We Live in Real Time: A Window Exhibition of Mail Art Made During the Pandemic

Photos and text by Dane Manary

On view from the sidewalk of Saint Mark’s Place, a window exhibition of mail art is on display at Printed Matter’s East Village location. The exhibition consists of selections from an open call put out in April, at the outset of the pandemic, with the prompt “We live in Real Time.”  The display is a touching array of material crafted meticulously by many hands in many different countries, in a time when physical connection is restrained.

The exhibition aligns with Printed Matter’s philosophy of art to be experienced on a personal level, outside of traditional art institutions. Printed Matter fosters the exchange of art and ideas in palpable, hand held objects with no restrictions, a practice traced back to the Dada movement of the early 20th century. The movement challenged political as well as art organizations and systems, a commitment that is ever paramount today.

This year, many things that we’ve always taken for granted have been threatened, including the Postal Service. The president undermines our very humanity at every turn, and the vigorous fight for social justice that pervades in racist systems of police, health care, and government can’t be ignored any longer.

The macrocosm of a postal network coincides with “Anti-art,” a term coined by Marcel Duchamp in 1913,  which inspired the manipulation of materials with collage, photomontage, prints, and found objects to alter traditional aesthetics. The collection at the storefront of 38 St. Mark’s Place is a staggering addition to a never ending network of people continuing to dismantle and decentralize ideas of art and accessibility.

Read more on Printed Matter’s website