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Mail Art-Archive

at the Staatliches Museum Schwerin

The Mail Art – archive, founded in 1996, established a new, for museums up to date unusual collection area.
Mail Art as a democratic, spontaneously and actively respondent to current affairs art form, first emerged in the 1960s in the USA and was soon practised in Europe as well.
Mail Art does not refer to the personal correspondence between two individuals but the communication with art about specifically announced projects. The topics face up to common vital issues, enunciate critical awareness for dealing with nature as well as they claim human fundamental rights such as freedom and democracy, and take up positions of the modern art.
The slogan no fee, no jury, no return does not allow any restrictions on content and form of expression. Both artists and laymen have worked in the Mail Art network. Based on the mail system Mail Art has been one of the first international networks, prior the internet, which has made possible the global exchange of thoughts and art. Until 1989 it also functioned as subversive underground communication- and informationsystem. For Eastern European artists it has been of particular importance since it allowed them to emerge from isolation, to establish global contacts and to participate in the international art scene. Particular media of expression such as stamp-art, the artist stamp, the designed envelope, the postcard, the poster and alternative publications like assemblings have evolved with the Mail Art.


The Schwerin Collection with its approximately 30.000 objects including Mail Art works, postcards, catalogues, poster, invitations, magazines, gallery programmes, newspaper articles, correspondences and Mail Art projects is based on Joseph W. Huber’s Mail Art archive who was active in the Mail Art network since the early 1970s.
Furthermore Dietrich Schneider’s archive was added as a donation. Donations and systematic acquisitions have led to the profiling of the collection which main focus is on the Eastern European Mail Art scene.

Congress documentation
Congress documentation:
Kornelia von Berswordt-Wallrabe (Hrsg.),
Concept: Kornelia Röder.
Staatliches Museum Schwerin 1997
Exhibition view
Exhibition view:
Mail Art -
Osteuropa im internationalen Netzwerk,
1996
© Staatliches Museum Schwerin
Performance during the exhibition opening
Performance during the exhibition opening:
Mail Art - Osteuropa im internationalen Netzwerk,
Stamp Action 20.7.1996.
László Kerekes and Nenad Bogdanovic
©Staatliches Museum Schwerin
Study room
Study room
©Staatliches Museum Schwerin
Kunstsammlungen Schlösser und Gärten icon

Contact
Dr. Kornelia Röder
Tel. +49 (0)385-5958172
roeder(at)museum-schwerin.de
www.museum-schwerin.de

The Mail Art-Archive is open by appointment only

The Staatliches Museum Schwerin.
The Staatliches Museum Schwerin.
Photo: Gabriele Bröcker
Mail Art-Archive and Marcel Duchamp Research Centre
Mail Art-Archive and Marcel Duchamp Research Centre
at the Villa Kunstsammlungen,
Schlösser und Gärten - Staatliches Museum Schwerin.
Photo: Gabriele Bröcker