Copyright of the essay, exhibition photographs and publication’s design resides with the publisher.
Contents Introduction The Artists and Their Work Post-Exhibition Arrivals Extra Stuff Views of the Exhibition
INTRODUCTION ____________/\_/\_________________________________________/\_______ Much has happened since this project was launched on the 18th of March, 2016. Bombs ripping through the Belgian capital temporarily paralysed Brussels’ city centre and its airport, and a parallel tragedy occurred at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport. Brexit initiated the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union and the effects of 2015’s migrant crisis still rippled through many parts of the continent. On a lighter, but no less political side, Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Fest. Jaws also dropped as Portugal managed to undo the efforts of a host of more powerful teams and slip through to win the Euro 2016 football championship. As these events unfolded, postcards slipped through my mail slot carrying a host of views and opinions, which more than lived up to what I hoped I would get to see. Of course, no single project could adequately describe such a vast and culturally complex place as Europe, but the range of viewpoints expressed – however pointed or oblique – highlight its inherent diversity and criticise particular developments. But most importantly, the submissions are as uniquely individual as the contributors who produced them. That variety is evident in the scope of imagery, the media used and the ideas each artist chose to express. Their submissions not only contain glimpses of the continent’s history and its influence abroad, but also touch upon social issues, political concerns, the economy and environment. The leisure pursuits of travel and tourism are emphasised through depictions of some of Europe’s most popular sites as well as more out-of-the-way places. In terms of media, the artists explore the theme through drawing, painting, photography, various types
________________/\____________________/\___________________________ of printing techniques, collage, texts, as well as artists’ stickers and stamps. Artistic styles encompass realism and abstraction, and the human figure forms the focus of some contributors’ work. Stark contrasts are also come into play. Some contributors employ a more documentary-like approach, whereas others have delved into creating imaginary scenes. It was also great to see that not all of the artists adhered to the postcard format. In several submissions the envelope operates as extension of the art that came inside it or functions as the art itself. Additional paths are also represented. Whereas one contributor produced a fold-out picture magazine, another included facsimiles of other artists’ work. While the unpredictability of our times influenced the initiation of this project, the question of what it means to be European held greater interest. This issue has long haunted me, especially since my parents and grandparents were so preoccupied with remembering their European roots. The reason: WWII interfered and changed their lives forever. Though they became displaced people, they were eventually able to start a new life on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. That is when their knowledge of Europe began to stagnate, eventually becoming more and more distorted, and out of date. Europe was idealised and romanticised, and the celebration of traditions became limited to family events and sporadic ethnic club activities. Now – after having lived in several European countries – my perspective has truly been brought up to date, and I wanted to see what others thought and felt. The responses to my invitation have been assembled here for you to explore. – jG
THE ARTISTS AND THEIR WORK _______________/\_______________/\______________________________/\_ Haley Allen – United States
Anonymous – Austria
Hanna Arney – United States
Pedro Bericat – Spain
Martina Berger – Brazil
_______________/\__________________________________________________ Angela Bohan – United States
Colleen Clawson – United States
Emilio Carrasco – Mexico
Carta/Obra Collective – Brazil
____________________________________________/\__/\_________________ Ryosuke Cohen – Japan
__/\_________________________________/\_______________________/\___ Ryosuke Cohen – Japan
__/\_/\________________________________/\_______________________/\_ Ryosuke Cohen – Japan + Kazunori Murakami
+ Salamon Arpad
+ Tiziana Baracchi
Japan
Slovenia
Italy
Dara – United States
de l’autre Europe – Canada
______________________________________________/\___________________ Glória W. de Oliveira Souza – Brazil
Lonna Dippel – United States
