Visions of Europe catalogue, 3rd rev. & exp. ed.

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