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Cross-Border Art

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The London based artist from Finland, Riitta Ikonen, has found an interesting way to test the limit of our cross-cultural borders understanding of what some common objects stands for. Since 2004 the artist has sent A6 size packages to her friend, from Japan, Finland, Spain, Russia & England.

Amazingly only 3 of these package never reached their destination & very few broke on their arrival. Knowing the number of intermediary to distribute a piece of mail, we can imagine the reaction of this worldwide post-office audience finding themselves sometime challenged on how to treat some of the parcels.

Apparently as long as you put a stamp on it... everything goes. Stamps are currency and probably one of the first truly global foreign exchange system in existence. Despite internet communications, posting is something remaining popular to exchange between people. The work of Ikonen is refreshing because at a time where the field of art & design is over-crowded by internet or digital works, there is still someone coming up with ideas that could have been made 10 to 60 years ago and still reflect our contemporary times.

Riita Ikonen mail art works

Comments (3)

I read 2 reports about mail that I found interesting. In the US someone had all of his friends mail him a dollar. First he made an address label and stuck it on 50 or 100 $1.00 bills and added postage. Then he mailed the dollars to his contacts and told them to just drop the dollar in a mailbox to see how many made it to him. I forget the exact number, but over 90 did.

The second study was to drop letters with address and stamp near a mailbox. Letters with one address made it the second did not. The first address was to a an average name, the second to the same name with a racist organization listed under the name. less than half the racist letters made it and almost all the regular mail did.

Postal tests are pretty fun. Great post, I stumbled it in society and hope you get loads of traffic.

I included a link to your post in my blog carnival - second link in 2 weeks.

You have a very interesting view on cross cultural information. Keep up the great posts.

I have been moving around this past month & discovered these 2 nice comments from 2 nice people while I was away from my blog.
Thank you Richard & Cindy, I really appreciate.
I will be continuing feeding this blog during the course of this month, and your encouragements are deeply appreciated.

Very interesting examples you are giving Richard. I think mail art is inherently a cross-cultural activity... It also show that humans are still behind the giant post office system.

Cindy, thank you for your kind comment, let me know the link of your blog.