THE CHRONOLOGY OF HUNGARIAN
CORRESPONDENCE ART AND MAIL ART

  

[introduction]  [1956-1969]  [1970-1979]  [1980-1989]  [1990-1998]


magyar

10 April-6 May 1990: Lila (Purple) School, Újpalota, Budapest: documentary exhibition of Tamás Váczi Jépont (J.) titled “TRIPICON IN HUNGARY” about a fictitious country (Tripicon) and including the country’s POST-MAIL-ARTE.

13 December 1990: Katz's Deli, Lower East Side, New York. - "Correspondance School Dinner" – meeting of New York-based networkers (at the usual venue) on the occasion of Artpool’s visit. Ray could not be present so the joint sheet documenting the event is made using his profile


1991: Géza Perneczky’s book titled "THE NET" (Alternative art trends in periodical publications 1968-1988)

January 1991: Róbert Bischof (Zalaegerszeg) sends an A4 “gift image” to the Lanongrud fanzine (Zita Apáti Zita and Attila Leiszter) asking them to complete it and send it on; it arrives back in Hungary three years later from South America: it has grown into a 3-metre long folding brochure

2 July-30 August 1991: Fészek (Nest) Gallery, Budapest: NETWORK/HÁLÓZAT - 1. "Substitutable Self portrait", 2. "REVELATION", 3. "experiment polaroid" exhibition of Róbert Swierkiewicz’s mail art material

19 September-13 October 1991: exhibition hall of the Municipal Cultural Centre, Paks: ARTPOOL’S RAY JOHNSON SPACE (316 participants). "International Correspondence Art, presenting five letters by Ray Johnson"

23 September-11 October 1991: Cultural Centre, Bonyhád: EXHIBITION OF IMAGES SENT BY TELEFAX (first fax exhibition in Hungary) with 20 participants from 5 countries (organised by Gyula Máté)


13 and 15 February 1992: Tilos az Á and Lágymányos Community Center, Budapest: "DEMOCRATIC SOUND POEM FOR A CASIO RAPMAN" show by György Galántai: the members of the audience show up numbers previously distributed thus instructing the performer which sound to play

23 March-15 May 1992: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: "BEKE/BEKE", TÜKÖR-MIRROR-SPIEGEL-MIROIR - mirror works by 35 artists from 10 countries (the material exhibited in 1973 in Balatonboglár); "MARCELL DUCHAMP BORN 100 YEARS AGO" with the participation of 54 artists from 15 countries (the material exhibited at the Aesthetics Department of ELTE University in 1987 Esztétika) "FLUXUS AND OTHER EARLY STAMP IMAGES (1941-1974)" organised from works by 21 artists from 7 countries, marking the opening of Artpool’s Artistamp Museum comprising Artpool’s own artistamp collection and the estate of Mike Bidner, Canadian artist and philatelist. "Mail Art" – non-stop slideshow

24 April-8 May 1992: Liget (City Park) Gallery, Budapest. First Contemporary Epigone Exhibition, orgnanised by Tibor Várnagy

1 May 1992:-1st May Swimming Pool, Pestszentlőrinc, Budapest: "FIRST WATERLESS BEACH FESTIVAL IN BUDAPEST" with music bands, performances, sound projects, poster poems, films, periodicals and beach expo (organised by István: Hajdu, CEO of Hungaromagyar Ltd. and Miklós Pálos, CEO of HungaroDaDa Ltd)

22 May-5 July 1992: Kassák Museum, Budapest: International Mail Art Exhibition with the participation of 70 artists from 8 countries, organised by Le K´dar

5 June-23 August 1992: Kiscell Museum, Budapest: "LAST SUMMER OF MY PUBERTY" – exhibition of Viktor Lois’ instrument sculptures, 5 concerts with the participation of 18 musicians and the audience

