Mail-Art project Russia

Open for per lustration
mail and public-art project
Curators: Andrey Suzdalev, Mikhail Pogarsky

Declaration:
(Through Black Cabinet)

Artists open for world always, and they make the art even from their private correspondence. That is why the attempt of decree about per lustration in Russia don’t compel to be more careful in our private correspondence. Art gain a victory over policy in this little single combat. The project slogan: "Open for per lustration" haven’t political aims. We are only informing about our civil position: "However hard you may try, you can't to infringement our rights!" And we remind about this in emphasize playing form, by means of mail-art.

History reference: In Russia the secret department (black cabinet) organized under Empress Elizaveta. This department opened private correspondence. The number of officials in black cabinets wasn't big. In 1829 it was 33 persons; in 1913 it was 45 persons. Of course under communist regime these activities mount to All-Russian scale. But always this department and all its decrees were secret, because these decrees broke All-world Post Convention, which was passed by Universal Post Union (Russia is the member of this union).
When we send our art-post works and run its through deferent black cabinets, we declare: "Open for perturbation! Now you know what we hid so carefully!" It is truth. Now, for example, you can know that some from us are birds, others say "Hello" to rain and wind, that our ideas fly in another space and we very like our good old post office.

In this concept we also have an interest to sources of art-collage, when German DaDa-artists John Heartfield and George Grosz sent collage post card to friends at the battle-front. If these post card world wrote, any censor confiscated its.

Work process
Project has 3 stages
1. Usual mail-art. Artists send post card, without any limited by themes and techniques.
2. Addressee, who receive post card, put it in envelopment, sticks the special sticker and sends to the address of museum. Addressee can supplement envelopment with new art details, if he wants.
3. After that catalogue will be published from the best post card, and post card from this catalogue put in some art places (museums, galleries, libraries ets.) and any people can send this card with these supplements.


Address for post card:
Pogarsky Mikhail
Ul. Lenina,31,kv. 32
Krasnogorsk, 143404
Russia
Dead line for post card – 01/05/10