Friday, June 4, 2010

Paris Correspondence School

I have sent in my piece today for the Paris Correspondence School project. This is a project initiated by Birmingham based curator Charlie Levine.
Artists have been invited to send in a postcard design, a pack will be collated from the entries, and Charlie will take these to Paris - here is the information given to selected artists:
'These cards based around the theme of correspondence, partnerships, interaction and collaboration will be used for interventions around the city as well as correspondence between me and the participating artists. These cards will then be exhibited in two exhibitions curated by me and Minnie Wiez in London and Birmingham with some partnership with Catalogue Magazine.'
Each of the participating artists will receive a pack containing all of the submitted cards, we will then engage in a correspondence activity with the other artists involved. I like the idea of entering into correxpondence with strangers, and always love receiving exciting items in the post.

My piece for this project has allowed me to revive a mini-project from 1998, when I was 20 years old. This is a bit about it:
In 1998 I spent a summer in Paris.
I rented a cabin on a boat on the River Seine, stood still for money outside St Georges Pompidou, and photographed Lovers under the Eiffel Tower.
My days were filled with the promise of romance, that never came to anything.
I sent myself love letters, which have never been opened.
The funny thing for me was another example of synchronicity. Just as I was involved in sending myself love letters, I went one evening to an art event on a boat on the Seine, and happened to meet a professional love letter writer. He was writing love letters for people at the opening, I asked him if he would write one for me, he thought I was weird and didn't want to do it - but I eventually persuaded him. He wrote it in French. I cannot remember what it, or any of the others said now, and they are still sealed.
Maybe I will open them one day, but not today.

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