12 June-14 August 1992: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: "SZÖVEGEK/TEXTS" organised from the concrete poetry collection of Tibor Gáyor and Dóra Maurer with the participation of 48 artists from 11 countries (the material exhibited in 1973 in Balatonboglár)
"250 MEMORIAL STAMP IMAGES BY 150 HUNGARIAN ARTISTS FROM THE WORLD ART POST COLLECTION " – exhibition of the Artistamp Museum
"PECULIAR ARTWORKS" from Artpool’s object collection – works by 37 artists from 6 countries
"CITY TRANSFORMING IDEAS" – a selection from works by 22 artists in Artpool’s artist’s postcard collection
"Stamp images on computer" works by 29 artists from 8 countries – non-stop slideshow

 16-20 July 1992: Újkapolcs Gallery, Kapolcs: "AUDIO-VISUAL AND ELECTRONIC CHILDREN-TOGETHERNESS" correspondence art action project; first “originals” reused as copies, altered, collectively worked on and displayed at the exhibition (organised by Artpool/Galántai)

24-26 August 1992: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: “DECENTRALIZED WORLD-WIDE NETWORKER CONGRESS BUDAPEST SESSION" - fax and electrographic studio works. Artpool’s first fax action and exhibition with the participation of 80 artists; the event is documented by Artpool’s fax magazine titled FAXZINE

15 September 1992 - BBS-Magyar Narancs Boat, Budapest. SEND US A FISH! / Küldj egy halat! fax action with 24 participants from 6 countries, organised by Árnyékkötők (Shadow Weavers)

16-19 September 1992 - Érsekújvár, Slovakia: "S.O.S. Live Transmission" fax action organised as part of the 5th International Alternative Art Festival with 27 artists from 11 countries, organised by Árnyékkötők (Shadow-binders)

18 September-4 December 1992: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: "NETWORK STAMP SHEETS 1976-1992" with the stamp image of 500 artists on collective stamp sheets; "TWO NETWORK PERIODICALS": COMMONPRESS (1977-1984) organised by Pawel Petasz (Poland), and DOC(K)S (1976-1987) edited and published by Julien Blaine (France); "ART UMBRELLAS ON POSTCARDS" – a selection from the material of Artpool’s 1981 project (APS no. 8); three network projects: András Lengyel’s project titled "CLOUD MUSEUM" with 30 participants; Ray Johnson’s first letter titled "BUDA RAY UNIVERSITY" (1982-1988) with 76 participants; "ÚJKAPOLCS GALLERY 1992": correspondence art project titled "Audio-visual and Electronic Children-togetherness" with a non-stop slide show; "NETWORK SOUND WORKS" (1980-1992) sound show from the sound works of mail art artists, with 59 participants

25 September-11 October 1992: Ferenc Liszt Square, Budapest: "FLUX FLAG" open air exhibition organised by Artpool with works sent by 42 artists from 18 countries; exhibition opened by György Galántai upon the instruction sent by fax by Ken Friedman; Artpool published a special bookwork catalogue to document the event

9-31 October 1992: Stamp Art Gallery, San Francisco, USA: exhibition titled "HUNGARIAN STAMP ARTISTS" using Artpool’s 1982 stamp action bookwork catalogue organised by Bill Gaglione

9 October-15 November 1992: Le Refuge, Centre International de Poésie, Marseille, France: Artistamp exhibition including the showcasing of Artpool’s 1982 artistamp publication titled "World Art Post" organised by Julien Blaine

28 October 1992: Róbert Swierkiewicz’s book documenting his mail art project titled "Substitutable Self portrait" (1981) with 88 participants; introductory essay written by Ágnes Gyetvai

29 October-11 November 1992: Teacher Training College, Debrecen, International mail art exhibition with 34 participants from 11 countries, organised by András Voit


