The Secret Mail-Art network

With all the news about Mail-Art on the Internet, the social media, we often forget that there is still that secret mail-art network that isn’t visible.

I mean, the not digitized materials and experiences that aren’t documented and form the basic experience of Mail-Art. The decision to make a piece for someone, The placing of the postage, the putting in the mail of the piece and then realizing that your part is over and you can only wait for a reation (or no reaction at all).

In todays digital world, we publish the pieces, we send the image to the receiver, and we expect an answer…….?  But that was never the essence of mail-art. It is just what some consider to be mail-art too.

There are also the surprised. Someone found your address and sends you something without you ever have heard from that pesons. New ways are opened when you want it to happen (or not).

Mail-Art is supposed to be ‘guilt-free’, never expect an answer, never feel forced you have to reply. Only when you promis something (like in a project) keep your promis, just like in normal life.

Some people who discover Mal-Art on the Internet and start from there, they don’t realize that the mail-art network is essence was invisble for everybody exept sender and receiver. It is a very private network in which you can participate and explore the world on another level.

And believe me, this network still exists. Not all is on Internet, and there are massive archives of mail-art collections yet to be discovered.