“E” Ambassadeur d'Utopia – France
________________/\____________________/\__________________________ Beth Eversole – United States
Wolfgang Faller – Germany
Patricia Fiammingo – France
_______/\__________________________________________/\__/\_____/\___ Leanna Gibbs – United States
Kevin and James Gillen– United Kingdom
Dungeness Nuclear Power Station, Kent, UK
Raquel Gociol – Argentina
__/\_________________________________/\_______________________/\___ Roland Halbritter – Germany
Andreas Horn – Germany
Savannah Hoskinon – United States
____________________________________________/\__/\_________________ Eni Ilis – Brazil
Evan Kisner – United States
Madeline Kissel – United States
Cally Jo Klausing – United States
__/\____________/\_____________________________________________/\_ Uwe Klein – Germany
Wolfgang Kraus (aka Welfchen) – Germany
Gérard Lange – United States
_________________________________/\________________________________ Serse Luigetti – Italy
__/\_/\________________________________/\_______________________/\_ Serse Luigetti – Italy
_______________/\_______________/\______________________________/\_ Eiichi Matsuhashi – Japan
Antonia Mayol Castelló – Spain
Elise McWilliams – United States
_______________/\__________________________________________________ Isabelle Miltioux – Canada
Monika Mori (aka MOO) – Austria
Emily Myer – United States
_______/\__________________________________________/\_________/\___ Katerina Nikoltsou – Greece
Clemente Padin – Uruguay
Kiara Perkins – United States
____________________________________________/\__/\_________________ Sylvano Pertano – Italy
____________/\_/\_________________________________________/\______ Klaus Pinter – Austria
Poul Poclage – Denmark
__/\_/\________________________________/\_______________________/\_ Kristina S. Pugh – United States
Dórian Ribas Marinho – Brazil
Nancy Raen Mendez – United States
________________/\____________________/\___________________________ Jose Vicente Royo Diez – Spain
Roberto Scala – Italy
____________________________________________/\__/\_________________ Marco Antônio Scarelli – Brazil
__/\_________________________________/\_______________________/\___ Lars Schumacher – Germany
Romania
Turkey
France
Ireland
__________________________________/\________/\__/\_________________ Susanne Schumacher – Germany
Kyleigh Shearin – United States
_______/\__________________________________________/\__/\_____/\___ Snappy – Canada
Corrie Sowders – United States
_________________________________/\________________________________ Nasta Spencer – Russia
C. Stiliachus – Germany
_______________/\_______________/\______________________________/\_ Renata and Giovanni StraDA Da – Italy
____________/\_/\_________________________________________/\_______ Jaromir Svozilik – Norway
Bethany Swartzentruber – United States
Jan Theuninck – Belgium
_________________________________/\________________________________ Horst Tress – Germany
Victor Vidal – Denmark
________________/\_______________________________________/\________ Daniele Virgilio – Italy
Michael Wagner – Germany
Simon Warren – United Kingdom
__/\_/\________________________________/\_______________________/\_ Simon Warren – United Kingdom
_______/\__________________________________________/\__/\_____/\___ Simon Warren – United Kingdom
Patricia Weeks – United States
POST-EXHIBITION ARRIVALS _______________/\_______________/\______________________________/\_ Richard Baudet – France
S
Susan Jarvis – Canada
______/\___________________________________________________________ Heike Sackmann – Germany
Simon Warren – United Kingdom
EXTRA STUFF ____________________________________________/\__/\_________________ A look back: a 1990’s perspective…
Promotional postcards
VIEWS OF THE EXHIBITION ____________/\_/\_________________________________________/\_______
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VISIONS OF EUROPE 2016 International Mail Art Project Helsinki, Finland Project Blog postboxtomailboxnoplainart.blogspot.com
Exhibition Artists’ Books Collection Gallery Rikhardinkatu Library, Rikhardinkatu 3, 00130 Helsinki, Finland 1 – 31 October, 2016
Catalogue The Visions of Europe project blog and catalogue, document all submissions received by post. The project blog displays the art work in the order it was received. The catalogue lists participants and their art work in alphabetical order.
Acknowledgements Exhibition: Jyri-Petteri Volkoff, Rikhardinkatu Library, Helsinki, Finland Proofreading: Herwig Gayer, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Contact information John Gayer Taivaanvuohentie 3 B 13 00200 Helsinki, Finland 4johngayer@gmail.com