13 February-27 March 1993: Ateliers d´artistes de la ville de Marseille, France: large-scale exhibition titled "ARTPOOL SUBJECTIF" / Subjective at the event "Poésure et Peintrie / Költészet és festészet"; seven Artpool projects from the 1980-1992 period displayed: "Homage to Vera Muhina", "World Art Post", "Everybody with Anybody", ARTPOOL’S RAY JOHNSON SPACE (with the simultaneous projection of 5x80 slides), "Fluxus Flags", a "Fax Action", "AUDIO-VISUAL AND ELECTRONIC CHILDREN’S HAPPENING" (with the projection of 80 slides), and the fluxus ABC rubber stamp action

19 March-14 May 1993: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: Fluxus writing paper and envelope, Fluxpost stamps at George MACIUNAS’s first exhibition in Hungary; zeropost stamps, postcards, envelopes at Endre TÓT’s first exhibition in Hungary titled "ZerO Retrospective" (zero works 1971-1984); POSTCARDS BY FLUXUS ARTISTS with 17 participants

27 March-16 April 1993: Mezon Youth Office, Debrecen: International Neoist Mail Art exhibition organised by András Voit

12 May 1993: Russian Cultural Centre, Budapest. "FLUX-CONCERT" IN MEMORIAM UNIVERSITY THEATRE 12 MAY 1973, organised by the Wet Studio of Foreign Artists

15-18 July 1993: Újkapolcs Gallery, Kapolcs: fluxus ABC rubber stamp action titled "CONCRETE POETRY IN THE COUNTRY" exhibiting the stamped text works created by the audience

4-10 September 1993: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: documentational exhibition titled "ART TELECOMMUNICATION PROJECTS IN THE 80S" about actions organised with the participation of Robert Adrian X

6-8 p.m. 8 September 1993: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: "DANUBE CONNECTION / DUNA-KAPCSOLAT", ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION HAPPENING (picturephone-telephone-fax-computer-video-performance) posing the question: Why to communicate? - live interactive telecommunications event realised via the picture telephone connection between the Viennese Freihaus-Kunstlabor and Artpool and using works sent by fax and post (organised by Artpool - Robert Adrian X, ZERONET)

24-26 September 1993: Vigadó Square, Budapest: 22 BUDAPEST URBAN ALALYSES fax action with the participation of 22 artists, organised by Shadow-binders

25 September 1993: Ferenc Liszt Square, Budapest: inauguration ceremony of "BEN SQUARE" - Ben Vautier’s event organised by Artpool

25 September-10 October 1993: Ferenc Liszt Square, Budapest. "BEN SQUARE" – an exhibition implemented through the collaboration between Artpool and Ben Vautier

September-November 1993: Ágnes Eperjesi and Tibor Várnagy’s EPIGONE project with 44 participants. The aim of the project periodical titled "NEW EPIGONE" is to lead up to the Second Contemporary Hungarian Epigone exhibition in Hamburg.

9 October 1993: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: visitors fill in a Rorschach banana skin test to help the banana syndrome research of Anna Banana (Canada) networker and bananologist

7 December 1993-9 January 1994: Hamburg KX: Kunst auf Kampnagel, Eine Ausstellung der Liget Galerie und der Projektförderung Bildende Kunst


1994 () - Marcali: "CHOICE PREJUDICE OTHERNESS" fax action

26 February-23 March 1994: Association of Artists and Art Patrons, Debrecen: "MAIL ART EXHIBITION DOCUMENTATION" organised by András Voit

30 May 1994: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: "MANŒUVRE NOMADE OR THE VIRTUAL PROTOCOL" – opening ceremony of the Budapest consulate of the Nomad Territory; issuing passports for those applying for Nomad Territorial citizenship;the embassadors of the Nomad Territory are members of the Canadian INTER/LE LIEU art collective

21-25 June 1994: "TOLERANCE" International Mail Art exhibition organised by András Voit

16 July 1994: Újkapolcs Gallery, Kapolcs, "MIKLÓS ERDÉLY DAY OF COMMEMORATION" passivity exercise – György Galántai uses a video copy of Miklós Erdély’s film "Train Journey" to make another film by combining the scenes with the faces of the passive film viewers without interrupting the presence of Miklós Erdély

24 September-9 October 1994: Ferenc Liszt Square, Budapest: panel exhibition titled "COOL SLOGANS" with 28 participants, organised by Artpool and the "Cool Papers" – Gábor Tóth

30 September-30 October 1994: Mihály Csokonai Vitéz Teacher Training College, Kaposvár: "PHOTOCOPYING IS FOLK ART" telefax exhibition organised Sándor Bátai

2-6 October 1994: Colibri Theatre, French Institute, Colibri Cellar, Budapest: "POLYPHONIX FESTIVAL" international sound poetry festival with 23 participants organised by Artpool

26 October-25 November 1994: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: exhibition of mail art works by John HELD Jr (USA)

 2 December 1994: Old Bath for Workers, Dorog: "ISLAND EXCHANGE" – first public “IDEA SHARES” listing organised by the Transfer Point Foundation, Jenő Lévay’s project with several hundred participants


11 April 1995: first issue of "LEOPOLD BLOOM assembling (edited by Ákos Székely)

20-30 April 1995: LE LIEU centre en art actuel (Québec) Canada: first exhibition of Artpool’s mail art project titled "HANDS" at "ARTPOOL’S ART TOUR CANADA 1995" (26 countries, 260 participants)

 22-23 June 1995: Radio Bartok, Budapest: international radio network project titled "HORIZONTAL RADIO linked to ARS ELECTRONICA in Linz – 24-hour simultaneous radio broadcast on 23 radio stations in 14 countries (including the broadcast of the full cassette radio series of "Artpool Radio")

17-30 August 1995: Small Gallery of Szoboszló, Hajdúszoboszló: "1. International Post-Mail-Art Biennale" organised by Le K´dar

23 September-8 October 1995: Ferenc Liszt Square, Budapest: open-air exhibition titiled "TEXTS BY ISTVÁN SAJNOS" organised by Artpool and preceded by a mail art type call to which 51 artists submit 267 texts, all of which are numbered and sent back to the participants who then are asked to vote to select the 28 texts that will be exhibited on bilboards.

25-29 and 2-6 October 1995: Artpool Art Research Center, Budapest: video documents of mail art performances first presented as part of the "VIDEO EXPEDITION IN PERFORMANCE ART" festival

29 September 1995: Onga, Municipal Library: seasonal mail art exhibition titled" TIME SIGNS" organised by Lóránd K. Kabai

6-27 October 1995: Kaposvár: Central Eastern European Postcard – international MAIL-ART exhibition with 127 participants; a juried (!) exhibition organised by András Vörös András and the Kapos Art Association

6 October 1995: INTERNATIONAL MAIL DAY - Géza Perneczky among those awarded a Niveau prize for his achievement at the Central Eastern European Postcard International MAIL-ART exhibition organised on the occasion of the World Post Day

17 October-18 November 1995: Accademia d´Ungheria in Roma: Italian and Hungarian works selected from Artpool’s mail art project titled "HANDS"

15- ? December 1995: Lajos Hatvany Museum, Hatvan: "Field postcards to commemorate the 100th birthday of László Moholy-Nagy" – commemorative cards by Hungarian artists, organised by Zoltán Vécsi Nagy


January 1996: Mini Gallery, Miskolc: normail art wall by Tibor Vass and Tibor Urbán titled FELEZŐ (HALVING)" on the occasion of the Day of Hungarian Culture

23-24-25 April 1996: Paris-Venice-Budapest-Skopje. "Curriculum Vitae" –simultaneous interactive art events, fax and internet communication at various locations: Paris: Galerie Multimedia IESA, Venice: International Conference of Museums and Exhibitions, Museum Correr, Budapest: Artpool Art Research Center, Skopje: City Museum (organised by Evgenija Demniewska)

1996: Árpád Együd Municipal Cultural Centre, Kaposvár: "ARS POETICA" telefax exhibition organised by Sándor Bátai

29 May-19 June 1996: Institut Hongrois, Paris: exhibition of Artpool’s mail art project titled "HANDS" with 260 participants from 26 countries

21 August-15 September 1996: Staatliches Museum, Schwerin, Germany: the history of Hungarian mail art by Géza Perneczky in the catalogue of the large-scale Eastern European mail art exhibition titled "OSTEUROPA IM INTERNATIONALEN NETZWERK"

13 September-27 October 1996: Hungarian Museum of Photography, Kecskemét: Hommage à László Moholy-Nagy with 111 participants from 22 countries, organised by Gyula Máté, Károly Kincses


19 February-23 March 1997: Ernst Museum, Budapest: ARTPOOL’S RAY JOHNSON SPACE (316 participants) - "CORRESPONDENCE ART OF RAY JOHNSON – documentary exhibition showcasing the entire Buda Ray University project (1982-1997) as well as Ray Johnson commemorative works and documents; Artpool’s Ray Johnson web-site launched on the occasion of the event

11-24 March 1997: Youth Centre, Szeged: mail art exhibition titled "WALL" with 11 participants, organised by Sándor Bátai

9-17 May 1997: National Institute of Psychiatry, Budapest. - "Sanatorium 1 project" exhibition with 24 participants on the theme of creating fictitious characters authenticated by biographical data; organised by Dóra Maurer

3 July-31 August 1997: Small Gallery of the Miskolc Picture Workshop, Miskolc Gallery, Miskolc: "Kő kövön / Stone to Stone" with 35 participants from 18 countries; organised by Tibor Urbán and Tibor Vass

26 September-12 October 1997: Artpool P60, Budapest: "Sanatorium 2 project" exhibition with 30 participants on the theme of anxiety, phobia, hypochondria – participants receiving thematic instructions from one another; organised by Dóra Maurer

26 September-12 October 1997: Artpool P60, Budapest: presentation of Artpool’s two mail art projects:
"Monument Square, Budapest" add to postcard project using a postcard of Budapest’s Heroes’ Square with 134 participants from 21 countries; "Box(ed) artworks" to commemorate Marcel Duchamp’s 110th birthday with 169 participants from 28 countries – the projects are each documented by a website

 10-31 October 1997: Árpád Együd Municipal Cultural Centre, Kaposvár, "ELECTROGRAPHICS" organised by Sándor Bátai Sándor

from 6 November 1997: Vaszary Gallery, Kaposvár: international mail art exhibition titled Central Eastern European Postcard 3 – a temporary post office operating from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the day of the opening First Day of Issue cancellation (catalogue by András Vörös)

1997: György Galántai makes the web adaptation of two correspondence art projects viewable online on Artpool’s website: UNI/vers(:) Guillermo Deisler’s visual poetry assemblage compiled via post and the Artpool publication titled Networker Bridge

December 1997: construction of Artpool’s Hungarian and English language mail art on line website to provide access to all the mail art websites of the world are accessible and the chronology of Hungarian correspondence art


6-28 February 1998: Újpest Gallery, Budapest. International mail art exhibition titled "CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPEAN POSTCARD 3" organised by the Kapos Art Association/András Vörös

18 February-15 March 1998: Kunsthalle, Budapest: travelling exhibition of the Municipal Museum of Schwerin titled "MAIL ART – EASTERN EUROPE IN THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK" supplemented by Artpool’s Hungarian mail art documents and original works

20 July 1998: Ottó Herman Memorial Park, Bükki National Park, Miskolc: "MARCELLAND" international mail art exhibition organised by Tibor Vass [video]

October 1998: Mihály Csokonai Vitéz Teacher Training College, Kaposvár: "ORIGINAL AND/OR COPY" telefax exhibition orgaised by Sándor Bátai

Compiled from Artpool’s documentation by György Galántai in 1998. Please refer to the source if you use any part of this text.

(English translation: Krisztina Sarkady, 2016)

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